Accounting digitalization: How companies speed up invoice approval and get rid of paperwork

Accounting is often the last in line for digitalization. Yet this is precisely where the most time can be saved. Manual invoice retyping, paper approvals, and endless document searches are still a reality in many companies. However, there is an easier way to automate this routine. In this article, we will show how accounting digitalization works in practice and why companies like JABLOTRON ALARMS no longer deal with paper cycles.

Paper invoices, manual data entry, approvals via email... This is still common in many companies. While logistics and sales are fully digitalized, accounting often remains sidelined.

It’s not about an unwillingness to change. Most often, it’s simply a lack of time, fear of losing control, or bad experiences with previous tools. As a result, even companies that have digitalized production or warehouses still manually retype invoices into the ERP system and approve them manually. And that’s a shame. Accounting has enormous potential for simplifying and speeding up work.

Accounting digitalization is not just about comfort. It's about quicker cash flow overviews, more accurate forecasts, and the elimination of audit risks. These are benefits that every CFO and company owner will appreciate, especially in times of efficiency pressure.

How much time does the accounting department really lose?

An average Czech company processes approximately 300–500 incoming invoices monthly. Larger companies handle thousands. Manually retyping one invoice takes 5–10 minutes. Email approvals and phone reminders add dozens more minutes.

In reality, accountants spend:

• 2 hours a day just retyping invoices,
• another 2–3 hours a week approving them,
• and a lot of time searching for documents for audits and controls.

What does accounting digitalization look like in practice?

Digitalization is not just about “getting rid of paper.” It should be seen as a change in the way work is done. The invoice arrives, the system automatically reads it, extracts the data, and assigns it to the responsible person according to predefined rules. Approval takes place online, within a pre-defined workflow. Accountants no longer retype, forward, or search for anything. They focus on accounting, unusual cases, and cost analysis.

• Before: Invoice → email → print → retype → forward → approve → archive
• After: Invoice → automatic import → automatic assignment → online approval → archive

JABLOTRON: Weekly approvals reduced to a few hours

A typical example? JABLOTRON ALARMS. Previously, approving a single complex invoice could take a week. The document circulated through 5–7 people, going through purchasing, production, finance, and management. Everyone waited for their turn.

Today, the same process takes hours, not days. Accountants spend 60% less time retyping and approving invoices.

“The biggest time savings are with invoices from carriers like GLS. These invoices are often very detailed, with different items approved by various departments. In iNVOiCE FLOW, we simply split the invoices and distribute them to the approvers,”
explains Špringl, CIO of JABLOTRON ALARMS.

Thanks to this, the company has an instant overview of where an invoice is, who is responsible for it, and what its current status is. You can read the full case study here.

Who is accounting digitalization crucial for?

Companies processing tens, hundreds, or even thousands of invoices each month know well how much chaos can arise in invoicing. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a manufacturing company, accounting agency, hotel, or car service. Every company that handles a larger volume of documents and needs clarity on who approved what and when will appreciate the overview and speed brought by invoice automation.

Especially in places where costs are tied to specific projects, branches, or customers, a system like iNVOiCE FLOW helps eliminate unnecessary chaos. Everything happens according to set rules, without improvisation and “agreements between departments.”

How to start simply and practically

Don’t wait. Start where the biggest impact will be: incoming invoices. The first results will surprise you. Want to try and see how it would look for you?

At GRiT, we'll show you exactly what digitalized accounting can look like in practice.