What DUO does well
DATEV Unternehmen online is a solid bridge between client and firm. Documents land in “Belege online”, the firm accesses them, bank data flows along. For collaboration it is established and proven.
DUO is not a bad tool. It is just not meant for everything — and that is often confused.
Where DUO is not the right place
DUO is a hand-over and collaboration platform, not an intake-checking system. Whether an incoming XRechnung is norm-compliant, whether mandatory fields are missing, whether the approval is cleanly documented, whether the XML original is stored audit-proof — that is not the core of DUO.
Whoever pushes the invoice into DUO unchecked has moved it, not processed it. The check step is then simply missing.
The order decides
The decisive thought: it is not DUO versus inbox but what happens before DUO. An upstream invoice intake accepts every e-invoice, detects the format, validates against the norm, obtains approval and archives the original — and only then hands to DUO.
DUO stays the route to the firm. The intake before it ensures only checked items arrive there.
When DUO alone is enough
There are cases where DUO is enough without much front-end: very few documents, almost only classic PDFs, one person with an overview, close coordination with the firm.
But as soon as the volume rises, formats are mixed, several people access it or a tax audit becomes realistic, the check and archive step is noticeably missing — and queries pile up.
Quick decision
As orientation:
- Few PDFs, one person, close firm coordination → DUO can suffice.
- Many or mixed formats, several accesses → upstream intake before DUO.
- GoBD-compliant original filing important → check and archive step before DUO.
- Goal: fewer queries in the close → checked instead of unchecked into DUO.