This article explains how to keep AP Automation scan usage under control and how to investigate scan usage that is higher than expected. To understand what counts as a scan, see 'How are scans counted in AP Automation'.

How to send invoices to AP Automation to reduce scan usage

Most unnecessary AP Automation scans come from how documents reach AP Automation, not from the setup itself. Your AP mailbox is your organisation's own accounts payable email address, for example ap@yourcompany.example. Keep it as the single route into AP Automation, because one route lets your team check everything before it is scanned.

  1. Ask suppliers to send all invoices to your AP mailbox.
  2. Check each email in your AP mailbox before it goes to AP Automation.
  3. Remove statements, remittances and other non-invoice attachments, because AP Automation scans and counts them.
  4. Send each invoice to your AP Automation mailbox once, from one route only.
  5. Leave the AP Automation mailbox out of replies on forwarded email chains, because AP Automation scans each reply as a new email.

How to set a page limit on an AP Automation mailbox

The 'Invoice page limit'on each AP Automation mailbox sets the maximum number of pages accepted per document. The default is 10. AP Automation returns an error and does not scan a document with more pages than the limit.

To change the limit, go to Settings > AP Automation > Mailboxes, open the mailbox and select 'Edit'. For the full steps, see the AP Automation Mailboxes page in the iplicit user guide.

Why suppliers should not send invoices directly to AP Automation

iplicit does not recommend giving suppliers your AP Automation mailbox address. Once suppliers send directly, your team cannot monitor what AP Automation receives. Duplicates and non-invoice documents then become harder to control, so ask suppliers to keep sending to your AP mailbox.

How to investigate high scan usage in AP Automation

The AP Automation inbox shows who sent each email and how many attachments it carried, in the 'From' and 'Attachments' columns. Review it alongside your AP mailbox and the 'Abandoned' set which lists documents a user has abandoned.

Look for these patterns in the AP Automation inbox:

  • Senders – supplier addresses in the 'From' column show that suppliers are emailing AP Automation directly
  • Forwarding – the same invoice is forwarded from another mailbox as well as sent directly
  • Repeat submissions – the same invoice arrives more than once
  • Attachments – emails carry several attachments, particularly statements or remittances
  • Reply chains – replies to forwarded emails copy in AP Automation.

Each pattern links back to one of the AP Automation routing steps in this article. For questions about your scan usage, contact your Customer Success Manager.

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