When this workflow is a good AI candidate
The workflow becomes attractive when it happens often, the required inputs already exist digitally, the desired output is clear, and a mistake can be caught before an irreversible action.
Signal 01Repeated oftenEnough weekly volume to create meaningful leverage.
Signal 02Evidence availableThe model can work from approved source information.
Signal 03Exceptions separableUncertain cases can be routed to a person.
Current workflow
BEFOREMANUAL BASELINE
01Invoice receivedCurrent
02Read fieldsCurrent
03Check vendor/POCurrent
04Enter dataCurrent
05Route exceptionCurrent
A controlled AI-assisted workflow
AFTERPROPOSED BOUNDARY
01Invoice receivedControlled
02AI extracts fieldsAI-assisted
03Rules validateAI-assisted
04Exception queueControlled
05Approved postingControlled
The goal is a reliable handoff: AI prepares or classifies the repeatable middle, while controls govern what is written, sent, approved or escalated.
Controls to design before launch
- Validate totals, tax, vendor and PO data against trusted systems.
- Do not treat generated text as authoritative financial data.
- Route low-confidence extraction and mismatches to review.
- Separate document reading from payment authorization.
How to measure whether it worked
- Minutes per invoice
- Straight-through processing rate
- Exception rate
- Extraction correction rate
- Time from receipt to approval
Replace estimates with observed results.
Measure at least one quality metric alongside time saved. Faster bad work is not an improvement.