Frequently asked questions

Have a question? You’re in the right place.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question? You’re in the right place.

This page is designed to give you clear, straightforward answers to the questions we hear most often. Whether you’re curious about Electronic Document Exchange by August Bridge or our other services, our FAQ is here to provide the answers.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, our team is just a message away to provide you with more detail or walk you through a specific challenge.
Please feel free to contact us, and we will make sure you get the answers you need.

Electronic Document Exchange by August Bridge

Getting started and onboarding

Electronic Document Exchange by August Bridge (EDE) is a platform made up of two parts: a Peppol gateway (Access Point capability) and a Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM integration. Together, they connect your organisation to the Peppol network so you can exchange structured e-documents (for example invoices aligned with Peppol BIS Billing) from your standard ERP posting process.

Learn more: EDE

EDE is designed for finance organisations that run Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM and need a practical, supported path to structured e-invoicing because of mandates, customer requirements, or process efficiency goals.

Learn more: Home and EDE

Following the pre-onboarding discovery – which confirms countries, legal entities, trading partners, and invoice scenarios – a typical onboarding proceeds through these phases:

  1. Participant verification and registration (participant identifiers)
  2. Configuration using Electronic Reporting templates and mappings
  3. Testing with sample documents and acknowledgements
  4. Go live
  5. Hypercare


Learn more: EDE and Webinar

Most onboarding projects take 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the speed of participant verification, the number of entities and trading partners, and the testing cycles required.

Learn more: EDE

You will usually need:

  1. Company verification details (VAT ID, Chamber of Commerce ID, or similar)
  2. Countries in scope and the first trading partners to onboard
  3. Invoice scenarios (sales invoices, credit notes, and any special cases)


Learn more: EDE

Most organisations only need limited customisation. The majority of work is configuration in Electronic Reporting templates and mappings, plus a small set of data-specific refinements.

Learn more: EDE

Yes. Many organisations start with one country or one legal entity, stabilise the process, then expand in waves to additional entities and trading partners.

Learn more: EDE

Technical integration and customisation

Available on AppSource, EDE is built for and integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM.

After setup, finance users continue to post invoices in Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM as normal. EDE uses posted invoice data to create Peppol-compliant e-invoices and transmit them through the Peppol network as a certified Access Point.

Delivery status and exceptions can be monitored so teams can address rejections and resend corrections without leaving Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM.

Learn more: EDE

EDE is built around the concept of source tables for posted invoices and uses Electronic Reporting for structured message creation and execution. The resulting message is then routed through the Peppol exchange model via the Access Point layer.

Learn more: EDE

Invoice data created and posted in Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM is transformed by the EDE integration into a Peppol-compliant e-invoice and securely transmitted via the Peppol Access Point of August Bridge.

Using the Peppol 4-corner model, the process follows these steps:

  1. EDE creates the structured e-invoice from posted invoice data.
  2. August Bridge validates and sends the document from its certified Access Point.
  3. The recipient’s Access Point is discovered, and the document is routed accordingly.
  4. The recipient’s provider delivers the document into the recipient’s accounting system and returns acknowledgements where available.


Learn more: Peppol and EDE

No. EDE works from the posted invoice context. What typically changes is ensuring required reference fields and master data are present before posting.

Learn more: Webinar

EDE covers Peppol connectivity and standards-aligned exchange. Some organisations also use additional solutions for clearance models, non-Peppol networks, AP automation, or country-specific requirements. If you use multiple solutions, define clear responsibilities for message creation, routing, acknowledgements, and exception handling.

Learn more: Webinar

No. EDE handles structured exchange through the Peppol network and uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM Electronic Reporting for structured message creation. Separate output tools are only needed if you require PDFs, document packs, or additional customer communication formats.

Compliance and standards

EDE supports standards-aligned exchange through the Peppol network. It provides:

  1. participant onboarding and identifier setup
  2. standards-aligned message creation and validation support
  3. routing and delivery handling through the Peppol model
  4. operational handling support (status visibility and exception support)

You retain responsibility for:

  1. invoice content accuracy
  2. transaction-specific VAT and legal decisions
  3. country-specific legal interpretation of mandates

Learn more: EDE and ViDA

EDE by August Bridge supports e-invoicing formats aligned with OpenPeppol-governed specifications, including Peppol BIS Billing. Some countries apply additional rules or profiles beyond the base specification.

Learn more: Peppol

As a certified Peppol Access Point, EDE is aligned with the EN 16931 standard through Peppol BIS Billing, which supports EU legislation and the upcoming ViDA requirements.

By standardising e-invoicing, Peppol helps align to evolving VAT and reporting expectations and makes digital document exchange more secure and efficient.

Learn more: ViDA and EDE

Yes. EDE supports sending and receiving Peppol e-invoices. Receiving scope depends on your scenarios and how you plan to process inbound documents in Dynamics.

Learn more: Webinar

EDE can support self-billing, but practical support depends on the full end-to-end scenario, including whether the receiving side supports the same approach.

Learn more: Webinar

Operations and troubleshooting

EDE provides operational visibility focused on delivery status, acknowledgements (where available), and exceptions requiring action.

Learn more: Webinar

If an invoice fails validation or is rejected, it will not complete delivery as a successful transmission. You use the rejection or validation feedback to correct data or mappings, then resend.

Learn more: Webinar

Common reasons include:

  1. incorrect identifier scheme or formatting
  2. recipient is registered but not for the document type you are sending
  3. the recipient changed service providers and directory updates are still propagating


Learn more: Contact

No. Status messages are covered under the standard document transaction model.

Learn more: Contact

Operational support typically covers monitoring, exception triage, and guidance on corrective actions when documents fail validation or are rejected.

Learn more: Contact

In most cases, users continue to post invoices as normal. The main operational changes are:

  1. capturing required references (buyer reference, PO number) consistently
  2. reviewing delivery and rejection feedback
  3. correcting and resending when needed


Learn more: Webinar

Most teams:

  1. go live with an initial scope (country, entity, key partners)
  2. stabilise references, data quality, and exception handling
  3. expand in waves once operations are repeatable


Learn more: Webinar

Security and procurement

The pricing model described includes:

  1. an onboarding fee
  2. a subscription per legal entity
  3. a bundle model across entities based on documents sent or received

Learn more: Contact

Key drivers include number of legal entities, countries in scope, document volumes, and special scenarios that require additional mapping or procedures.

The pricing model is based on successfully transmitted documents rather than raw API call volume.

You can review the August Bridge listing for validation and procurement via our Microsoft AppSource listing (Dynamics 365 for Operations and Supply Chain Management).

Learn more: Microsoft AppSource

Yes. August Bridge can provide a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) for EDE by August Bridge and related processing upon request.

Learn more: Contact

Yes. August Bridge can provide a Third-Party Memorandum (TPM) upon request as part of our procurement and security documentation pack.

Learn more: Contact

A TPM is an independent auditor statement that summarises the security controls in scope and the assurance work performed. It is commonly used for vendor due diligence, internal security reviews, and procurement checks.

No. The DPA and TPM are available upon request so August Bridge can manage distribution, confirm the correct scope and version, and provide the current documents.

Learn more: Contact

August Bridge is working toward ISO 27001 certification. In the interim, August Bridge can provide a TPM and a DPA upon request to support due diligence and procurement checks.

Learn more: Contact

At minimum, request the DPA and the TPM. If you have specific internal requirements, include them in your request so August Bridge can confirm what is available.

Learn more: Contact

Typically, the finance owner (process scope), IT/ERP owner (integration scope), and security/privacy stakeholders (due diligence and governance).

Learn more: Contact

Peppol

Getting started and onboarding

Peppol is a network of certified service providers (Access Points) and a set of interoperability specifications that enable organisations to exchange structured business documents. The network is governed by OpenPeppol and implemented through participating Peppol Authorities.

Learn more: Peppol

Organisations use different ERP and accounting systems, identifiers, and invoice formats. Peppol exists to reduce one-off integrations by providing common specifications and a trusted network model so systems can exchange documents reliably at scale.

Learn more: Peppol

In the Peppol model, Access Points are the certified service providers that send and receive documents on behalf of participants.

Learn more: Peppol

It is the identifier used to register your organisation so others can route documents to you. The identifier scheme matters as much as the number itself.

Learn more: Peppol

No. Peppol is widely used, but some countries require government platforms, clearance models, or additional local rules.

Learn more: Peppol

No. Peppol is used beyond Europe, and the network can support cross-border exchange when both parties are reachable through Peppol providers.

Learn more: Peppol

August Bridge provides broad coverage across Europe. Some countries may require additional national procedures or approvals, so confirm the scope for your scenario.

Learn more: Peppol

France has country-specific requirements and onboarding steps beyond standard Peppol exchange. If France is in scope, confirm the current process, prerequisites, and timeline before planning go live.

Learn more: Contact

Technical integration and customisation

In simple terms:

  1. SMP publishes participant capabilities and routing information
  2. SML is the shared directory that supports discovery across the network


Learn more: Peppol

The 4-corner model visualises the structure of communication between sender and receiver, including each actor’s role and the trust model between service providers.

Learn more: Peppol

In addition to exchanging invoices between sender and receiver, some governments may require participants to transmit tax-relevant data to a government platform. This can affect acknowledgements and country-specific procedures.

Learn more: ViDA

Peppol BIS (Business Interoperability Specifications) define business rules and data requirements for specific document types. BIS documents are commonly based on UBL (Universal Business Language), which defines the underlying XML structure.

Learn more: Peppol

Peppol PINT provides a more consistent baseline rule set designed to work across regions, while still allowing countries to apply local extensions.

Learn more: Peppol

Peppol combines secure transport, standardised document specifications, and participant discovery to deliver a globally interoperable and secure document exchange framework:

  1. AS4 secure communication protocol for exchanging documents between Access Points.
  2. Standardised business document formats (BIS and PINT), based on UBL and CII.
  3. Participant verification and directory services that support discovery and routing.

Learn more: Peppol

Compliance and standards

Businesses benefit from integrating Peppol by enabling electronic document exchange (such as invoices, orders, and shipping notices) across borders and industries in a standardised way that ensures compliance with international regulation requirements, such as EN 16931.

Common benefits include:

  1. Reduced one-off integrations by using shared specifications and the 4-corner Access Point model.
  2. Faster onboarding with trading partners through participant discovery and governed interoperability.
  3. Improved automation and fewer errors through structured data and validation.
  4. Clearer operational traceability through standardisedrouting and acknowledgements where available.

Learn more: Peppol

Peppol differs from other global e-invoicing standards mainly in its approach to its secure global e-invoicing framework driven by regulation.

Peppol also differs by being a networked, governed, international interoperability framework that standardises both message content (UBL + BIS) and how messages are exchanged (4-corner AP model). Most other e-invoicing standards are national formats tied to tax clearance, often requiring direct connections to government platforms.

This governance and interoperability model is designed to reduce fragmentation across markets and trading partner ecosystems.

Learn more: Peppol

No. Emailing a PDF is primarily a human-readable document exchange method. E-invoicing uses structured invoice data (commonly XML) that can be validated and processed automatically.

Learn more: ViDA

These are common requirements behind many mandates:

  1. Authenticity: the issuer is who they claim to be
  2. Integrity: invoice data is protected against unauthorized change
  3. Legibility: humans (AP, auditors, tax authorities) can read and interpret the invoice
  4. Archiving: invoices must be retained for the legal period (commonly 5 to 10 years, depending on country and scenario)


Learn more: ViDA

No. Structured exchange improves standardisation and validation against format rules, but VAT treatment and invoice content decisions remain with the business and depend on the transaction.

Learn more: ViDA and Webinar

Operations and troubleshooting

By looking up the recipient’s participantid, you can retrieve capabilities (including supported document types) via the directory. This confirms whether the trading partner can receive a specific document type. You can also run a controlled test to confirm end-to-end delivery.

Learn more: Contact

Security and procurement

Peppol exchange relies on certified providers and certificate-based trust between service providers. Documents are validated against network rules, and providers are subject to governance and audit requirements. Internal controls and master data quality still matter for end-to-end security and auditability.

Learn more: Peppol

ViDA

ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) is an EU initiative that is accelerating digital reporting and structured e-invoicing expectations. It affects how finance teams prepare data and processes for future reporting frequency and validation.

Learn more: ViDA

Mandate dates change. Treat timelines as maintained information, confirm scope (B2B, B2G, domestic, cross-border), and verify the latest requirements by country and scenario.

Learn more: ViDA

If you operate in (or invoice into) multiple EU countries, the near-term mandate “hot spots” to plan around are:

  1. Belgium (B2B domestic): mandatory structured e-invoicing from 1 Jan 2026, using Peppol as the standard exchange channel and Peppol BIS as the reference format (Peppol BIS 3 and Peppol PINT)
  2. France (B2B domestic): phased rollout from 1 Sep 2026 (receive for all, issue for large and mid-tier) and 1 Sep 2027 (issue for small and micro)
  3. Poland (KSeF: phased mandatory rollout in 2026, starting 1 Feb 2026 (largest taxpayers) and 1 Apr 2026 (most others), with micro-business phasing to 1 Jan 2027)
  4. Germany (B2B domestic): mandatory ability to receive EN 16931 compliant e-invoices from 1 Jan 2025, with issuing moving through transition phases through end of 2027 (depending on taxpayer size and scenario)


EU-wide, ViDA is rolling out progressively through January 2035, with cross-border B2B Digital Reporting Requirements starting 1 Jan 2030.

Learn more: ViDA

Belgium (B2B domestic)

  1. Start date: 1 Jan 2026
  2. What is required: Structured e-invoices using Peppol as the standard network and Peppol BIS as the reference format (Peppol BIS 3 and Peppol PINT). Belgium also requires Peppol reporting to the tax administration, depending on implementation.

 

Germany (B2B domestic)

  1. Receive obligation: 1 Jan 2025 (businesses must be able to receive e-invoices)
  2. Issuing transition: Alternative methods remain possible through end of 2026, and for certain taxpayers (turnover up to €800,000) through end of 2027. Fully mandatory structured e-invoicing is expected after the transition.
  3. Format baseline: EN 16931 aligned structured e-invoices; Germany commonly uses XRechnung and ZUGFeRD (v2.0.1+) as compliant formats.

 

France (B2B domestic)

  1. Receive (all companies): By 1 Sep 2026, every business must be able to receive structured e-invoices electronically. This is the “receive” obligation.
  2. Issue and e-reporting (phased):
  3. Large and mid-tier: must issue e-invoices (and perform required e-reporting) from 1 Sep 2026
  4. Small and micro: must issue e-invoices (and e-reporting) from 1 Sep 2027

 

Poland (KSeF)

  1. Phase 1: 1 Feb 2026 for taxpayers with sales over PLN 200 million (2024 threshold referenced).
  2. Phase 2: 1 Apr 2026 for other VAT-registered businesses (with specific exclusions).
  3. Phase 3: 1 Jan 2027 for the smallest (micro-business) segment.

 

Learn more: ViDA

Because countries differ on three dimensions:

  1. Scope: B2B vs B2G vs mixed, plus domestic vs cross-border
  2. Model: Peppol-style 4-corner exchange vs national platforms or clearance-style regimes
  3. Phasing: rollouts often depend on company size, turnover, invoice volume, or transaction types (plus e-reporting being separate from e-invoicing)


“Peppol-ready” is often necessary, but not always sufficient on its own, depending on the country’s operating model and reporting requirements.

Learn more: ViDA

Lasernet

Lasernet provides a comprehensive, efficient, and scalable approach to document management. 

Unlike traditional tools such as SSRS, which often depend on manual processes and custom coding, Lasernet enables organizations to design, manage, and distribute documents quickly and with minimal IT effort. This reduces development time, improves flexibility, and makes it easier to adapt to changing business or compliance requirements. 

Lasernet offers real-time access to data from multiple sources, including Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP, and legacy platforms.  

It supports a wide range of input formats, such as text, XML, and industry-specific structures, and transforms them into rich, personalized outputs like PDF, Word, Excel, or other business documents, ready for digital distribution or worldwide printing 

Lasernet offers a low code interface for defining workflows with an integrated query framework into Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O/FSCM which removes the limitations of existing SSRS report development. 

This provides additional functionality on top of the existing Dynamics feature set to deliver branded & compliant documents with greater workflow efficiency.   

Docentric

Docentric significantly reduces the cost and complexity of customising business documents in Dynamics 365 F&O/F&SCM by allowing report and document design directly in Microsoft Word using the Docentric Add-in.  

Docentric enables businesses to design branded documents in Microsoft Word without coding, allowing easy customisation by non-technical users.   

It also streamlines document generation and distribution with features like dynamic file naming, SharePoint/Azure storage, enhanced email management, and seamless Print Management integration.  

Word offers extensive and advanced formatting capabilities—including tables, images, styles, bullets, and layout options—that are difficult or impossible to achieve easily in SSRS.   

It also supports multilingual documents effortlessly, which is more complex to handle in SSRS.