Automated Invoice Entry, powered by OpsTechnology

In this article, you'll find:

• How to get started 
• Processing invoices using Automated Invoice Entry
• Handling exceptions

How to get started 

To get started with Automated Invoice Entry, you'll first need to get your account provisioned with the OpsTechnology team. 

1. On the left-hand menu in Buildium, select Add-on services.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the Add-on Services page and click Apply now in the Automate Invoice Entry with OpsTechnology box. 
3. You'll now see a page titled "Apply for Automated Invoice Entry."
   1. Fill in your contact info under General information.
   2. In the Automated Invoice Entry set up section, create a unique email address. Once setup is complete, you'll give this email address to your vendors, and this will be where they send their invoices. 
      • You'll want to make sure this email address is unique to you and your management company so that it's clear to your vendors where to email in their invoices.
   3. Estimate the number of invoices you expect to receive to this email box per month.
      • If unsure, you may want to estimate on the higher end (~+20%). This helps the OpsTechnology plan accordingly.
   4. Fill in your desired start date to begin using the Automated Invoice Entry service.
4. Review the Buildium terms of use, and then indicate that you agree by checking the check box, and the click Submit.
5. You're all set for now! The setup process may take between 7 and 10 business days, so hold off on distributing your OpsTechnology email address to your vendors until you've received a confirmation Welcome Email from the OpsTechnology team. 

Processing invoices using Automated Invoice Entry

Now that you've received your Welcome Email from the OpsTechnology team, you're ready to start processing invoices.

1. The first step is to distribute your new OpsTechnology email address to your vendors. 
   • Some important notes when sharing your OpsTechnology email address:
     • NOTE: Any vendors who send invoices via this process will need complete addresses in Buildium.
     • File types supported by OpsTechnology are JPG, JPEG, PDF, TIFF, TIF.
       • If an unsupported file type is sent, the vendor will be notified via email and they will need to resubmit their invoice. 
     • Any invoices sent through this process should be for only one property, not multiple.
       • If the OpsTechnology team receives an invoice for multiple properties, the invoice will be flagged for override.
2. When a vendor emails their invoice to your OpsTechnology email address, you should see it in Buildium within 72 hours. Invoices are pushed into your Buildium account daily, each morning. 
3. To see new invoices that have been processed by the OpsTechnology team, navigate to Accounting, select Bills, and then click the Invoice Files tab. 
4. On the Invoice Files tab, a list of received invoice files are viewable. If the invoice file was added by the OpsTechnology team, the Created By column will show "Ops Tech."
5. To process the invoice file, click Convert to bill to the right side of the file.
6. You will then be presented an image of the invoice to the left, and all of the prefilled information for the bill on the right.
7. If all looks right to you, click Create bill and follow your typical Accounts Payable process.
   • Otherwise, you can make any edits needed before creating the bill, or select Save as draft to come back later and finish. 

Handling exceptions

Occasionally, you may run into scenarios where the OpsTechnology team needs your input to resolve an exception to the process. Those scenarios may include:

• The vendor or property has not yet been set up in your Buildium account, or is missing address information.
• A handwritten invoice is received and is difficult to read.
• An invoice is sent for more than 1 property.
• An invoice is sent with a discount or credit line item, that specific line item will not come through to Buildium.
  • You will be able to see this credit item on the image of the invoice to handle how you typically would, such as a vendor credit.
• A $0 statement is sent.
  • The information for the property and vendor will populate in the correct sections of the Bill, but no line items on the bill will be pre-populated.

If an exception scenario arises, you will see a yellow banner at the top of the Invoice Files page. This banner will detail the number of invoices containing exceptions for your review, and a link to the OpsTechnology portal to complete your review of all outstanding exceptions.