Automated Purchase Order Processing with AI and Outlook

This n8n workflow streamlines the processing of purchase orders submitted via email, integrating AI for data extraction and validation to reduce manual effort. It begins by monitoring an Outlook shared inbox for new emails with attachments, specifically XLSX purchase order forms. When a purchase order is detected, the workflow verifies the file format. If valid, it extracts data from the Excel file, converting it into markdown for easier parsing by language models. The extracted data is then processed by AI to identify key details such as purchase order number, date, vendor info, and line items. Validation checks ensure the data’s completeness and correctness, such as verifying the presence of a PO number, correctness of totals, and date validity. Depending on the validation results, the workflow automatically replies to the sender with either confirmation or rejection messages, providing detailed feedback on errors. Successful POs can then proceed to further processing, such as feeding into ERP systems. This automation reduces time-consuming manual data entry, improves accuracy, and accelerates purchase order approval cycles, making it ideal for organizations handling large volumes of vendor submissions.