Automating ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, and XRechnung
Process and create ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, and XRechnung automatically – without the need to introduce a new IT system.
Automating the processing and creation of ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, and XRechnung using your existing IT systems is a welcome simplification of the otherwise cumbersome invoice exchange process between companies. Read on to learn how you can import and create digital invoices in these XML-based standards without having to introduce a new IT system.
ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, and XRechnung Explained
Automatically importing invoices and exchanging them with business partners is a standard business process—but unfortunately, it is also a very time-consuming and expensive one. In most cases, the invoice issuer first converts digital invoice data into analog formats like PDF, TIFF, or even paper, which the recipient then often has to transform back into digital information through tedious technical processes or even manual entry.
Several standardization bodies decided there had to be a better way, leading to the creation of the XML-based standards ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, and XRechnung. The latter is even legally mandatory for invoice exchange with German public authorities.
What exactly are ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, and XRechnung?
To clarify from the start: ZUGFeRD and Factur-X are the same thing—one is the German name, the other the French. Technically, it is a PDF—specifically PDF/A—with an embedded XML file containing the invoice data. The idea is that humans can read the PDF, while machines can process the XML file.
XRechnung is an XML file that also follows a standardized structure. However, it lacks the graphical component provided by the ZUGFeRD standard.
The Problem: Your Own IT Systems
If you only issue a few invoices using software like lexoffice, sevDesk, fastbill, or other solutions for small businesses, you can generate ZUGFeRD or XRechnungen at the push of a button and send them via email.
But what happens when you are generating hundreds of invoices per month or even per day, all of which need to be formatted according to the recipient's preferred standard? In that case, you need "software" that integrates seamlessly into your primary ERP system.
Our Solution
To ensure everything is fast, simple, and flexible, we have developed such "software" that can be integrated into any integration and automation platform as a module or service. Whether you use Workato, Oracle Integration Cloud, SAP Integration Suite, Mulesoft, or webMethods—thanks to our API and connectors, our digital invoice converter fits into any middleware.
