Procurement Workflow Enhancement

3 Workflows I've Automated for in-house teams. ① Ask Legal ② Procurement ③ Contract Review (not just the review!) 1. Ask Legal [or any department for that matter 🤷🏼♀️] You've heard me talk about legal teams and knowledge management. Long story short, your legal team is answering the same 20 questions over and over 😵💫 A simple way to save a CHUNK of time answering questions from the business (enabling them to go faster) ALL while having complete control & keeping a human in the loop? ↪️ Set up an 'Ask Legal' bot in your comms platform. ↪️ Sync it with your knowledge base (e.g GDrive/Notion/Sharepoint). ↪️ Set up your custom instructions (Want it to tag Bob on privacy questions only, specifically on a Tuesday? No problem).  ↪️ Don't want the answer to go straight out to the business without reviewing it first? Cool, turn on co-pilot mode. The result? 60-80% fewer repetitive queries. Your team focuses on the high value things that need a human lawyer. 2. Procurement Businesses have 100's of tools, but when departments don't speak to each other you end up with duplicate tools & subscriptions 😭 💵 🚽.  What if there was a way for the business to find out in <1 minute if there was a tool available that covered their needs, before needing to spend some hard secured department budget? Moreover, what if I told you, they could kick off the internal procurement process from the comfort of your comms platform? Team member : “Do we already have a tool for X?” in Slack/Teams ✅ Bot checks knowledge base (policies, procurement tool). ✅ If a match is found, it shares the approved tool & owner to contact. ✅ If not, the bot can ask the user for more info and direct them with next steps to kick off the procurement process from inside Slack/Teams. Ensuring your users ACTUALLY follow the process, without adding friction. Did I just see your CFO cry tears of joy? 3. Third Party Vendor Contract Review & Project Management Getting AI to redline a contract (as a first pass) is a huge win, but there's still the other pieces of the process missing, like: 🤷🏼♀️ The business figuring out IF legal review is even needed (according to company policy). 📨 The business actually submitting the contract to legal. 😩 Managing review capacity within the legal team. 🖥️ Getting the legal team to log & update the PM tool. The list never ends. Legal reviews only what actually needs their eyes, turnaround times improve, and the business stops pinging the team for “update pls?” in Slack : ) TLDR; Most legal teams are drowning in admin work that could be automated. I've built all of these using simple processes and tools (that I've found most businesses have). You also know I love a good Figma flow. So I’ve built them for all three of the above (see a sneak peak below). Want the entire thing? Comment "FLOWS" and I'll send them over. Also, tell me what you want to see - more of the above or step-by-step how-to build videos?

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀 - 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 I can’t stop preaching this. Why? Because automation accelerates whatever you feed it: good or bad! Too often we “𝗴𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹” layering tools and workflows on top of processes that were: ❌ Never truly designed ❌ Rarely checked ❌ Barely measured ❌ Never challenged for relevance And i have seen sufficient cases like this. 👉 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. They don’t repair broken flows. If the process is weak, technology will only make the chaos faster, louder, and harder to track. So, before you automate, take a step back: ✔️ Map the process flow (SIPOC it) ✔️ Surface dependencies and constraints (policies, data..) ✔️ Co-design with users (Design Think the process) ✔️ Eliminate non-value adding steps and simplify the flow ✔️ Redesign with Automation in mind ✔️ Add AI where cognition helps (classification, prediction…) Procurement doesn’t need more bots (or AI Agents). 𝗜𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸, 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴. What would you do first, before automating any process?

As an exec, if your own AI journey is still happening 'through other people', this is for you. Sure, you’ve got teams. You can delegate. You can buy tools. But doing one small workflow end-to-end yourself builds the instinct you need when proposals land on your desk. You can still delegate the hardening and scale-up afterwards. But not the first learning. Here are 4 practical AI projects if you are one of the below: 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Pain: Renewal risk shows up late. Signals sit across email, support and meeting notes. Build (workflow + tools): Use Outlook + Teams + Excel + Copilot. Pull the last 30 days of account emails, last QBR notes, top support themes (export), and a simple usage snapshot if available. Ask Copilot for a 1-page “Renewal Risk Brief” per top 10 accounts: risk level, evidence, and next 2 actions. v1 takes 2–3 hours, then ~10 mins per account. Benefit: Earlier intervention, better renewal planning, fewer surprises. 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Pain: Vendor comparisons get messy fast. Key exclusions and renewal traps are easy to miss. Build (workflow + tools): Use SharePoint + Excel + Copilot. Drop proposals into a SharePoint folder, set 10 comparison criteria in Excel, then have Copilot extract pricing assumptions, exclusions, renewal terms and key risks into the table. Ask it to draft a negotiation brief: 3 pressure points and 3 give-gets. Plan 3–4 hours for a clean first pass. Benefit: Cleaner selection decisions and stronger negotiation posture. 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹 Pain: First-pass contract review is repetitive, but response time expectations keep shrinking. Build (workflow + tools): Use SharePoint + Word + Copilot. Create a SharePoint folder for your clause library and a short playbook (acceptable vs not). For each contract draft, ask Copilot to summarise deviations from your standard, and propose edits using your approved language. Setup is 2–3 hours. Benefit: Faster triage, more consistency, and time saved for the genuinely hard judgement calls. 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 / 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 Pain: Weekly alignment suffers because updates live in too many places and the “so what” doesn’t get written down. Build (workflow + tools): Use Teams + OneNote + Copilot. Create one page called “Weekly Exec Brief”. Drop in metrics, customer news, delivery risks, people topics. Ask Copilot for: a 5-bullet narrative, decisions needed this week, and open loops with owners. Setup is 60–90 mins, then ~20 mins weekly if inputs stay disciplined. Benefit: A tighter exec rhythm and clearer decision/action tracking. These are deliberately small. The point isn’t to “transform the company”. It’s to build one real thing in an afternoon, in tools you already trust, and learn AI by doing. I’ll demonstrate each of these in practical detail, step-by-step, so you can replicate them quickly. Follow along if this series helps.

Here’s a structured approach to applying a complex 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝘁𝗼-𝗣𝗮𝘆 (𝗣𝟮𝗣) 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 to Oracle Fusion Applications: 1️⃣ 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀     ✅ 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝟮𝗣 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄: 🔹 Identify each step, from requisitioning to procurement, receiving, invoicing, and payment.    ✅ 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗚𝗮𝗽 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀: 🔹 Compare current processes with Oracle Fusion’s standard P2P functionalities. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝟮𝗣 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮. 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁) 🔹 Set up procurement catalogues and templates for commonly procured items or services. 𝗯. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🔹 Use the Supplier Model to set up and centralize supplier profiles, banking information, and certifications. 𝗰. 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 🔹 Configure Purchase Orders (POs) with attributes like document types, approval hierarchies, and tolerances. 𝗱. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🔹 Set up Receipt Routing for multi-step receiving processes (standard, inspection required, or direct delivery). 𝗲. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 🔹 Set up Invoice Matching Rules (2-way, 3-way, or 4-way) to ensure compliance and accuracy. 𝗳. 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🔹 Configure payment methods (wire transfers, checks, electronic fund transfers). 3️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀 ✅ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀: 🔹 Use Oracle BPM (Business Process Management) tools to automate multi-level approvals for requisitions, invoices and purchase orders. ✅ 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱-𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀: 🔹 Connect Oracle Fusion with external systems (e.g., supplier portals, tax engines) using Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC). ✅ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: 🔹 Utilize Oracle Fusion’s analytics tools to monitor supplier performance and spending patterns. 4️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ✅ 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀: 🔹Test edge cases like returns, credit memos, or partial payments to ensure system accuracy. ✅ 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗨𝗔𝗧): 🔹 Engage end-users in testing workflows to validate the system against real-world operations. 5️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 ✅ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: 🔹 Provide focused training to procurement, AP and Finance teams. 🔹 Develop role-based training materials for end-users. 6️⃣ 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗚𝗼-𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 ✅ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 🔹 Use dashboards and reporting tools to track performance and identify bottlenecks. #oraclep2p #oraclefusion #procuretopay #oracleconsulting

Automate Procure to Pay Process At least 85% of the workload can be reduced. I worked with a client who was short on resources and didn't have the budget to hire more staff. His payables were piling up, hurting his supplier relations. Due to payment delays, he lost some early payment discounts. He was frustrated with his staff and blamed them for inefficiencies. However, when I analyzed their workload, they were working at capacity. The staff wasn't an issue. The problem was the staff-to-transaction volume ratio. We developed the end-to-end process flow for P2P processes. We discovered two bottlenecks that were causing the issue: 1- The procurement process was manual and inconsistent 2- The already overwhelmed accounting staff spent more time chasing PO and approvals than processing payments. The process flow also helped to identify the processes that can be automated and streamlined. It was clear that automating the P2P processes was the only way to bring efficiencies with existing resources. We sourced a third-party tool as an add-on to his existing accounting software at a minimal monthly cost. We did the trial run once the implementation was complete, and it worked seamlessly. At that moment, you should have seen the smile on his face. It was priceless! I transformed the same process into an infographic to help you visualize the steps we followed. This is how it works: 1- Purchase Requisition (PR) Creation (partial automation) 2- Purchase Requisition Approval 3- Purchase Order (PO) Conversion 4- Purchase Order Approval and Dispatch 5- Invoice Capture 6- Three-Way Match (PO, Goods Receipt, Invoice) 7- Invoice Approval 8- Payment Processing 9- Reconciliation & Reporting We stopped at the 8th step. However, a reconciliation tool can also automate the 9th step. There is another opportunity to automate your RFP process. That will entirely automate your RFP to Reconciliation process with little manual intervention. Have you ever experienced the joy of automation when it worked as planned? PS: Now, with AI-enabled tools, the possibilities are unimaginable. #MAKAlpha ------------------------------------------------------- - Follow Abdul Khaliq + 🔔 - Sharing 20+ years of journey. - Providing Fractional CFO/Controller services to SMEs. - Download my work in PDF by visiting my profile.

Procurement is one of those functions where work doesn’t slow down because of effort. It slows down because of friction. Approvals stuck in inboxes. Vendor onboarding dragging for weeks. Manual checks repeated across teams. I came across Lyzr AI while exploring how AI is being applied in operations, and what stood out was its focus on removing those exact bottlenecks. Especially around vendor procurement and approval workflows. Instead of adding another layer of process, it looks at: • Where decisions stall • Where handoffs break • Where speed is lost between request and approval If procurement is still one of the quiet blockers in your operation, this is worth a look. Sharing for anyone exploring smarter ways to automate procurement workflows: 👉 https://hubs.ly/Q03_GKZJ0 Sometimes efficiency isn’t about doing more. It’s about clearing what’s in the way.

📦 PO & Warehouse Management A – Z workflow . Behind every smooth supply chain lies a disciplined Let’s break down the A‑to‑Z workflow 👇 🧾 1️⃣ PO Process — The Order Foundation ✅ PO Creation: The procurement team raises a Purchase Order based on required materials. ✅ PO Approval: Finance and management approve terms and quantities. ✅ PO Dispatch to Vendor: Order is confirmed and sent for fulfillment. ✅ Delivery Against PO: Vendor sends goods within agreed lead time. ✅ Goods Receiving: Warehouse receives cargo; receipt note is issued. ✅ Inspection & Quality Check: Material is verified for specifications and condition. ✅ GRN Entry & Stock Update: All data recorded in ERP or WMS for inventory accuracy. 🏭 2️⃣ Warehouse Management — The Operational Backbone 📥 Receiving: Unload goods and verify against PO and packing list. 🏷 Storage & Labeling: Assign barcodes, bins, and racks for organization. 📊 Inventory Control: Track stock movements and reconciliations in real time. 🔍 Stock Audit & Cycle Counting: Regular checks to prevent discrepancies. 📦 Issue & Dispatch: Move materials for orders, projects, or production. 🔁 Returns Management: Handle damaged or excess stock efficiently. 📉 Stock Reorder Level Monitoring: Triggers alerts for refills before shortage occurs. 🧾 Documentation & Reporting: Compile daily receipts, stock movements, and performance reports. ⸻ 💡 Professional Insight ✔ Accuracy at PO stage decides efficiency inside the warehouse. ✔ Integration of procurement and ERP saves hours of manual work. ✔ A well‑organized warehouse turns documentation into data for better decisions.