Steel and Iron Products Distributor Company

Transforming Efficiency in the Accounts Receivable and Finance of
the Steel and Iron Distribution Industry through RPA: A Case Study

Client Overview

Our customer is a well-known Master Distributor in the US, Mexico, and Canada that specializes in valves, flanges, and carbon steel pipe fittings. Our client is well-known for providing outstanding service, with well-placed inventory in St. Louis, MO; Charlotte, NC; and Houston, TX. They also offer quick quote turnarounds, expedited shipment fulfillment, and a committed and accommodating team.
Client Challenge

The accounting and finance department of our client had a significant operating difficulty. Processing incoming vendor payments based on bulk remittances that came with several invoices—each remittance copy including information for around 800 vendors—was the task at hand. It took several weeks to manually enter this massive amount of data into their SAP Business One (SAP B1) system due to resource and time constraints.
Automation Requirement

Acknowledging the necessity to optimize this labor-intensive and time-consuming procedure, our client looked for a productive way to automate the vendor payment input process into SAP B1. Reducing resource engagement, eliminating the need for considerable manual data entry, and drastically cutting down on operation time were the main goals.
Our Solution

The client asked our team to come up with a creative and practical solution. Using Microsoft Power Automate, AI Builder, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), we created an automated system that handled incoming vendor payments with ease.

Key Components of the Solution

AI-Powered Data Extraction

Utilizing AI Builder, the system intelligently extracted critical information, including invoice details and vendor data, from the scanned remittances.
Data Processing with Power Automate

The extracted data was then seamlessly integrated into Microsoft Power Automate, orchestrating the entire data entry process into the SAP B1 system.

Solution Implementation

AI Builder for Data Extraction

AI Builder was trained to recognize and extract data from diverse vendor remittance formats.
Integration with Microsoft Power Automate

Power Automate orchestrated the data flow from AI Builder to SAP B1. It provided notifications and alerts for progress tracking.
RPA for Automated Data Entry

RPA bots replicated human actions in SAP B1 data entry with accuracy.

A Challenge Along the Way

During the initial implementation, we encountered a challenge related to the complexity of certain vendor remittance formats. The AI Builder needed help to extract data accurately from these intricate layouts.
Revised RPA Strategy

Recognizing the need for adaptability, we revised our RPA strategy to enhance the accuracy of data extraction from complex remittances by multiple re-training on a case-to-case basis. We fine-tuned the AI Builder to ensure comprehensive data extraction and integrity.

Benefits Realized

Efficiency and Time Savings
Our customer cut the time needed to complete vendor payment entries from weeks to a few hours by automating this difficult and resource-intensive task.

Error Reduction
By lowering the possibility of human error in data entry, the automated method increased accuracy and data integrity.

Resource Optimization
By implementing RPA, our client could redirect human resources toward more high-value jobs, hence boosting departmental productivity.

Conclusion

By implementing cutting-edge automation technologies, our client was able to overcome a formidable obstacle in its finance department. Vendor payments were entered into SAP B1 effortlessly and without error thanks to the combination of RPA, AI Builder, and Power Automate. This conversion not only greatly lowered the amount of time and resources needed, but also improved the precision and reliability of the entire process. With this successful automation implementation, our client is now well-positioned to handle its vendor payment entries efficiently and cost-effectively, ensuring continued excellence in its industry-leading services.