**UK**: Boyer & Associates has introduced AI integration within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management to automate and streamline purchase order processes. Features include AI-driven data extraction, real-time tracking, change management, and demand prediction, enhancing efficiency and accuracy across supply chain procurement.
Boyer & Associates has introduced an advanced solution integrating artificial intelligence (AI) within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (FSCM) to tackle the complexities of managing purchase orders, a critical yet often cumbersome process in today’s supply chain climate.
Purchase orders (POs) serve as official documents a buyer sends to a supplier, outlining the specifics of the products or services requested, including quantities, prices, and delivery timelines. While pivotal for commerce, managing these orders—especially through manual processes—can be time-consuming, error-prone, and costly. Manual methods typically involve drafting the PO, sending it, tracking its progress, receiving goods, and processing payments, often requiring dedicated staff and causing operational inefficiencies.
Boyer & Associates has leveraged AI, specifically through Copilot support for procurement in Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM, to automate many traditionally manual tasks. One key benefit is AI’s ability to extract PO information from emails, PDFs, and other documents, significantly reducing data entry time and minimising human errors. Additionally, real-time tracking capabilities allow organisations to monitor POs from creation through to delivery without the need for continuous manual updates, enhancing visibility across the supply chain.
The Copilot functionality also facilitates matching POs with invoices and received goods, ensuring accuracy before payment, thus smoothing the reconciliation process. Perhaps most notably, the AI system can analyse purchasing data to predict demand, optimise inventory levels, and even recommend optimal purchasing times, potentially leading to substantial cost savings.
A standout feature is the “Confirmed Purchase Orders with Changes” workspace within FSCM, designed to simplify the review and management of changes made to confirmed purchase orders. This workspace categorises modifications into low-impact and high-impact changes on downstream orders such as production work, maintenance tasks, or sales. This hierarchical view allows procurement managers to quickly identify and prioritise changes that require immediate attention.
The workspace offers three key tiles summarising groups of PO changes:
- Low-impact changes: Orders with no significant downstream impact, accompanied by AI-generated summaries to speed validation.
- High-impact changes: Orders with known downstream effects, allowing managers to investigate potential risks.
- Impacted downstream orders: A summary of affected orders and their related PO changes.
Procurement teams follow a structured process for dealing with these changes: reviewing all modifications and their impact, confirming low-risk changes swiftly, focusing on high-risk changes with the aid of communication tools integrated into the system (supporting outreach via email or Microsoft Teams), and finally addressing any remaining downstream impacts.
Boyer & Associates emphasises the ease of use of these AI-driven tools and their capacity to streamline procurement operations. Copilot’s natural language summaries help localise the implications of changes, promoting clearer communication with suppliers and internal teams. The integration also enhances collaboration, enabling swift adjustments and alternative planning when necessary.
This AI-supported approach addresses significant pain points inherent in traditional purchase order management, including inefficiency, error-proneness, and lack of real-time oversight. By automating key processes and providing actionable insights, Microsoft Dynamics 365’s Procurement Copilot aims to create a more agile and responsive supply chain environment.
The Boyer & Associates article reports these advancements and encourages businesses seeking improved procurement workflows to explore the capabilities offered by Microsoft’s Copilot tools in Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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