Automating Email Attachment Processing in Dynamics 365 Business Cental with Power Automate 

Client Overview  

Our client has been in the postal service industry for more than 160 years and is well-known for its trustworthy delivery services both domestically and globally. Handling large volumes of shipments and financial operations, the client wanted to improve their financial workflows and process, ensuring accuracy, efficiency and growth in their financial workflows.   

Challenge  

One such operational bottleneck the client faced involved bringing in attachments from stakeholders into?Dynamics 365 Business Central. This extremely manual process necessitated that employees locate,?download and upload file after file across any number of different modules, from Sales Invoices to Purchase Orders. As the number of attachments increased, the process became more?and more time consuming and labour intensive. 

A major drawback was licensing model of Dynamics Business Central, which?requires separate licenses for all users. At the same time, due?to cost the organization was unable to provide access to multiple users, which meant that a minimal team was responsible for uploads for all attachments and, therefore, it caused an excessive workload and operational inefficiencies. 

• Time-Consuming Data Entry: Employees spent significant time checking vendor emails and extracting data from PDF attachments only to input it into Business Central. They were wasting?time, and their procurement cycles were slow. 

• High Error?Rates: Inputting data by hand resulted in high rates of errors, such as a mismatch in material numbers, price errors, and inaccuracies in vendor information led to delayed order fulfilment. 

• Scalability Challenges:?Demand of vendor requests made manual processing impractical. Taking?on more employees was not a long-term option. 

• Poor Visibility into Workflow: There was no tool to track the progress of data entries, nor identify errors in?real-time, making audits and issue resolution inefficient. 

These inefficiencies were restricting the potential of the business to optimize productivity and scale for?the long run. 

Solution 

Veelead implemented an automation solution using Power Automate Integration Services to enhance procurement workflows, accuracy, and scalability by eliminating manual email attachment management in Dynamics Business Central. 

One bot monitored an email inbox for a certain?subject line, pulled the required details, and put attachments in a defined folder structure. It then streamed these documents into the appropriate sections in Dynamics Business?Central, minimising the risk of misfiling. 

Thanks to real-time notifications, I received confirmation that I had uploaded successfully or that there were issues I needed to address, ensuring that the process?was kept clean. Because the learning curve for employees to adapt to the new system was minimal, productivity?increased through the transition process. 

Key Features of the Solution:  

The automation framework was designed to streamline procurement processes with the following key components: 

Automated Email & PDF Data Extraction 

• The system autonomously detected vendor emails and extracted relevant procurement data from attached PDF invoices. 

• Key details, including vendor names, material numbers, and pricing, were automatically captured. 

Seamless BC Integration 

• Using Power Automate Integration Services, the solution updated extracted data directly into the BC, eliminating manual input. 

• PAD facilitated smooth entry of essential procurement details without human intervention. 

Reliability Validation &?Error Handling 

• Gaps were quickly closed with built-in rule-based validations to ensure accuracy before it?entered BC. 

• Discrepancies, including?empty or ill-formatted fields, were reported for correction, helping catch potentially expensive errors. 

Tracking and Alerts?in Real Time 

• A dashboard gave real-time visibility into procurement processes, so stakeholders?could monitor progress and track approvals. 

• Procurement managers received notifications on validation errors to?help them resolve issues quickly. 

Scalability & Compliance Management:  

• As more vendors as new workflow, it worked hand in glove with?the already long-established workflow.  
• Comprehensive logs maintained a detailed audit trail and ensured?compliance with procurement regulations while also simplifying audits.  

Results and Benefits  

The introduction of Power Automate?Integration Services brought about huge operational improvements: 

Reduction in?Processing Time: 

• BC Record creation, which?required significant manual effort, was trimmed from hours per day to less than five minutes. 

• Procurement cycles sped up,?enabling employees to zero in on strategic initiatives. 

Near-Elimination of Errors: 

• The manual data-entry error?rate decreased from 8% to below 0.5%. 

• Automated?validation checks maintained data accuracy, minimizing rework and delays. 

Enhanced Scalability: 

• It made accommodating growing vendor requests?seamless without the cost of added staff. 

• Procurement operations scaled?in an efficient manner which saved on resources. 

Enhanced?Transparency & Compliance: 

• Real-time logs and notifications enhanced workflow visibility?and accountability. 

• Transaction records that are auditable allowed to?comply with industry regulations. 

Reduced Costs & Enhanced?Productivity: 

• Newer technology with lesser?manual intervention led to significant operational cost savings. 

• Workers were liberated?from monotonous work and now trained to conduct high-value negotiations and helmed supplier management. 

Performance Metrics: Pre and Post-Automation 

Tools Used 

Power Automate Cloud, Power Automate Desktop, D365 Business Central, Outlook, and PDF