# Invoice processing for food and beverage | Glimps > Automate invoice processing for food companies with Exact Online: perishable stock, lot/batch tracking, import invoices, customs rules, and discount structures. Source: https://useglimps.com/en/solutions/voedingsindustrie | Language: en | Updated: 2026-07-06 This Markdown file is the plain-text twin of the page above, generated at build time from the same render. --- In food and beverage, everything serves freshness and margin. Invoices follow deliveries, with perishable stock, FIFO, returns, import duties, and discount structures that vary by supplier. Glimps handles that complexity without slowing down the warehouse or finance. Line 1: 6 ordered, 6 received, 6 invoiced Fresh-food processors receive goods multiple times per day. Invoice flow follows immediately. Not just quantity and price: lot/batch and shelf life must also align for food safety. Volume discounts, prompt-payment discounts, and rebates hide in the details. Glimps catches them all. Benchmark: Ardent Partners (2024) reported $9.40 average cost per invoice, 9.15 days processing time, 32.6% straight-through processing. [Source](https://www.medius.com/media/fvzk13ia/ardent-partners-state-of-epayables-2024-medius-final.pdf) Vitacress Real · 80-90% processed touchless The Venlo herb specialist gets ±750 purchase invoices a month into Exact Online largely without manual work, with PO matching and fourteen approvers. ## How invoice processing looks in food & beverage In Dutch food and beverage, invoice processing sits under constant pressure from two forces: margin and freshness. For fresh-food processors and wholesalers, margin per line is thin (often 3–8%) and every coding error, missed discount, or wrong VAT rate eats directly into that margin. At the same time, invoice-to-payment cycle time is short because suppliers offer short payment terms and early-payment discounts that only work if you keep pace. Complexity is in line-level depth. A food wholesaler receives invoices with dozens of product lines, each with a lot/batch number, expiration date, origin code, and sometimes excise or import duty. Volume discounts, annual rebates, and tiered rules vary per supplier and must be applied correctly per invoice, otherwise you structurally miss returns on supplier agreements you already negotiated. Food safety adds a mandatory dimension. HACCP procedures require lot and batch numbers to be traceable at every product receipt. In a recall you must be able to demonstrate within 4 hours which specific lot ended up where. The link between invoice line, goods receipt, and lot/batch is therefore not a convenience feature, but a legal obligation. Glimps is built to support these three forces (margin, freshness, food safety) without slowing down finance or the warehouse. Line-level lot/batch extraction, automatic supplier discount and rebate application, splitting of import, freight, and excise lines, and direct sync with Exact Online Trade. Result: 80%+ touchless processing with traceability and margin preserved. ## Where this solution fits, and where it doesn't - You process many supplier invoices with line-level product information. - You work with lot or batch numbers, expiration dates, and origin codes. - You have import invoices, customs declarations, or excise rules in the mix. - You only process expense invoices without stock linkage. - You don't use Exact Online Trade or Production modules. ## From intake to controlled posting Glimps handles the routine so finance can focus on the exceptions, not the data entry. ### 1. Delivery in Goods receipt is captured including lot/batch and shelf life. The invoice often follows within hours. ### 2. Extract invoice Glimps captures lines at product level, discount lines, freight, and excise. ### 3. Match against PO and receipt Quantity, price, lot, and shelf life are checked against the warehouse reality. ### 4. Post including discounts Volume discounts and rebates are posted correctly. No manual reconciliation later. ## The real value is in the exceptions High-volume AP automation only pays off when it is clear what can flow through safely, and what must be reviewed by a human. ### Perishable stock and shelf life Returns can happen within hours. Invoices and credits must reconcile immediately to keep stock value accurate. ### Volume discounts and rebates Discount structures vary by supplier: tiered, annual rebate, prompt payment. Tracking balances and spotting missed lines is a typical weak point; verification typically remains a manual finance process supported by clear invoice coding. ### Import and customs Import invoices come with additional costs: freight, duties, excise. Each line needs separate posting. Deep dive ## Lot/batch tracking and HACCP compliance HACCP requires every product receipt to be traceable to a specific lot. For invoice processing this means: lot data must be extracted from invoice lines and linked to the goods receipt. HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is the food-safety standard for any business handling food. One pillar is traceability: for every received batch you must be able to trace which supplier, which lot, which production date, and which expiration. In a recall (say a listeria contamination in a specific cheese batch) you must be able to demonstrate within hours which customers received products from that lot and recall the entire batch. In practice, lot and batch numbers appear on the invoice line, not only on the packing slip. A wholesaler receives 50 boxes of cheese; on the invoice line, alongside quantity and price, sits the batch number (e.g. "BATCH 2026-W14-NL3421") and expiration date. Glimps extracts these fields semantically (not via templates, since every supplier uses their own invoice format) and links them directly to the corresponding line in the goods receipt in Exact Online Trade. On mismatch (invoice claims batch X, receipt shows batch Y) Glimps blocks the booking for manual check. For shelf life (MHD), wholesalers and processors often set a minimum remaining shelf life required per category, e.g. "minimum 60% of original shelf life at receipt." Comparing invoice MHD, goods receipt, and that threshold is a check typically run by purchasing or the warehouse before the invoice is posted. For recall scenarios this linkage delivers enormous operational value. If a lot is blocked by a supplier or by food authorities, the batch-number linkage in Glimps and Exact Online lets you reconstruct all invoices, receipts, stock batches, and customer shipments instantly. What used to be a day of emergency work happens in minutes. ## How Glimps handles the cases that would otherwise stall Lot/batch missing or mismatched on invoice Goods receipt, origin codes, supplier, and prior deliveries. Block for food-safety check and HACCP traceability. Import invoice without customs or excise line Import shipment, freight forwarder data, EORI number, prior imports from same supplier. Route to finance with freight-forwarder reference and CN codes. Price jump > 10% vs last delivery Prior invoices, market price index (where available), seasonal patterns, contract price. Flag for purchasing review before posting. Freight on invoice, not on contract Delivery terms in contract (DDP, EXW, FOB), prior bookings, threshold values. Route to purchasing on conflict with DDP agreement. Credit note for return without original invoice Product lines, lot/batch link, return note, and prior deliveries. Suggest original invoice or route to finance. ## How Glimps fits in your software stack Glimps works natively with Exact Online and specifically the Trade module for stock, product master data, and lot/batch tracking. For wholesalers and fresh-food processors who run stock valuation and HACCP administration in Exact Online, this is the natural integration without middleware. For companies running an additional food-specific ERP or WMS alongside Exact Online: production, lot, and origin data stays in that system, invoice processing and posting flow via Glimps and Exact Online. For your specific combination we can look at how data exchange works best. Contact us. For importers, customs and freight-forwarder data stays in existing systems. Glimps focuses on the invoice processing side: invoice lines link to the right cost object in Exact Online so VAT returns and compliance administration stay reconciled. Some food suppliers send a UBL file next to the PDF. If it comes with the PDF of the same invoice, by upload or through your Microsoft 365 mailbox, Glimps reads the UBL too. Glimps does not support Peppol and does not export UBL. Read more on [UBL invoices in Exact Online](https://useglimps.com/en/ubl-facturen-exact-online). ## What it delivers for food & beverage Food wholesaler with 1,500 invoices/month, 60 active suppliers, 4 warehouses, and 2 FTE finance. Manual time per invoice (incl. lot/batch check)7–10 minutesTime per invoice with Glimps45 sec for exceptionsMonthly time saved~165 hours (≈1 FTE)Prevented missed rebates (avg)€20,000–€60,000/yearEarly-payment discount capture (2% × €1M)€20,000/yearGlimps Business + PO add-on€548/mo = €6,576/yrNet annual savings, year 1€80,000–€150,000 Payback Payback typically within 2–4 weeks at volumes from 800 invoices/month. For fresh-food processors with high margin pressure and strict HACCP requirements, combined time savings plus prevented margin erosion typically deliver the highest return of any AP investment. ## Exact Online setup checklist The prerequisites to get this solution into production. - Product master data synced with Exact Online Trade. - Lot/batch tracking enabled in stock module. - Supplier contracts with discount structures recorded. - VAT codes for imports and excise updated. - CN goods codes and EORI numbers registered per supplier. - HACCP procedure for lot/batch matching documented. - Minimum shelf-life threshold agreed per product category. ## What Glimps automates for you The concrete parts of the process Glimps takes off your hands. - Product-line extraction with lot/batch and shelf life where present on the invoice. - Classify import and customs lines separately at posting. - Link returns to original invoice via supplier and line info. ## Frequently asked questions Specific questions about this solution for food & beverage. Want to see it yourself?Open the demo Can Glimps extract lot and batch numbers from invoice lines? Yes. Glimps captures lot/batch codes at line level and links them to the goods receipt for traceability, essential for HACCP compliance and food-safety in case of recall. How does Glimps handle returns and credit notes? Credit notes are automatically linked to the original invoice via supplier, date, and product lines. Stock valuation is corrected directly and the posting follows the Exact Online return flow. Does Glimps support UBL or Peppol invoices for food? UBL partly, Peppol no. If your supplier sends a UBL file along with the PDF of the same invoice, Glimps reads that UBL too. That works for uploads and through your Microsoft 365 mailbox. Receiving or sending invoices through Peppol is not possible, and Glimps does not create UBL files itself. A PDF or scan without UBL is processed as usual. How does Glimps handle import invoices with customs lines? Glimps splits product lines from customs, freight, and excise lines. CN codes are recognized and linked to the correct VAT codes. Freight is posted to the right cost object per Incoterms. Does Glimps work for fresh, frozen, and ambient simultaneously? Yes. Product categorization happens at master-data level in Exact Online. Glimps uses this categorization to apply product-specific rules (shelf-life thresholds, refrigeration/freeze conditions). What if a supplier changes their invoice format? Glimps uses no templates. Semantic extraction works immediately on new layouts without IT or finance having to change anything. That is a major advantage over classical OCR tools where every new layout requires configuration. How long does implementation take for a food company? Technical integration takes minutes. Configuring product categories, supplier contracts, and HACCP rules typically takes half a day to a full day, depending on complexity. Companies with 100+ suppliers spend more time on master-data cleanup than on Glimps itself. What does Glimps cost for a food wholesaler? Glimps Professional (€149/mo) suits most food companies with 200–500 invoices/month. For 3-way matching against receipt and lot data, enable the €149/mo PO add-on. Business (€399/mo) suits larger wholesalers with 1,000+ invoices. ## Terms you'll encounter daily in food & beverage HACCPHazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. Systematic food-safety method requiring traceability and risk control at critical points in the food chain.Lot and batch numberIdentification code for a specific production batch, used for HACCP traceability and recall management. Must be extracted from invoice lines and linked to goods receipt.Best-before dateThe date until which a product retains quality under normal storage. Many wholesalers require a minimum percentage of remaining shelf life at receipt.FIFO (First In, First Out)Stock valuation principle where oldest stock is sold first. Standard for perishable goods to minimize waste.Annual rebate / tiered discountRetroactive discount from a supplier on meeting agreed volume thresholds. Often structured in rising tiers (e.g. 1% at €100k, 2% at €250k, 3% at €500k).Early-payment discountDiscount of e.g. 2% if invoice is paid within 10 days instead of standard 30. Effective annualized return often 30%+.Incoterms (DDP, EXW, FOB)Internationally agreed delivery terms determining who handles freight, customs, and risk. DDP = supplier covers all, EXW = buyer covers all.CN code (Combined Nomenclature)Eight-digit goods code used by the EU for customs and VAT classification. Determines import tariff and correct VAT category.EORI numberEconomic Operators Registration and Identification: unique number companies need for EU import/export. Must appear on import invoices.NVWADutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Regulator that can block a lot or demand a recall in food-safety incidents.TraceabilityThe ability to trace a product through every step of the chain, from supplier to end-customer. Legally required under HACCP and EU food law.Excise dutySpecific tax on certain product categories (alcohol, sugar, certain beverages). Often appears on a separate invoice line and must be posted separately.Read next ## Related solutions ### Trading & wholesale High supplier volume, PO lines, freight, and partial receipts. ### Manufacturing Raw materials, components, partial deliveries, and quality checks. ### Match purchase orders in Exact Online Automated order matching and 3-way matching with tolerances.