How Otis Works
From invoice to insight in four simple steps. Otis automates the entire process of tracking supplier pricing, so you can focus on running your business.
Email Integration
Connect your inbox in seconds
Otis seamlessly connects to your Gmail or Outlook account to automatically capture invoices from your suppliers. No manual uploads required - we find and process invoices as they arrive in your inbox.
Key Features:
- One-click connection to Gmail or Outlook
- Automatic invoice detection and capture
- Secure OAuth authentication - we never see your password
- Works with any supplier that sends invoices via email
Default Email Filters
By default, Otis looks for emails containing the keyword "invoice" in the subject line, email body, or attachment name. This ensures we capture all your supplier invoices automatically.
Tracking Processed Emails
All emails processed by Otis are tagged with OTIS_PROCESSED in your inbox, so you can easily see what we've captured.
Sender Processing Rules
Fine-tune which emails Otis processes using green lists and red lists.
Include in Processing
Green listTrusted senders whose emails are always processed, even without the "invoice" keyword.
Example entries:
vendor@example.com@vendor.comCurrent green list:
accounts@customer.ie
Owner auto-added
Block from Processing
Red listSkip processing entirely for specific senders.
Example entries:
vendor@example.com@spam.comNo entries. Non-green-listed senders follow the invoice keyword rule.
Data Extraction
Intelligent invoice parsing
Our advanced AI reads and extracts key data from every invoice - product names, quantities, unit prices, and more. No matter the format, Otis understands your invoices.
Key Features:
- AI-powered extraction handles any invoice format
- Captures product names, quantities, prices, and dates
- Identifies supplier information automatically
- Handles PDFs, images, and email attachments
Product & Price Normalisation
Apples to apples comparison
Otis normalises all prices to a standard unit (per kg, per litre, per unit) so you can compare like-for-like across suppliers and over time. Hidden price increases in changing pack sizes? We catch them.
Key Features:
- Converts all prices to standardised units
- Detects pack size changes that hide price increases
- Matches products across different supplier naming conventions
- Tracks price history for every product
- Industry benchmarking against market averages
How Product Normalisation Works
Different suppliers describe the same product in different ways. Otis intelligently maps these variations to a standardised product name and calculates a price per unit for accurate comparison.
Matched Products
Invoice Description
Milk Full Fat 2 litre
€3.40
Normalised Product
Whole Milk
€1.70 per litre
Invoice Description
Fresh Milk 1L
€1.70
Normalised Product
Whole Milk
€1.70 per litre
Invoice Description
Catering Milk Whole 3L
€4.80
Normalised Product
Whole Milk
€1.60 per litre
Intelligent Alerting
Stay ahead of price changes
Receive instant alerts when prices increase, when you're paying above market rate, or when pack sizes change. Otis keeps you informed so you can negotiate proactively.
Key Features:
- Real-time alerts for price increases
- Weekly digest emails with key insights
- Customisable alert thresholds
- Compare against industry benchmarks
- Mobile-friendly notifications
Example Alert
Here's what an Otis price alert looks like when we detect a significant price difference:
Hello,
We've detected a price change that you should be aware of:
Cornflour from Supplier A is 12% higher than Supplier B