XRechnung and ZUGFeRD: commissioning an integration partner

A custom e-invoice integration involves several responsibilities: receiving documents, extracting structured data, assigning business meaning and transferring records to a target system. Outgoing invoices also require data preparation and document generation. Specify these workflows separately. PDF output alone does not define a structured electronic invoice. Required formats and profiles depend on business partners and target systems.

Starting point and project boundaries

• Separate incoming from outgoing invoices and technical document validation from business approval for posting.
• Determine the required format profiles and versions from your partners and ERP workflows.
• Identify order references, supplier mapping and internal approvals so structured data can be used operationally rather than merely received.

XRechnung uses structured XML data; hybrid ZUGFeRD combines a PDF document with embedded invoice XML. Explicitly agree format versions and profiles. Technical validation differs from business approval: a formally valid document may still refer to an incorrect order or contain another business discrepancy. Specifications and current artefacts are available from XStandards Einkauf and FeRD.

• Schema or rule validation does not replace checking the correct business partner, amount and underlying transaction.
• Plan structured invoice data and human-readable presentation together without assuming that visual and machine-readable content always agree.
• Version validation rules and retain traceable results so rejections after format changes can be explained.

Unclear mappings are presented to a responsible person before ERP handover. An outgoing workflow generates the target format from approved data and validates it before delivery. These are solution scenarios, not claims about additional customer references.

Practical acceptance scenarios for the first release

• A technically readable invoice contains an unknown order reference.

It is routed for business review rather than matched to an arbitrary order.

• An invoice that has already arrived is submitted again.

Processing flags the duplicate and prevents an uncontrolled second import.

• The ERP is unavailable after successful validation.

Document status distinguishes validated, approved and actually imported.

Acceptance should include valid and invalid files, duplicates, missing master data and different versions. XML and attachments require secure processing. Tax assessment, deadlines and retention obligations are defined by your responsible specialists; the software implements agreed technical requirements.

Separate technical format validation from business invoice checks. A technically readable record may still contain unsuitable master data or inconsistent amounts. Agree with the business team which format versions and recipient requirements are supported and how invalid incoming documents are handled. Acceptance needs valid and deliberately invalid samples, plus a traceable handover to the authoritative ERP or accounting system.

A successful format check does not replace business invoice review. Agree which checks belong to the import and which remain in the existing approval process. Use a deliberately invalid sample file to demonstrate rejection, correction and reprocessing without creating the same business transaction twice. Make error ownership clear to both the software team and the finance team.

A checklist for commissioning the work

• Request a traceable chain covering receipt, format validation, business approval, ERP delivery and exception handling.
• Agree supported profiles, versions and representative test documents with the responsible business specialists.
• Confirm legal and tax requirements separately with the appropriate specialists; technical format compatibility is not a general compliance certification.

For a comparable proposal

• Identify actual invoice formats and profiles, ERP fields and representative input files.
• Separate format checks, supplier matching, business approval and posting handoff.
• Test invalid files, credit notes and duplicate inputs through to correct ERP processing.

A dependable integration connects standards-based document processing with your specific invoice workflow. Format validation, business approval and ERP handover should each produce traceable results. This shows the current state of a document and who must handle an exception.

Assess the benefit and control further expansion

• Assess unresolved documents, manual matching effort and time until an approved invoice is successfully imported.
• Add partners or formats on top of a dependable status and exception process.
• Include maintenance of format versions and rules in operations so a successful initial integration survives subsequent changes.

Identify the invoice profiles actually received and the ERP processing target. GSWE scopes technical validation and business handoff for a concrete adapter engagement.

Commission e-invoice integration into ERP: E-invoice adapter for existing ERP workflows.