Accounts Payable Automation for a North American Building Supplier
Project Overview
A North American building supplier with a workforce of approximately 500 employees faced mounting inefficiencies in its Accounts Payable (AP) operations. The company, with a long-standing presence in commercial, residential, industrial, and modular construction markets, processed thousands of invoices monthly. The AP team relied on a manual workflow involving printed invoices, shared folders, and email-based approvals. This approach introduced significant delays, often stretching approvals over several days or weeks, and made it difficult to locate specific documents within a fragmented file structure. The lack of visibility and control over invoice processing posed risks to operational efficiency and vendor relationships. To address these challenges, the organization sought a scalable automation solution that would streamline invoice intake, approval, and storage while improving traceability and reducing administrative overhead.
Execution
To modernize the AP process, a tailored automation solution was developed using Microsoft Power Platform. The architecture centered on Power Automate and SharePoint, enabling a seamless transition from manual invoice handling to a fully digital workflow. Incoming invoices, typically received via email, were automatically parsed and routed to SharePoint, where structured metadata allowed for efficient sorting and retrieval. Power Automate orchestrated the approval process, ensuring invoices were reviewed and approved in a timely manner without the need for printing or manual routing. This architecture provided the AP team with greater control, reduced processing time, and improved document organization.
- Automated Invoice Capture — Power Automate extracted invoices directly from incoming emails, eliminating manual downloads and reducing human error.
- Centralized Document Storage — All invoices were stored in SharePoint with standardized metadata, improving accessibility and reducing reliance on shared folders.
- Workflow-Driven Approvals — A custom approval flow routed invoices to designated reviewers, replacing paper-based approvals and accelerating turnaround times.
- Metadata Tagging — Invoices were automatically tagged with vendor name, invoice number, date, amount, and PO number, enabling precise search and filtering.
- Search & Navigation Optimization — SharePoint views and sorting options were configured to allow the AP team to quickly locate invoices by key attributes.
Results
The automation initiative delivered substantial improvements in operational efficiency and document management. By eliminating manual invoice handling and introducing structured workflows, the AP team reduced approval delays and gained real-time visibility into invoice status. The centralized SharePoint repository provided a single source of truth, improving audit readiness and reducing time spent locating documents. The solution also positioned the organization for future scalability, allowing for integration with broader financial systems and additional automation opportunities.
- Manual invoice extraction and filing were eliminated, reducing processing time and administrative burden.
- Approval delays were significantly reduced, improving responsiveness and vendor satisfaction.
- Structured metadata enabled fast, accurate search and retrieval of invoices.
- The AP team reported improved productivity and greater confidence in document traceability.