eDocuments: The answer to secure, cross-border file sharing

As the name suggests, an eDocument is a document in an electronic format, typically JSON or XML. Unlike classic PDFs, eDocuments are not designed for manual processing, but rather to be understood by machines. An eDocument is read, processed, and archived by IT systems — machines — without human intervention.

What are examples of an eDocument?

If there’s one type of eDocument everyone’s heard of, it’s the eInvoice. In fact, in many countries companies are now required by law to issue eInvoices for transactions with public authorities and other companies. As the new eInvoicing mandate is rolled out further, companies will have to accept and process eInvoices, too.

Legal obligations aside, you can of course exchange any kind of document in an electronic format. Examples include:

• Dispatch notifications, e.g., delivery notes with detailed information on the shipment of goods
• Customs and tax documents, e.g., customs declarations or tax filings
• Purchasing documents, e.g., orders or order confirmations
• Declarations to authorities, e.g., forms sent to tax or social security authorities

Companies use special platforms and networks that facilitate the cross-company exchange of eInvoices and other electronic documents. One such platform is the government portal Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement Online). These networks offer several advantages: documents are encrypted for transmission, routed to the correct recipient and always in the right format.

In turn, the recipient must ensure that they are able to receive the electronic document. With leading ERP systems, you can do this by connecting directly to networks such as Peppol. The result? Faster data exchange, along with the ability to fully automate processes from invoice verification to posting and more.

In cross-border business, the exchange of eDocuments can get complicated, fast. Not least because nations with mandatory eInvoicing regulations require companies to use specific platforms for the exchange of eInvoices. Exceptions exist, like Germany, where eInvoicing is a requirement but companies are free to choose which platform to use for exchange and processing. In some countries, like France and Belgium, the standard platform is Peppol.

For a long time, the requirement for international businesses to send invoices via networks like Peppol only applied to transactions with public authorities. But as governments expand the mandate to cover transactions with other companies, too, Peppol has now become a network for both B2G and B2B transactions. This unlocks huge reserves of untapped potential for companies who are now able to efficiently exchange documents on an international scale.

In order to exploit this potential, companies must first connect their own systems to Peppol or other government platforms.

The Doxis ECM system connects to cross-border government platforms, empowering you to exchange electronic documents in specific formats and meet data protection requirements.

It’s important to use interfaces that are certified, since not every system can connect to government platforms. The Doxis certified interface eDocument Exchange works with Peppol and other government platforms. The advantage? With Doxis, you can smoothly and seamlessly accept and process eInvoices from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Italy, as well as other EU nations. The same goes in the opposite direction, too.

Accept inbound invoices with Doxis

Doxis automatically accepts and digitally processes eInvoices for you. This is possible thanks to the standardized eInvoice formats that exist within the EU, including XRechnung and ZUGFeRD. As a result, systems like Doxis can always automatically accept and process eInvoices in the correct format for the respective country. Here’s how it works:

1. Accept inbound eInvoices: Doxis automatically accesses the digital inbox via interfaces to government platforms such as Peppol and accepts eInvoices in real time.
   
   
2. Capture invoice details: Doxis supports common eInvoice formats including Factur-X, XRechnung, and eFattura, and sends structured data from the documents to the system. Doxis is able to recognize that the eDocument is an invoice from, e.g. partner X, and files it in the associated eFile.
   
   
3. Verify eInvoice: Doxis carries out a formal and factual verification of eInvoices. It identifies if data is missing or incorrect and compares the eInvoice against documents from the same transaction, such as the delivery note or receipts.
   
   
4. Release eInvoice: Doxis triggers the release workflow for validated eInvoices by assigning a task to the responsible employee. Multi-stage release processes add extra layers of security, ensuring that the invoice process complies with internal guidelines.
   
   
5. Post eInvoice: Doxis sends the invoice data of released invoices to your financial accounting system. You can also opt for automatic posting if the eInvoice contains a purchase order reference.
   
   
6. Audit-proof eInvoice archiving: Doxis archives eInvoices over their retention periods in line with audit requirements and regulatory requirements.

Issue outbound invoices in SAP

You can create your eInvoices directly in SAP or another ERP system, then connect it to Doxis using built-in interfaces. Tools like SAP’s eDocument Framework and eDocument Cockpit help companies stay compliant with upcoming eInvoicing rules. For example, the framework converts eInvoices into the right format for platforms like Peppol, so they can be sent across borders without extra steps.

In practice, SAP sends the eInvoice to the government platform, and Doxis takes care of the rest. It also stores each invoice in the right customer file, giving you an audit-proof archive for SAP along the way.

Right now the eInvoice is the only electronic document that is subject to binding regulations in at least some countries. But this is likely to be only the start. In the future, entire document-driven P2P processes could be digitalized, with companies electronically exchanging delivery notes, order confirmations, standard contracts, and much more.

For instance, if electronic delivery notes become a requirement, we could be looking at the introduction of another standardized format. In all likelihood, transmission would also be via Peppol or an alternative government platform. This means that eDocument Exchange is a future-proof solution for the long-term receipt of electronic documents.

eDocument Exchange lets you securely exchange eInvoices and other electronic documents with your business partners, both now and in the future. With certified connections to Peppol and other platforms, Doxis gives you a reliable way to receive and process documents, no matter how the rules evolve.

The advantages of Doxis eDocument Exchange at a glance:

• Integrates seamlessly into existing invoice automation processes
• Receives eInvoices securely and in real time
• Sends receipt notifications to the sender automatically
• Protects financial transactions in over 30 countries
• Adapts continually to legal and regulatory changes

Want to see how it works? Get in touch to see Doxis eDocument Exchange in action.

FAQs on eDocuments