Azure Cognitive Services is a cloud-based platform that provides various artificial intelligence (AI) services, such as vision, speech, language, and decision-making APIs. These services make integrating AI capabilities into applications accessible, requiring minimal development or programming experience.

Dynamics 365, on the other hand, is a cloud-based software that combines enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) functionalities. It enables businesses to efficiently manage their operations, finances, sales, and customer interactions. The software encompasses various modules, such as finance, supply chain management, sales, marketing, and customer service, providing a comprehensive business solution.

Together, these two platforms can help businesses automate their invoice processing workflows, from scanning and extracting data from invoices to approving and processing payments:

Azure Cognitive Services, with its AI-powered capabilities, can extract relevant data from invoices automatically. By leveraging optical character recognition (OCR) technology, Azure Cognitive Services can identify and remove crucial information from invoices, including vendor details, invoice numbers, dates, line items, and totals. This automated process eliminates manual data entry, saving time and reducing errors.
Azure Cognitive Services can validate the extracted data against predefined rules and formats. It can identify discrepancies, missing information, or potential errors, enabling businesses to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
By integrating Azure Cognitive Services with Dynamics 365, businesses can create an end-to-end automated workflow for invoice processing. The scanned invoices are automatically processed, and the extracted data is validated and matched against existing records in Dynamics 365. This automation streamlines the entire process, eliminating manual intervention and accelerating processing times.
Dynamics 365 offers robust workflow capabilities that allow businesses to define approval hierarchies and automate payment processes. Once the invoices are validated and matched, the system can route them for approval based on predefined rules. Approved invoices can be automatically scheduled for payment, reducing delays and ensuring timely processing.
Dynamics 365 provides real-time visibility into the invoice processing workflow. Businesses can track the status of invoices, monitor payment schedules, and identify bottlenecks or delays. Moreover, the system offers reporting and analytics features to generate insights, such as invoice processing times, payment trends, and vendor performance. These insights enable businesses to make data-driven decisions and identify areas for improvement.
Dynamics 365 integrates with financial systems, such as general ledgers and accounting software. Once invoices are processed and approved, the relevant financial entries can be automatically created, updating the financial records in real time.