Workflows are fundamental in procurement processes, helping entities to manage and control the various stages of the process of acquiring goods and services. Through workflows, entities are able to define and automate the various stages of the process, from the requisition request to the integration of metadata in the financial ERP, thus ensuring that everyone involved follows a consistent and efficient workflow.

Advantages of using Workflows in procurement processes?

The advantages of using workflows in procurement processes are listed.

From the outset, they allow the standardization and optimization of procurement processes, incorporating automatic rules and validations, which guarantee compliance with the entity’s own purchasing policies and procedures.

It means that, regardless of the department or person responsible for acquiring a good or service, the process will follow the same steps and rules.

They are therefore more transversal, more transparent, more orderly (since they follow sequential procedural flows) and therefore less subject to fraud attempts and human errors.

They can be monitored by all those involved at any time, always knowing which stage the process is at, who is responsible for that specific stage and which documents make up the process, validating those that are mandatory.

Thus, everyone is held accountable, before everyone else, for ITS stage in the process, each participant always knowing what he has to do, when and how.

By incorporating workflows, it becomes clear where bottlenecks occur, helps avoid delays, allows you to monitor costs and ensures that purchases are made within defined budgets.

It is above all a form of control and simplification that saves time and resources, freeing up time for value-added tasks.

How to ensure compliance with the procurement processes defined by the companies?

Finally, workflows help ensure that companies are in compliance with applicable regulations. By defining a consistent and well-documented process, they can demonstrate that they are following the proper policies and procedures regarding the procurement of goods and services. Which can help you avoid fines and penalties arising from regulatory violations.

How Data Capture can streamline procurement processes.

Procurement processes can be closely related to Data Capture solutions in many ways. Data Capture refers to the automation of business processes involving documents, where technologies such as text recognition, artificial intelligence and Machine Learning are used to automate the extraction and processing of data from documents.

In the context of procurement, procurement processes often involve handling various types of documents such as purchase orders, quotations, proposals, invoices and contracts. Automating document processing tasks with Data Capture solutions can make the procurement process more efficient and accurate, reducing time and effort spent on manual tasks and increasing the accuracy of extracted data.

For example, the Data Capture solution can be used to automate the process of extracting data from an invoice, allowing information to be entered directly into a procurement system, without the need for manual data entry. Not only saving time, but also reducing human errors and minimizing the risk of fraud.

Another area where Data Capture technology can help is in contract management. The Data Capture Portal can be used to automatically extract relevant information from a contract such as expiration date, auto-renewal and important clauses. This helps ensure contracts are closely monitored and properly managed, avoiding the risk of compliance violations or penalties.

In short, Data Capture solutions can be a valuable addition to procurement processes, allowing companies to automate manual tasks and increase efficiency, while reducing errors and minimizing risk. By integrating Data Capture technology into their procurement processes, companies can reap significant benefits in terms of productivity, efficiency and regulatory compliance.

by João Costa – CTO & BPM Business Manager @Uniksystem

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