How to train the invoice scanner

Why train the invoice scanner?

Farm Focus uses an AI-powered invoice scanner to read your supplier invoices and automatically fill in the key details, ready for coding. Most of the time it works well straight away, but occasionally it may miss or misread some information.

Taking a few minutes to correct and train the scanner helps it learn your suppliers' invoice layouts. The more consistently you train it, the more accurately it reads future invoices - saving you time in the long run.

Training the invoice scanner

Here is a video, or see the article below for written instructions.

When to use Fill in the gaps

You only need to use the Fill in the gaps feature when the invoice has not been read correctly. 

If everything looks correct, there is no need to make any changes - simply proceed to coding in Farm Focus. If there are updates needed then click the Fill in the gaps button on the right hand side.

Customising your view

When you open Fill in the gaps, you will see a preview of the document (1), the invoice (2), and the fields Farm Focus is trying to fill - including key information (3) and line detail (4). You can arrange this screen to suit the way you work.

• Close the preview panel by clicking the cross.

• Move or rearrange panels into tabs by clicking the title bar and dragging.

• Adjust panel sizes using the double-headed arrow.

• Pop any panel into a separate window for easier viewing, then close it when done.

Once you have set up the view you prefer, click the Save icon (5) to make it your default. You can also revert to the original view at any time.

Correcting key information

If a field contains incorrect information, you can point the scanner to the right place on the invoice.

1. Click on the field that contains the wrong information. The scanner will highlight where it is currently reading.

2. Click and drag over the correct detail on the invoice to select it.

3. Release to confirm the selection.

Correcting line detail

The invoice scanner reads all lines on the invoice, picking up the description, quantity, and line total. You can correct any lines that have not been read accurately.

Correcting an individual line

1. Click in the field you want to correct.

2. Click and drag over the correct information on the invoice.

Adding, removing, or reordering lines

Use the three-dot menu icon next to a line (1) to duplicate, add, or remove rows. You can also:

• Use the +(2) button to add a new row.

• Use keyboard shortcuts which are shown in the menu.

• Click and drag lines to reorder them.

• Select multiple lines to move or remove them all at once.

• Click Clear field data, which is the broom icon, (3) to clear all line detail and start fresh.

Applying a line layout to all lines

For invoices with many lines, you can set up the first line correctly and apply that layout to the whole invoice. This saves time and improves consistency.

1. Use the steps above to correct the description, quantity (if applicable), and line total for line one only.

2. Click the Learn and Extract button, which looks like two boxes with a downward arrow (4).

Best practices for training the scanner

Consistency is key to training the scanner well. Here are some recommended approaches.

• If you have a backlog of invoices from the same supplier, send them through together and train each one consistently. You can attach up to 3 invoices maximum to one email, or send them through individually.

• If the top line of an invoice is a summary of the job, include it as line one alongside the detailed lines. This is useful if you plan to merge lines in Farm Focus, as the top line description is retained when merging.

• Use the undo and redo arrows in the top right corner of the Fill in the gaps screen at any time if you make a mistake.

Saving and returning to Farm Focus

When you have finished correcting the invoice, click Save in the top right corner to return to Farm Focus. From there, you can use tools such as coding rules, bulk coding, removing $0 lines, and merging lines to finalise the invoice.

Scenario

You receive a monthly invoice from a fertiliser supplier. The first time it comes through the scanner, it reads the supplier name from the logo incorrectly. You open Fill in the gaps, click on the supplier name field, and drag over the supplier name in the text at the bottom of the invoice. You do the same for a few more invoices from the same supplier, each time pointing it to the right place. By the fifth invoice, the scanner is reading everything correctly without any corrections needed.