Manual invoice processing can cost between £10 and £15 per invoice, compared with less than £2 for automated processing, according to EDI PLUS, the electronic data interchange service operated by itim.
The difference in processing costs can have a material effect on businesses handling hundreds or thousands of invoices each month. For finance departments managing high transaction volumes, reducing the cost of processing individual invoices can help lower administrative expenditure and improve operational efficiency.
EDI PLUS says it processed 6.9 million invoices for clients during 2025 through its fully managed, hosted service. The volume highlights the scale at which its platform operates and the role of automated invoice processing in managing recurring administrative tasks.
Traditional invoice processing often requires manual intervention at several stages, including entering invoice details, checking information and handling exceptions. These activities can consume staff time and increase the cost of processing each transaction. Automated systems can reduce the need for repetitive manual tasks, allowing businesses to process larger volumes without a corresponding increase in administrative workload.
The difference between manual and automated processing costs becomes more significant as invoice volumes rise. At the stated rates, processing 500 invoices manually could cost between £5,000 and £7,500, compared with less than £1,000 using automated processing. Across a full year, recurring savings could make invoice automation a consideration for businesses seeking to control finance department costs.
EDI PLUS provides a fully managed, hosted service designed to support invoice processing at scale. By handling the service infrastructure, the platform offers businesses an alternative to managing the entire process through manual procedures or maintaining their own systems.
itim Group plc (LON:ITIM) is a SaaS-based technology company that enables store-based retailers to optimise their businesses to improve financial performance and effectively compete with online competitors. Itim adds retail value by helping multi-channel retailers optimise their business and their stores to improve financial performance and compete more effectively with the “Amazons”.
