Problem Statement
Advanced Assembly Products, Inc. & Affiliates faced challenges managing invoice processing across four separate email inboxes. Manual monitoring and data entry into their Plex ERP system caused delays and inaccuracies. Additionally, the integration had to be tested securely in a Plex sandbox environment before deployment to the live system. Ensuring data accuracy, process efficiency, and secure integration without direct access to the live system was critical.
Proposed Automation Solution
An automated workflow was designed to continuously monitor the four designated Outlook inboxes for vendor invoices using AI-powered classification. The system extracts key invoice data from PDF attachments through AI/OCR technology, validates and formats the data, then pushes it into Plex via API integration. Based on vendor classification and invoice details, three process types handle normal, manual, and freight invoices, each with tailored validation, renaming, storage in OneDrive, and status updates. Additionally, automated logging tracks every transaction, and processed emails are marked accordingly to maintain clear audit trails and error handling.
- Continuous email monitoring with AI classification to filter invoices
- AI/OCR extraction of key invoice data from PDF attachments
- Three distinct process flows based on purchase order presence and vendor freight status
- Automated renaming and storage of invoice files in structured OneDrive folders
- API-driven integration pushing validated data to Plex test and live environments
- Comprehensive logging with error handling and email status updates
The Results
The automated solution significantly streamlined invoice processing by eliminating manual data entry and ensuring real-time integration with Plex. Invoice accuracy improved through AI validation and systematic verification steps. Deployment in the sandbox environment confirmed reliability, enabling safe transition to live operations. The process reduces processing delays, enhances data traceability, and frees accounting resources for higher-value tasks.