Now as we have automated invoices, we need to talk about the "chicken" first. In purchasing before the invoice you need a purchase order.
What is a purchase order
A purchase order is a commercial document that is issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating the type, quantity, and agreed upon price of products or services that the buyer intends to purchase. Purchase orders are an essential component of the procurement process, as they provide a legally binding agreement between the buyer and seller that helps to ensure that goods or services are delivered as expected. Additionally, purchase orders serve as a reference point for invoicing and payment, as they include information about payment terms and other relevant details. Overall, purchase orders are a crucial tool for managing purchasing activities and maintaining effective business relationships between buyers and sellers.
In any case, as any document there is, we need to automate extracting data from purchase orders to your tools.
Setting up Purchase Orders Plugins in Bitskout
Purchase Order extraction plugin is a template in Bitskout. To use it, navigate to Templates page. Run a search for purchase orders and then once you see the template, press "Use template":
Bitskout will show you the list of options to set up where you want data to appear.
Setting up Asana
If you use Asana, click on the tool icon. Then press "Select Board/Project".
First press "Select Workspace" and choose a workspace. In our example we will choose All workspaces.
Once you've selected the workspace, the board search screen will appear. Type first letters of the board name, and click Search.
Then click on board name you want to write data and click Apply.
Next, drag and drop the fields from left hand side to the fields on right hand side. This way you are mapping where the purchase order data will appear.
And in the next screen give a plugin a name and press Create.
And the last step make sure to add a recipe in the selected board to trigger the plugin.
Configuring Asana Rule
Setting up a Rule in Asana
And the last step make sure to add a rule in the project to trigger automated extraction. Bitskout works with attachments in the Task description, thus, your process should assume that purchase order is attached to the task.
There is an Asana guide to creating rules - check it for more comprehensive instruction to create rules.
Your rule should look like this:
Thus, now, every time a status changes to Process, the plugin Purchase Order will be executed on the file in the File column. This way you've just automated extraction from purchase orders.
Conclusion
Automating the process of extracting data from purchase orders can bring numerous benefits to businesses of all sizes. Firstly, it can greatly reduce the time and effort required for manual data entry, as well as minimize the potential for errors or inconsistencies in data. With automation, data extraction can be done quickly and accurately, allowing for streamlined procurement processes and improved efficiency. This can lead to significant cost savings, as businesses can avoid the expenses associated with manual data entry, such as hiring additional staff or dealing with errors and discrepancies.
Automating data extraction from purchase orders also enables businesses to gain greater visibility and insights into their procurement activities. By aggregating data from multiple sources, businesses can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their spending patterns, supplier performance, and overall procurement metrics. This can help businesses to make more informed decisions, identify areas for improvement, and optimize their procurement processes to achieve better outcomes.
In conclusion, automating the process of extracting data from purchase orders is an important step towards achieving greater efficiency, accuracy, and transparency in procurement processes. By leveraging the power of automation, businesses can streamline their operations, reduce costs, and gain deeper insights into their procurement activities, enabling them to make more informed decisions and drive better business outcomes.