Companies rely on purchase orders (POs) to secure goods and services. This helps them prioritize efficiency, accuracy, and cost control. However, PO handling is prone to errors, delays, and unnecessary costs if done manually. With a suitable PO automation system for managing POs, companies can keep track of their spending and projects. Proper management can also result in fewer mistakes and delays, better quality products, and better control over spending.According to the latest research, PO automation leads to a 65-80% increase in processing speeds, transforming orders from slow processes to near-instant transactions. In this blog post, we explore how an ineffective PO process affects your bottom line. 

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What is PO automation?

PO automation is a way to handle purchase orders (the official documents businesses send to suppliers when they want to buy things) using software instead of doing it manually with a paper pen or email. Also, the 2023 Benchmarking Report on Automation Trends from the Institute of Finance & Management (IOFM) indicates that many companies are now leveraging automation to improve things like PO management. 

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Now, let’s take a look at how PO automation is generally executed: 
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Purchasing made digital

Imagine shopping online; instead of writing down what you want, sending a letter to the store, and waiting for a reply, you pick what you want, click a button, and it's all set. PO automation does something similar for businesses.

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Streamlined ordering

When a company needs to buy supplies or services, it uses automation software to create a purchase order. This digital document lists what the company wants to buy, how much of it, and at what price. Then, it automatically sends the purchase order to the supplier, which is much faster and more accurate than sending it manually.

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Faster approval & payment

The software verifies delivery against the order, enabling automatic approval if correct. This speeds up supplier payments, reduces errors, and streamlines the entire process.

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How does an ineffective PO process affect your bottom line?

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Worryingly, 67% of supply chain managers still use Excel to manage aspects of their supply chain. Such an inadequate PO process can hurt your company's bottom line in several ways. Here's how:

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• Increased errors: Mistakes such as over-ordering or under-ordering become more common, leading to financial waste or shortages that disrupt operations.
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• Wasted time: Employees spend too much time handling paperwork or correcting issues, diverting attention from more productive tasks.
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• Project delays: Incorrect or late orders can postpone projects, upset customers, and potentially increase costs to expedite completion.
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• Overspending: A lack of a tracking system for purchases and spending can result in going over budget. This might happen because more inventory visibility is needed to secure the best prices or because unnecessary items are bought.
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• Strained supplier relationships: Suppliers prefer reliable partners. A chaotic PO process can cause frustrations like late payments or order inaccuracies, potentially  harming future negotiations or deals.
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• Legal and compliance risks: Disorganization in the PO process can lead to regulatory non-compliance or legal issues, entailing hefty fines and reputational damage.
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• Loss of trust: Frequent errors and inefficiencies can erode trust among employees, customers, and partners, leading to lost sales and damaged relationships.

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Challenges with manual PO process and how PO automation solves it

Key challenges with manual PO processes include: 

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• Time-consuming: Manual creation, distribution, and verification of POs is a tedious and inefficient process.
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• Error-prone: Mistakes like incorrect quantities, duplicate orders, or mismatched data are common.
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• Lack of visibility: Tracking PO status and reconciling orders with deliveries is difficult, especially with misplaced documents.
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• Approval bottlenecks: Delays occur when approvers are unavailable, hindering timely order fulfillment.
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• Poor recordkeeping: Locating past orders becomes a time-consuming and frustrating exercise.

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How PO automation benefits

This shift to PO Automation cuts through the chaos into a streamlined, almost effortless routine. Let’s see how: 

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• Streamlines processes: Automation eliminates repetitive tasks and reduces manual intervention.

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• Minimizes errors: Built-in checks and validations ensure data accuracy across the PO lifecycle.

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• Enhances visibility: Real-time tracking provides a clear overview of order status and progress.

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• Accelerates approvals: Automated routing and notifications expedite the approval process.

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• Centralized recordkeeping: All PO data is easily accessible in a digital repository.

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• ‍Increased Accountability: Automated workflows provide clear audit trails, making it easy to track actions, enforce compliance, and hold teams responsible.

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• Cost & Time Savings:  Automation reduces manual effort and processing time, helping businesses cut operational costs and speed up the entire PO cycle. 

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7 Steps for Successful Purchase Order (PO) Automation

Now, let’s go over some expert-recommended strategies that can help you with PO automation:

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1. Unify your procurement data

Setting up a centralized system for managing procurement data ensures accuracy and protection. For instance, you are storing all your receipts, invoices, and order forms in a locked filing cabinet. Strong security measures like encryption protect this information from unauthorized access or breaches. With tools like predictive analytics, you can analyze past purchasing patterns to forecast future needs. This strategy helps derive insights specific to usage, such as user adoption rates, feature utilization, and cost optimization.

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2. Implement electronic purchase orders

Transitioning to electronic purchase orders (e-POs) for product subscriptions requires seamless integration with existing systems, particularly those managing financials and user access. Application programming interfaces (APIs) and electronic data interchange (EDI) standards facilitate the real-time exchange of subscription data with SaaS vendors.

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Digital signatures and blockchain solutions further improve security and provide auditability for subscription transactions. Automation technologies streamline contract execution, billing, and license management processes, optimizing SaaS procurement efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

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3. Automate approval workflows

Automating approval workflows for SaaS procurement involves configuring rule-based algorithms to route subscription requests through predefined authorization hierarchies. 

Business process management (BPM) software and workflow automation tools streamline approval processes, reducing manual intervention and ensuring compliance with subscription policies. Moreover, AI and NLP algorithms improve automation by extracting relevant information from subscription agreements and invoices.

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This AI-driven automation increases accuracy, expedites processing, and enhances budget control for SaaS acquisitions. For instance, the SaaS procurement and renewal platform Spendflo offers Flo AI, which allows you to streamline your entire SaaS procurement process on the move right from communication tools like Slack.

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4. Add-in analytics 

Harnessing advanced analytics and business intelligence (BI) tools enables organizations to unlock actionable insights from procurement data. Multidimensional data modeling and OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) techniques facilitate interactive analysis and ad-hoc reporting. This empowers stakeholders to explore data from multiple perspectives. 

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Also, implementing data visualization tools, such as dashboards and interactive charts, enhances data interpretation and communication of key performance indicators (KPIs). 

Additionally, leveraging prescriptive analytics enables organizations to optimize procurement strategies, mitigate risks, and maximize value creation.

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 By embracing data-driven decision-making, organizations can enhance operational efficiency, improve resource allocation, and drive continuous improvement across the procurement lifecycle.

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5. Integrate with inventory management

Integrating with inventory management focuses on tracking and optimizing software licenses and subscriptions. Application integration frameworks facilitate seamless data exchange between procurement systems and license management platforms. Also, integration with inventory management tools achieves real-time visibility into subscription usage and license allocations. Automated license provisioning and de-provisioning processes enhance resource allocation and cost management for SaaS products.

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6. Go for cloud-based solutions

Embracing cloud-based PO management solutions like Spendflo offers scalability, agility, and cost-efficiency for organizations of all sizes. 

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• Leveraging cloud-native architectures and serverless computing frameworks ensures      elastic scalability and high availability, accommodating fluctuating demand and workload      spikes. 
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• Implementing containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes enables seamless      deployment and orchestration of microservices-based procurement applications. 
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• Using AI and ML services further helps organizations build predictive analytics models and      automate decision-making processes. 

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By using cloud computing's power, organizations can accelerate innovation, reduce time to market, and drive competitive advantage.

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7. Consistent training 

Prioritize ongoing training and support to maximize user adoption of your automated procurement system. 

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• Role-based training programs and e-learning modules empower users, driving knowledge      retention and engagement.
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• Establishing a dedicated support desk and knowledge base facilitates the timely      resolution of technical issues and user queries. 
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• Leveraging remote support technologies, such as screen sharing and virtual assistants,      enables efficient troubleshooting and remote assistance. 

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By investing in user training and support, organizations can maximize the ROI of procurement automation initiatives and build a continuous learning and improvement culture.

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Why is Spendflo the Best Choice for PO Automation?

An inadequately managed purchase order process can significantly impact an organization's financial performance. Therefore, it's vital to oversee your PO process effectively.

Adopting a cloud-based digital solution for your purchase orders automates every step, drastically reducing the risk of errors such as lost purchase orders or incorrect data entries, typically leading to operational delays.

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By leveraging a comprehensive procurement platform like Spendflo, you can significantly decrease the time and expense of processing purchase orders. Spendflo stands out with its cloud-based platform, offering features such as:

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• Streamlined approval workflows
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• Real-time budget tracking
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• Seamless integration with existing financial systems

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These capabilities ensure ease of setup and use and enhanced control and visibility over your procurement process. Move away from outdated manual methods and consider Spendflo for a more effective and efficient solution. 

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‍Get a free saving analysis with us to experience the benefits of automated purchase orders firsthand!

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Frequently Asked Questions on Purchase Order Automation

1. What are the benefits of purchase order automation?

Purchase order automation streamlines procurement by reducing manual tasks and improving accuracy. It enables faster approvals, better visibility, and centralized data access. Overall, it helps businesses save time, cut costs, and make more informed purchasing decisions. 

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2. How does PO automation reduce errors?

PO automation uses built-in validations and standardized workflows to eliminate common mistakes like duplicate orders or incorrect quantities. By minimizing manual entry, it lowers the risk of human error across the purchase lifecycle. This ensures more accurate, consistent, and reliable procurement data.

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3. Can small businesses benefit from PO automation?

Yes, small businesses can gain significant advantages from automating their purchase order processes. It helps them manage limited resources more efficiently by saving time and reducing costly errors. Even basic automation tools can improve tracking, budgeting, and vendor communication.

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4. Is it easy to integrate PO automation with existing systems?

Most PO automation tools are designed to integrate seamlessly with ERP, accounting, and inventory platforms. With APIs and pre-built connectors, businesses can sync data across systems without major disruptions. This improves efficiency and keeps all procurement-related data connected.

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5. What should I look for in a PO automation tool?

Look for features like customizable workflows, real-time tracking, approval automation, and integration capabilities. It’s also important to consider user-friendliness, scalability, and vendor support. A good PO automation tool should align with your company’s procurement needs and future growth.

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6. How does automation improve purchase order visibility? 

Automation provides real-time access to PO status, approvals, and order histories through centralized dashboards. This transparency helps stakeholders stay informed and make proactive decisions. Better visibility also leads to improved accountability, faster issue resolution, and stronger supplier relationships.

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