case studies

Programmers.io Provides Scalable Tech Solution for Overwhelming Invoice System in 6 Months

About The Client

The client is leading electrical product distributor with a network of over 60 locations established across Western Canada. They offer a comprehensive suite of electrical products aiming to provide for the needs of commercial, residential, and industrial project needs. They have a strong customer-first focus and deliver value to their customers through trained specialists for technical support, training seminars, and certification classes on emerging trends and technologies.

  • Industry: Retail and Consumer Goods
  • Headquartered: Alberta, Canada
  • Platforms:
  • Team Size: 1 (RPA + Power Platform Developer)
the_client
 

The Challenge

1. The client received invoices exclusively from a manually driven process. They would receive invoices through email, each with their own PDF attachment . Employees were required to retrieve PO numbers, search for client names, verify totals, and update their database through manual data entry .

2. As the business continued to grow, the number of email invoices the client would receive grew to an unsustainable 50-100 emails per day . What was already a time-consuming process was quickly beginning to overwhelm the client and the team.

3. Quick action was needed. The client required a tech-driven solution that would solve this demanding inefficiency and allow their platform to scale for current and future needs.

 

Our Solution

Here’s how we solved the client’s challenges:

The Solution

Power Automation

The team implemented a Power Automate flow to retrieve emails each morning for processing, which extracts PDF attachments and saves them to a designated OneDrive folder. This upgraded the platform’s 25-email limit to up to a staggering 10,000 emails per day.

The Solution

Desktop Flow

The Power Automate flow was set up to trigger an additional automated flow for desktop. The desktop component handles the actual data entry into their SAP Ariba system, therefore automating the entire invoice process from start to finish.

The Solution

AI Document Intelligence Integration

AI document intelligence integration was used to extract the required data from the PDFs. The system is able to log into the SAP Ariba portal, enter invoice details, upload attachments, and validate totals. This process is further backed by an intelligent mapping system that handles Dynamic IDs to ensure accurate data entry.

Technologies Used

Our software architects and engineers are experts in using the latest technologies.

  • MS Power Automate
    MS Power Automate
  • Power Automate Desktop
    Power Automate Desktop
  • Azure AI Document Intelligence
    Azure AI Document Intelligence
  • SAP Ariba
    SAP Ariba
  • MS OneDrive
    MS OneDrive
 

Business Impact

Our solution added value with surprising results because we were able to deliver a high-quality product on time.

Impact 1

Upgraded 25 email limit to up to 10,000 per day

Impact 2

Eliminated the need for manual intervention

Here’s how we did it

  • Enhanced Competitiveness

    By creating a scalable solution that would accommodate growing needs.

  • Decreased Errors

    With data verification and intelligent mapping safeguards.

  • Increased Invoice Processing Speed

    Through MS Power Automation and Power Automate Desktop.

  • Augmented Operational Efficiency

    By freeing up their workforce for more critical tasks.

we-did-it

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I wanted to take a moment to highlight and commemorate the efforts from our dedicated PIO team. To preface, the projects we work on here are complex, with rigid objectives, budgets, and timelines. Expectations are always high and are ever-changing. From the start of our relationship, the IO team was able to exceed expectations and make our business wishes a reality.

Project Manager

Over the past year I have worked with them, they have worked very hard to understand our highly customized system and troubleshoot things with little or no documentation while managing to keep the business up and running normally. Without the hard work and dedication they have shown, I know we would have had some issues causing downtime or lost production. I am looking forward to continuing working them in the next year as well.

Information Technology Supervisor

I have been working with Programmers IO for more than 5 years now and I have been pleased with all projects and developers that I have worked with. We have had a few issues here and there but they have always fixed and made it right. They have been an excellent addition to our business.

Director Of Development

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