Explanation
Getting to know FlowEngine
What FlowEngine is, which purchasing tasks it takes over and how documents and procurement processes fit together.
Last reviewed October 19, 2026 · Version 2026.10
FlowEngine is a web application by KM Digitalwerk GmbH for working with business documents in purchasing. It reads requests, offers, purchase orders, order confirmations, delivery notes and invoices, turns them into structured data and brings documents that belong together into one procurement process.
What FlowEngine is#
In purchasing, documents arrive as PDFs, scans or spreadsheets. Their contents – document numbers, dates, amounts, line items – are often typed in and compared by hand. FlowEngine takes over this capture: a document is uploaded, recognized automatically and provided as a structured record. Your team reviews the result, corrects it where needed and approves it.
FlowEngine does not replace an ERP system. It prepares documents, makes relationships and deviations visible and passes reviewed data on to other systems.
Which problems FlowEngine solves#
| Situation | How FlowEngine helps |
|---|---|
| Documents are typed in manually | Document type, header data and line items are recognized automatically and can be reviewed |
| Related documents are scattered | Documents are assigned to the same procurement process through their references, such as order numbers |
| Deviations are noticed late | Quantities and prices of related documents are compared and deviations are shown |
| Offers are hard to compare | Several offers can be compared by price and further criteria |
| Reviewed data has to reach other systems | Data can be exported or transferred to connected target systems |
Main functions at a glance#
| Area | What it does | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Document processing | Upload in the browser, scanning with the mobile app, automatic recognition, review, correction and approval | available |
| Procurement processes | Bring documents together from request to invoice, assign responsibilities, assess deviations | available |
| Offer comparison | Select offers, match line items, score them by method and weighting, export the result | depends on your plan |
| Exports | Download document data as JSON, CSV or Excel | available |
| Integrations | Transfer reviewed data from FlowEngine to target systems, for example as a file (CSV, Excel, JSON, DATEV batch) or to SAP S/4HANA, Odoo and REST interfaces | depends on your plan |
| Invoice management | Review of incoming invoices including e-invoices and order match | in preparation, not generally available yet |
Which functions are available to your company depends on your contract and on your administrators' settings. Further intake channels such as email intake depend on how your installation is set up and are described in separate articles.
How documents and procurement processes fit together#
Each document is first processed on its own. Only then does FlowEngine place it in a larger context: the procurement process. A procurement process typically contains these documents:
Request
You ask one or more suppliers for an offer.
Offer
Suppliers reply with prices and terms.
Purchase order
You order from the selected supplier.
Order confirmation
The supplier confirms quantities, prices and dates.
Delivery note
The goods arrive with a delivery note.
Invoice
The supplier invoices the delivery.
After processing, FlowEngine assigns a document through its references, for example the order number in an order confirmation. If there is no matching process yet, a new one is created. If several processes match, FlowEngine does not merge them silently but shows a conflict for your team to resolve. Documents can also be assigned, moved or removed from a process by hand.
Within a process, documents can be compared with each other. FlowEngine shows deviations in quantities and prices. When you accept a deviation, your decision is stored; the values in the document stay unchanged.
In the application, these processes are listed under Orders.
Roles#
FlowEngine distinguishes members and administrators of a company. Members work with the documents and processes they are responsible for or have created. Administrators see all documents of their company and also manage members, security settings and integrations. A company's data is never visible to other companies.
Next steps#
- How a document is processed from intake to structured data is explained in Understanding document processing.
- A step-by-step guide for your first document is Upload and review a document (sign-in required).