# Paperless Emails

> The Paperless Emails area of PurchasePlus is where you can:

Source: https://www.purchaseplus.com/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails

Markdown: https://www.purchaseplus.com/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails.md

# Paperless Emails
**Jump to**:

-   [What is the 'Paperless Emails' Area](#InboxDefn)
-   [Viewing Paperless Emails](#ViewPaperlessEmails)
-   [Scanning Task](#scanning-task)
    -   [Scanning Task Statuses](#ScanTaskStatuses)
-   [Viewing Scanning Tasks](#ViewingScanTasks)
    -   [Locking and Unlocking Scanning Tasks](#LockingAndUnlockingScanTasks)
    -   [Scanning Task Origins](#ScanTaskOrigins)
    -   [Quick Navigation Tips](#QuickNav)

-   [Creating New Scanning Tasks](#CreatingNewScanTasks1)
    -   [Scanning Multiple Files](#Scanningmultiplefiles)
    -   [What does the AI Scanner Detect and Pre-fill?](#whatIsDetected2)
-   [Converting Scanning Tasks into Invoices or Credit Notes](#ConvertingToDocument)
-   [Deleting Scanning Tasks](#DeletingScanTasks)

### Paperless Emails

The Paperless Emails area of PurchasePlus is where you can:

1.  View the emails that your Suppliers (or other users at your Organisation) have sent to your dedicated Paperless Invoicing Email Address,
2.  Follow the work that our [Paperless Invoicing AI](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-the-paperless-invoicing-ai) does with the documents, and see the resulting [Invoices](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-invoices) and [Credit Notes](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-credit-notes) in our system.

If enabled for your Organisation, the Paperless Emails feature will appear as **\[Paperless Emails\]** in the side navigation bar:

![Paperless Emails in the side navigation](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-1.avif)

The Paperless Emails area is made up of two sub-areas:

-   **\[View All\]** Paperless Emails, where you can view each email sent by your Suppliers to your dedicated Paperless Invoicing Email Address. This includes emails that our system automatically 'filters out' - i.e. does not use to create Invoices or Credit Notes - like statements, marketing content, and duplicate documents.
-   **\[Action Items\],** where you can review and amend any Scanning Task (see below for more information) where the Supplier is missing.
-   **\[Scanning Tasks\]**, which are - a half-way point between your Supplier's email (including any PDF attachment) and the resulting Invoice or Credit Note in our system.

### Viewing Paperless Emails

To view all of your Paperless Emails in a table, click **\[Paperless Emails\] → \[View All\]** in the side navigation bar. From this view, you can:

-   Search for a specific email by From Email, To Email and more,
-   Quickly view links to any resultant Scanning Tasks, Invoices and/or Credit Notes that our system created from the email:

![Paperless Emails View All table](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-2.avif)

-   View the original email in greater detail by clicking the **\[Email\]** value in the table. The original attached files are also available for download at the bottom of the email:

![View a Paperless Email](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-3.avif)

### Scanning Task

When a Supplier emails a PDF Invoice or Credit Note to your Paperless Invoicing Email Address (or when you manually [upload a PDF Invoice or Credit Note into our AI Scanning feature](#CreatingNewScanTasks1)), our AI creates a Scanning Task, and assigns it a unique Scan Number.

In the **\[Scanning Tasks\]** section, you can view these Tasks, as well as any documents that are eventually generated from the Scanning Task:

![View Scan Tasks](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-4.avif)

You can think of a Scanning Task as the interim step between your Supplier’s PDF Invoice or Credit Note, and the PurchasePlus [Invoice](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-invoices) or [Credit Note](/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-credit-notes) that you reconcile and export using our software.

#### Scanning Task Statuses

Scanning Tasks can be in one of the following Statuses:

-   **Scanning (Grey)**: The Scanning Task was recently started and it is still scanning.
-   **Scanning (Red)**: The Scanning Task has been scanning for longer than 5 minutes and the AI has given up, but technically the task has not yet failed.
-   **Scanned (Blue)**: The Scanning Task has successfully processed the PDF file but failed to meet our business rules, necessitating human review. Our 24/7 invoicing team will address this within a few hours. Alternatively, you can [make the required corrections at any time](#ConvertingToDocument) to expedite the process.
-   **Completed (Green)**: The Scanning Task has generated an Invoice or Credit Note and no longer needs actioning. We keep a record of the Scan Task, so users can quickly view the actual document (Invoice or Credit Note) that was generated from the Task.
-   **Failed (Red)**: The Scanning Task failed for some reason. You can click into and view a Failed Scanning Task and manually review and update it.

You can hover-over the status indicator for more information about the individual Scan Task's status.

### Viewing Scanning Tasks

You can view a record of all your Organisation's Scanning Tasks by navigating to **\[Paperless Emails\] → \[Scanning Tasks\]** in the side navigation bar:

![Scanning Tasks table](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-5.avif)

In this table view, you can see some important information regarding each Scan Task, including:

-   **Scan Number:** The unique Task identifier that the AI Scanner assigned this Scan Task.
-   **Lock Status:** Whether or not another user has [locked the task for editing](#LockingAndUnlockingScanTasks). 

-   **Supplier:** The Supplier that sent the original PDF to your Organisation. 
-   **Purchaser:** The Organisation that the document has been assigned to.
-   **Created Document:** A link to the Invoice or Credit Note that has been generated from the Scan Task.
-   **Document Type:** Indicates whether the Scan Task has been identified as an Invoice or a Credit Note.
-   **Status:** The status that the Scan Task is in currently. You can hover-over the status indicator for more information about the Scan Task's status. _Please see [Scan Task Statuses](#ScanTaskStatuses) above for more information._
-   **PDF File**: A link to the original PDF that was uploaded into the AI Scanner.
-   **Created On:** The time and date that the Scan Task was created.  

You may also select manage columns to add additional data points.   
  

You can view any single Scanning Task by clicking on the **\[Scan Number\]** from the table:

![Scan Task in Scanned State](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-6.avif)

From this view, you can update the Scanning Task if required, and Create the Invoice or Credit Note. More on this [below](#ConvertingToDocument).

#### Locking and Unlocking Scanning Tasks

Scanning Tasks can be 'Locked' or 'Unlocked'. A user can Lock a Scanning Task that they are reviewing, to let other users know that they are editing it, and Unlock it when they are finished.

![Locked or unlocked scanning task](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-7.avif)

You can also [Create a Scanning Task](#CreatingNewScanTasks1) in a Locked state.

#### Scanning Task Origins

The Scanning Tasks page displays all of the Scan Tasks that were:

-   Received as emails (with PDF attachments) from your Suppliers (or users at your own organisation),
-   Created directly via the Scanning Tasks page, and
-   Created via the [Create New Invoice](/docs/for-purchasers/create-a-new-invoice) and [Create New Credit Note](/docs/for-purchasers/create-a-new-credit-note) experiences, if the user opted for the **\[Drag and Drop PDF\]** option:

![Create new Invoice from PDF](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-8.avif)

#### Quick Tips for Navigating the Scanning Tasks page

The Scanning Tasks page has three main navigation assistance features, to help users quickly find the right Scan Task:  
  
![Search Scanning Tasks](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-9.avif)

1.  **Filter by Status:** Using the tabs along the top of the page, a user can quickly filter the list of Scanning Tasks by those in one of the following statuses: Scanning, Scanned, Completed, Blocked, Failed, Deleted.
2.  **Advanced Search,** which includes: 
    1.  **Search by Document Number:**  Users can search using the Document Number produced by the AI when creating an Invoice or Credit Note from the Scan Task.  
    2.  **Search by From Email:** Users can search using the sender’s email address to locate any or all Invoices sent from that specific email.  
    3.  **Filter** by Invoices, Credit Notes, or both.
3.  **Search by Supplier Name:** Enter the name of a single Supplier (as it appears in PurchasePlus) to view a list of Scan Tasks where this Supplier has been identified as the sender of the original PDF.

### Creating New Scanning Tasks 

To manually create a new Scan Task directly on the Scanning Task page, click **\[Create New Scanning Tasks\]**:

![Create New Scanning Tasks Manually](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-10.avif)

You will have the option to identify whether the Task relates to an Invoice or Credit Note, before uploading the PDF(s) to be scanned:

![Create New Scanning Tasks](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-11.avif)

You may choose to identify the Supplier that the document relates to, but if not, our AI Scanner will attempt to detect the Supplier during the Scan.

Finally, you have the option of deciding if the Scanning Task should be marked as Locked.

If the **\[Mark as Locked\]** option is selected, the resulting Task will be Locked and will remain in the Scanned state. Manual human review will be required prior to an Invoice or Credit Note being created.

Click **\[Start\]** when you are ready to begin scanning.

![Start Scanning Task](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-12.avif)

You will get a warning if the Invoice or Credit Note you are about to create will likely be a duplicate, otherwise, the Scanning Task will appear in the **\[Scanning Tasks\]** table with a Status of 'Scanning', and shortly thereafter, 'Scanned'.

Once the PDF has progressed to a state of Scanned, you will have the opportunity to review the data that has been extracted, before clicking **\[View Invoice\]** or **\[View Credit Note\]**. You will also have the opportunity to Save and Exit by clicking **\[Return to Scanning Tasks\]**.

![Scanned Invoice review](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-13.avif)

While in this view, you can scroll down on the left-hand panel and inspect the automatically-matched Purchase Order:

![Automatically matched Purchase Order on a scan](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-14.avif)

And you can edit the document's Lines before Viewing the Invoice or Credit Note:

![Edit scanned Invoice lines](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-15.avif)

(Above): You can select one or more Lines of the Scan Task to:

-   **\[Delete\]** the line,
    
-   **\[Unlink\]** the line to remove any association with existing Catalog products, 
    
-   **\[Set Tax Percentage\]** to update the tax calculation value for the selected lines, or
-   **\[Clear Selection\]** to deselect the selected lines.

Once you have **\[Unlinked\]** a line, you can edit some details about the Invoice line by hovering-over the line and clicking the pencil icon:

![Edit unlinked line of scan task](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-16.avif)

You can update many fields here, for example the Product Code, Brand, Sell Quantity and more. Additionally, you can use the **\[Link\]**, **\[Delete\]** or **\[Insert a Line\]** options (to the left of the line item) to make even more amendments to the Scan Task if required.

![Edit an unlinked scan line](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-17.avif)

#### Creating Multiple Scanning Tasks concurrently

You may choose to upload multiple PDF's as part of the same action. In this scenario, our AI Scanner will create one Scanning Task per PDF. This is an extremely powerful way to rapidly ingest a large volume of PDF Invoices or Credit Notes into PurchasePlus.

**Tip**: If you select ‘Invoice’ or ‘Credit Note’ during the creation of the Scanning Task(s), this choice will be applied to all the resultant Scanning Tasks, and it is not currently possible to edit this choice post-scanning. We recommend uploading all PDF Invoices and beginning the Scanning Task, and then repeating the process with all PDF Credit Notes.

#### What can be extracted from the PDF and pre-filled by the AI Scanner?

-   The Supplier (if a match is found),
    
-   The PO Number (if a PO Number is found),
    
-   The Department and Account Code (if applicable),
    
-   The Product on each Invoice Line (if a match is found), and
    
-   The Category and Sub-Category of each new product on each Invoice Line.
    

### Converting Scanning Tasks into Invoices or Credit Notes

A Scanning Task must be reviewed and manually converted into an Invoice or Credit Note by a user of PurchasePlus within your Organisation.

To do so, first click on the Scan Number of the Scan Task in the AI Scanning Inbox. The Scan Task must be in the Scanned state:

![Convert a Scan Task to a Document](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-18.avif)

You will arrive at the Invoice or Credit Note Creator screen, which displays the data that was extracted and pre-filled by our AI Scanner alongside the original PDF.

You will have the option here to review and make amendments to most of the extracted data (for example, Reference, Account Code, Line Items and Unit Prices) if you wish. 

Once you are comfortable with the data, click **\[Create Invoice\]** or **\[Create Credit Note\]**:

![Converting Scan to invoice step two - Invoice Creator](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-19.avif)

#### Setting: Manual vs Automatic processing

Depending on the setting applied to your Organisation, when you click **\[Create Invoice\]** or **\[Create Credit Note\]**, the resulting document can be automatically processed according to your Flag Settings and Thresholds so that it initially appears in a Awaiting Approval or Reconciled state. If this setting is disabled for your Organisation, the Invoice or Credit Note will initially appear in an Open state.

### Deleting Scanning Tasks

Scanning Tasks can be deleted by clicking **\[Delete\]** from the **\[More\]** menu in the Scanning Tasks page:

![Delete a Scan Task](/images/docs/for-purchasers/introduction-to-paperless-emails-20.avif)

You will have the opportunity to provide a Delete reason, that can be viewed by other users with the appropriate permissions.

The Scanning Task can be deleted while in any status except Completed.