The Learning System
The learning system is powered by Brikly's AI engine. It analyses your matching decisions and builds supplier-specific patterns to automate future invoice processing.
Brikly is designed to get smarter with every invoice you process. The first time you receive a delivery from a new supplier, you will review and match everything manually. By the tenth invoice, the system handles almost everything on its own. This progression is predictable and follows four clear stages.
The four stages of learning
1. New (0-2 invoices processed)
At this stage, the supplier is unfamiliar to the system.
- Every line item needs manual review and matching.
- Supplier identification may require confirmation or creation of a new record.
- VAT treatment needs to be set for the supplier.
- Typical review time: 5-10 minutes per invoice.
This is the most hands-on stage, but it only lasts for the first couple of invoices. Every match you make is stored and used to build the supplier's profile.
2. Learning (3-5 invoices processed)
The system has seen enough data to start making suggestions.
- Many line items are auto-suggested with medium-to-high confidence.
- The supplier is recognised automatically.
- Some items still need manual matching - typically new products or items with variable descriptions.
- Typical review time: 2-4 minutes per invoice.
During the Learning stage, take a moment to confirm or correct each suggestion carefully. Accurate feedback at this point has the biggest impact on future accuracy.
3. Confident (6-10 invoices processed)
The system now has a solid understanding of this supplier's products and format.
- Most line items are auto-matched with high confidence.
- Only new or unusual items require manual attention.
- Price changes are detected and highlighted automatically.
- Typical review time: 30-60 seconds per invoice.
4. Established (10+ invoices processed)
The supplier is fully learned.
- Near-zero manual input - the vast majority of items are matched automatically.
- New products from the supplier are flagged for your attention, but everything else flows through.
- Price updates are applied with minimal review.
- Typical review time: A quick glance to confirm, often under 30 seconds.
Time savings progression
| Stage | Invoices | Manual effort | Time per invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | 0-2 | Everything manual | 5-10 minutes |
| Learning | 3-5 | Confirm suggestions | 2-4 minutes |
| Confident | 6-10 | Review exceptions | 30-60 seconds |
| Established | 10+ | Quick confirmation | Under 30 seconds |
Over a month, a kitchen processing 20 invoices per week can save 8+ hours compared to manual data entry - and that saving grows as more suppliers reach the Established stage.
How confidence builds
Brikly tracks patterns at multiple levels:
- Description-to-ingredient mapping - "CHICKEN BREAST 2KG" from Supplier A always maps to your "Chicken Breast" ingredient.
- Supplier format patterns - how the supplier structures their invoices (column order, VAT presentation, date format).
- Unit and quantity conventions - whether a supplier prices by the kilogram, by the case, or by the each.
- VAT treatment - whether the supplier's prices are typically inclusive or exclusive of VAT.
Each successfully confirmed match strengthens these patterns. Each correction adjusts them. The system always uses the most recent data, so if a supplier changes their format, it adapts within a few invoices.
Managing patterns
You do not need to manage the learning system directly - it works in the background. However, there are a few things you can do to keep it running smoothly:
- Be consistent with matching - always match the same product description to the same ingredient. If you match "Semi Skimmed Milk 2L" to "Semi-Skimmed Milk" one day and "Milk (Semi-Skimmed)" the next, the system cannot build a reliable pattern.
- Correct mistakes promptly - if you notice a wrong auto-match, fix it straight away. The system learns from corrections just as it learns from confirmations.
- Merge duplicate ingredients - if the same product exists under two names in your ingredient list, merge them so the system has a single, clear target.
Deleting an ingredient that has been matched to invoice line items will break those historical links. If you need to remove an ingredient, merge it into the replacement ingredient first.
Resetting learning for a supplier
In rare cases you may want to reset the learned patterns for a supplier - for example, if a supplier has completely changed their product range or invoice format. Contact support if you need to do this, and they can clear the matching history for a specific supplier.
The bigger picture
The learning system is central to Brikly's promise: minutes of data entry reduced to seconds of review. The more invoices you process, the less time you spend on each one. For a kitchen with a handful of regular suppliers, it typically takes two to three weeks of normal invoice processing before the system reaches the Established stage for most suppliers.