The verdict in three sentences
AI data extraction (OCR + LLM) turns an invoice, purchase order or contract into structured data pushed straight into your ERP or accounting system. In Toronto in 2026, the project costs 10,000 to 35,000 EUR, reaches 95 to 99% accuracy and cuts manual entry by 70%. Human review of uncertain cases stays key: aiming for 100% blind automation is a mistake.
Project cost and cost per document
Budget depends on document variety and the number of ERP connectors. Here are the 2026 tiers.
| Tier | Budget (EUR) | Scope | Cost/document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-flow | 10,000 – 16,000 | 1 type (supplier invoices) | 0.03 – 0.08 EUR |
| Multi-flow | 16,000 – 26,000 | Invoices, POs, delivery notes + validation | 0.04 – 0.10 EUR |
| ERP-integrated | 26,000 – 35,000 | + ERP connector, reconciliation | 0.05 – 0.12 EUR |
Cost per document combines LLM tokens and OCR. At thousands of documents/month, it stays far below the cost of human entry (0.80 to 2 EUR per document).
ROI through reduced data entry
Value comes from avoided keying time and fewer errors. Here is a projection by monthly volume.
| Documents/month | Current entry time | Gain -70% | Hours saved | Savings/month (30 EUR/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | 4 min/doc | 2.8 min/doc | ~23 h | 690 EUR |
| 1,500 | 4 min/doc | 2.8 min/doc | ~70 h | 2,100 EUR |
| 3,000 | 4 min/doc | 2.8 min/doc | ~140 h | 4,200 EUR |
| 6,000 | 4 min/doc | 2.8 min/doc | ~280 h | 8,400 EUR |
On top of this comes the drop in entry errors (supplier disputes, credit notes), often worth several thousand euros a year and rarely counted.
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Mini case study
Claire, CFO of an industrial SMB in Toronto, processes 1,500 supplier invoices/month, keyed by hand in 4 minutes each. She deploys the ERP-integrated offer: 30,000 EUR, run cost ~180 EUR/month (0.12 EUR × 1,500). The AI reaches 97% accuracy; 70% of entry disappears, i.e. ~70 hours/month saved, valued at 30 EUR/hour: 2,100 EUR/month (25,200 EUR/year). Net of the run (2,160 EUR/year), the annual gain reaches 23,040 EUR, before counting fewer errors. The investment pays back in about 16 months, then pure benefit with a back office refocused on control.
FAQ
What accuracy is achievable? On structured flows like invoices, 95 to 99% is realistic in 2026. Cases below a confidence threshold are routed to human validation: this net guarantees accounting reliability.
Does it connect to my ERP? Yes, the ERP-integrated offer includes a connector to common ERPs and accounting software, with automatic reconciliation (matching PO/delivery note/invoice).
What happens with an unrecognized document? It goes to a human validation queue with pre-filled fields. The human corrects, and the AI learns from corrections to gradually reduce these cases.
How long for the rollout? Count 5 to 9 weeks depending on document variety: field framing, training on your real templates, testing and ERP connection.
Is it profitable under 1,000 documents/month? Below ~500 documents/month, ROI often exceeds 18 months; extraction becomes clearly profitable from 1,000 – 1,500 documents/month, or if entry errors are costly.
Let's scope your project. Share your document types, monthly volume and target ERP: we cost the per-document rate and the ROI. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
