Vendor Sub-Contractor Document Processing Automation
- Client
- Organisation with a vendor and sub-contractor network · 4 document types in one flow
- Department
- Procurement
Invoices, time reports, time approvals and purchase orders from sub-contractors: four document types, four sets of rules, and every one left to manual handling is another chance for delay and error across the vendor relationship. We designed one reusable UiPath architecture that automates all four, with reporting and BI dashboards built on top.
A working model of the approach on sample data. It plays on its own and pauses when scrolled away; nothing here touches a live system.
The results
- 4
- sub-contractor document types automated
- Invoices, time reports, time approvals and purchase orders. Scope, not a saving.
- 1
- reusable architecture for all four
- One IPA design on UiPath, not a single-purpose bot. Scope, not a saving.
- 1
- reporting and BI layer on top
- Custom reporting and dashboards over the automation. Scope, not a saving.
The challenge
Our client works with a network of vendors and sub-contractors. Every engagement generates the same stream of paperwork: invoices, time reports, time approvals and purchase orders, each with its own format, its own rules and its own place in the approval chain.
There was no shared, reusable automation architecture behind that flow. Each document type was its own problem, which limited how consistently the work could be done and how far it could scale across document types and vendors.
What it was costing them
- Four document types, four ways of working. Each type of document followed its own manual route, with its own rules and its own room for error.
- Manual handling that does not scale. More vendors and more sub-contractors meant more of the same work, not better control.
- Delay and error across the vendor relationship. Every document type left un-automated was another place for a late approval or a wrong figure to slip through.
- Invoices → One reusable architecture
- Time reports → One reusable architecture
- Time approvals → One reusable architecture
- Purchase orders → One reusable architecture
The approach
We acted as solution architect on an Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) implementation on UiPath, and designed one reusable architecture for the whole sub-contractor document flow rather than a single-purpose bot.
One architecture, four document types
| Document type | Its place in the vendor relationship |
|---|---|
| Invoices | What the sub-contractor bills |
| Time reports | The hours worked behind the bill |
| Time approvals | The sign-off on those hours |
| Purchase orders | The commitment the work is billed against |
All four are automated on the same foundation.
Why one architecture instead of one bot per document
- Consistency. The same design applies to every document type, so the rules are handled the same way across all four, not just for the busiest one.
- Scale. A reusable design removes exactly what limited the manual process: every new document type or vendor builds on what is already there.
- One thing to maintain. Improving the shared foundation improves every flow that runs on it.
- Architect-level ownership. We owned the automation design, not just the bot-building.
Reporting on top
Custom reporting and BI dashboards are built over the automation, giving ongoing visibility of the sub-contractor document flow.
- Four document types
- Reusable UiPath IPA design
- Reporting & BI dashboards
Technology
| Layer | What we used |
|---|---|
| Automation platform | UiPath, Intelligent Process Automation |
| Automation logic | Custom automation on one shared, reusable architecture |
| Reporting | Custom reporting and BI dashboards |
The outcome
No volumes, accuracy or time savings were recorded for this engagement, so the result is stated as scope, not savings.
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-contractor document types | Four, each handled on its own route | Four, automated on one shared architecture |
| Automation design | No shared, reusable architecture | One reusable UiPath IPA architecture |
| Visibility | Separate from the document flow | Custom reporting and BI dashboards on top of the automation |
- Four sub-contractor document types automated: invoices, time reports, time approvals and purchase orders.
- One reusable architecture instead of a single-purpose bot.
- Reporting and BI dashboards built on top of the automation for ongoing visibility.
- Solution-architect-level ownership of the automation design.
The risk most teams miss
Teams often automate the busiest document type first and leave the rest manual. The process then still runs at the speed of its slowest manual step, and every further document type becomes a new project. Designing one architecture across all four removes that weak link from the start.
Built with
The tools this ran on, by the layer each one carried.
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