Invoice Processing Trends 2026
AI is Changing the Landscape
Transform your invoice processing within weeks with generative AI
that combines 25 years of European expertise with innovative automation
We’re Making the Leap to Intelligent Invoice Processing
2026 marks a turning point for invoice processing across Europe. Where companies previously needed weeks for implementation of new systems, organizations now often make the switch to fully automated AI-driven invoice processing within weeks. This technology is driven by generative AI technology that is excellent for business use in the European market today.
Looking Ahead: Trends Changing Business in 2026
Industry context: According to internal research from EasyData, among our clients, partners and colleagues, the global market for Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) is currently growing significantly. These figures are supported by various research institutions. European adoption of AI in business processes is showing strong growth, with companies realizing time savings in document automation and wanting to discover its benefits. EasyData supports this movement by facilitating a free PoC.
Trend: From OCR to Intelligent Processing
In our 25 years of experience with European companies, we observe a fundamental shift. Where traditional OCR systems often failed with complex invoices such as collective invoices from telecom companies or energy suppliers, we now see that modern AI systems can correctly interpret these documents.
Practical example from our experience:
A European wholesaler processed 2,400 invoices monthly. Their OCR system had an accuracy of 73% for collective invoices. After implementing our IDP solution, this rose to 94%. We saw the biggest improvement in invoices with multiple VAT rates and complex line structures.
Concrete results:
- Processing time per invoice: from 8 minutes to 2 minutes
- Manual corrections: from 27% to 6%
- Approval turnaround time: from 5.2 days to 1.8 days
❌ Traditional OCR limitations:
- Limited to text recognition
- Requires manual verification
- No learning process
- Error-prone with complex invoices
✅ EasyData’s IDP advantages:
- Context understanding: AI understands the meaning behind invoice data
- Self-learning: Becomes increasingly smarter through use
- Line recognition: Processes complex collective invoices automatically
- Fraud detection: Automatically identifies suspicious invoices
Trend: Touchless Processing Becomes the Standard
In our practice with European companies, we see a clear shift towards what we call ‘touchless processing’ – complete invoice processing without manual intervention. From our experience with various implementations, it appears that companies gradually achieve higher automation levels as the system learns from their specific processes.
Practical example of touchless processing:
A European IT service provider implemented our solution with the following progression:
- Month 1: 45% automatic processing
- Month 3: 72% automatic processing
- Month 6: 85%+ for known suppliers
This development is typical for the implementations we guide.
This trend is well known in the market. KPMG confirms that automated accounts payable delivers significant cost savings.
EasyData’s touchless processing includes:
- Automatic recognition of all invoice types
- Intelligent connection to ERP systems
- Automated approval workflows
- Real-time fraud detection and compliance checks
Trend: UBL XML Integration Accelerates Digitalization
Advantages of UBL invoices:
- 100% recognition rate: No errors due to structured data
- Direct ERP integration: Invoices appear automatically in your system
- Compliance guarantee: Meets all European requirements
Mobile-First Approach for Flexible Working
The new way of working requires invoice processing that is accessible anywhere and anytime.
Companies expect full functionality on mobile devices.
Mobile advantages:
- Scan invoices via your smartphone
- Employee expenses via WhatsApp
- Invoice classification by subject and context
- Real-time status updates for all stakeholders
- Offline functionality for flexible working
We Offer You a PoC for Invoice Processing
The reality of implementation risks in invoice processing projects
Implementation Risks
- Wrong assumptions about document quality and variation
- Underestimation of complexity of specific documents
- Integration challenges with existing systems
- Unrealistic expectations about accuracy
EasyData PoC Approach
- Proof of accuracy – Test with your documents within 4 weeks
- Risk mitigation – Invest when result is proven
- Measurable ROI – Concrete time savings in your workflow
- Integration validation – Proof of compatibility with your systems
A PoC eliminates implementation risks and provides concrete results before you invest in a complete solution.
Prove the value with your own documents, invest only after validated results
