Legal Mandate or a Digital Breakthrough for your SME?
Die Digitalisierung des Mittelstands im DACH-Raum erhält einen gesetzlichen Impuls: Die e-invoicing requirement is a done deal. For many CEOs, CFOs, and IT managers at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this means there is an urgent need for action. But those who view this issue as more than just a burdensome compliance task should seize this momentum as an opportunity: It’s the perfect chance to review outdated processes, eliminate them where necessary, and digitize accounting.
Not sure if your system meets the requirements?
Request the e-invoice checklist now:
What does the Law require? A PDF is not an E-Invoice
What many people think, but is actually incorrect: “We’ve been sending our invoices digitally as PDFs via email for a long time now.” However, under the new legal requirements, that alone is no longer sufficient.
A true electronic invoice (e-invoice) is characterized by the fact that it is issued, transmitted, and received in a structured, machine-readable XML format. This is the only way ERP and accounting systems can process the data automatically without human intervention. In the DACH region, established standards have become the norm for this purpose:
- Germany: XRechnung and ZUGFeRD (a combination of a visual PDF and embedded XML)
- Austria: ebInterface
- Schweiz: Swiss e-invoicing standards
The 3 Biggest Challenges for SMEs in the Transition
When implementing Business Central for our customers, we’ve found that the transition to e-invoicing runs into problems at three critical points:
- “Our old system can't do that.”: Many older ERP systems or standalone solutions can only be made compatible with XML formats through expensive customizations.
- "Our employees have concerns": Employees have been following familiar processes for years. Changing these processes requires a great deal of empathy and time.
- “GoBD Compliance”: The entire process—from receipt and inspection to archiving—must be documented in an audit-proof manner.
Would you like to know HOW you can process your invoices faster in Business Central?
In our article “Payables Agent: Process Invoices Faster in Business Central,” we show you how the Payables Agent works and what benefits it offers in Business Central. Jetzt lesen >
The Standard Solution: Legal Certainty with MS Dynamics 365 Business Central
As a modern, cloud-based ERP platform, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC) is inherently designed to meet the demands of today’s digital market. Companies do not need to purchase expensive third-party tools, as Microsoft incorporates the local legal requirements of the DACH region directly into the standard version.
Implementing a new law in a company in a pragmatic way without disrupting existing systems—that is our core competency at SOCITAS. Based on our experience with countless Business Central projects, we know that companies don’t need complex custom solutions, but rather legally compliant, automated processes built into the standard system.
Michael Imig, Team Leader at SOCITAS
- Automated Invoice Processing without manual data entry
Business Central empfängt strukturierte Formate wie XRechnung oder ZUGFeRD. Das System liest Kopfdaten, Positionsdaten und Beträge vollautomatisch aus. Ihre Mitarbeiter im Rechnungswesen müssen keine Belege mehr manuell erfassen – das System schlägt die fertige Buchung direkt vor. - Integrated Approval Workflows
After import, the e-invoice goes through a digitally defined approval process. Business Central automatically reconciles the invoice with the original purchase order and the goods receipt (3-way match). If all the data matches, the approval can even be fully automated. - Seamless integration with DATEV & Co.
To ensure seamless data exchange with tax advisors, Business Central offers certified interfaces (e.g., DATEV standard interfaces). Data flows accurately and without delay to where it is needed.
The e-invoicing requirement is often seen as a bureaucratic burden. But based on the many implementations we’ve carried out for our customers using Business Central, we see exactly the opposite: It’s the perfect tool to put an end to the chaos in invoice receipt and verification once and for all. Those who seize this requirement as an opportunity now can fully automate their workflows all the way through to posting—and save significant time and money starting on day one.
Michael Imig, Team Leader at SOCITAS - Future-Proofing through automatic updates
The legal framework is constantly changing. Since Business Central is operated as a cloud solution (SaaS), Microsoft automatically applies tax and legal updates in the background. Your ERP system always remains up to date with the latest legal requirements without the need for costly migration projects.
The introduction of mandatory e-invoicing as a catalyst for digital transformation.
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Not sure if your system meets the requirements?
Request the e-invoice checklist now: