What changes in everyday work
A shared digital record can replace this intermediate list: capture details once, resolve questions within the order and transfer the approved data to the ERP.
The business review remains. What can disappear is the repeated entry of details that have already been checked.
| Today | In the proposed workflow |
|---|---|
| Order details appear in the PDF, in Excel and later in the ERP. | Details are prepared in a shared entry screen and then transferred. |
| Questions and corrections have to be brought together from emails and lists. | Open questions, amendments and approval stay with the record. |
| After handover, it is not always clear whether the order was created. | The ERP response shows whether the transfer succeeded. |
An example: an order with a missing item number
The following details and screen are illustrative. They show a possible workflow, not a documented client project.
A customer orders twelve sealing rings in a PDF. The quantity and delivery address are provided, but the item number is missing. The description “sealing ring, 20 mm” is not enough to identify the exact item.
The order processing team opens a central entry screen. It shows the original document alongside the prepared fields. This extract shows a single order line:
Order awaiting review
- Order reference
- B-104
- Customer
- K-208
- Item description
- Sealing ring, 20 mm
- Item number
- To be clarified
- Quantity
- 12 units
- Delivery address
- Musterweg 8, 8000 Zurich
- Status
- Clarification needed
- Capture and compare
- Details can be entered manually or suggested from the PDF. They are checked against the original before approval.
- Clarify the missing item number
- The missing item number stops the handover. The responsible person asks the customer, who confirms item DR-20-A. They check the number against the item master and add it directly to the record.
- Approve and transfer
- After checking the customer, item, quantity and address, they approve the record. The integration transfers the agreed fields to the ERP. This requires a suitable interface that returns a confirmation.
- Confirmation on the record
- Transferred · ERP order A-7021 Only the ERP confirmation sets this status. It confirms that the order was recorded; it does not constitute a delivery commitment.
Where the work actually decreases
The question about the item would also have been necessary in the previous workflow. The difference is what happens next:
Add the detail once
The confirmed item number is added to the record that will be used for the next steps.
Transfer checked details
The operations team no longer has to type the corrected Excel row into the ERP.
See the processing status
Open questions and approval are visible on the record.
Trace the transfer
The ERP confirmation can be linked to the original incoming order.
When the change is worthwhile
Whether the change is worthwhile depends on the total effort. This includes checking extracted details, handling exceptions and maintaining the integration.
A comparison therefore needs to cover actual data entry steps, processing time and the effort spent on corrections.
Does this need AI or a new application?
Fixed rules can handle required fields, quantity checks, approval and data transfer. AI can help extract details from documents with varying layouts. Its suggestions must remain verifiable.
An additional application is not always necessary either. If your ERP already has a suitable entry screen or import function, that route should be checked first.
The screen shown here describes the function needed. Whether it sits in the ERP, an existing tool or a supplementary application depends on your systems.
For a small number of orders, entering them manually straight into the ERP may already be the right solution.
What happens when the transfer status is unclear?
If the connection breaks after sending, the record remains marked “Transfer status unclear”. Before trying again, it is necessary to check whether the ERP has already created the order.
An order received again is also checked against existing records. This helps establish whether it is an amendment or a duplicate submission.
How Peak Pioneers supports you
The starting point is a real order from your everyday work. Together, we look at where details are captured, corrected, approved and entered again.
We agree the scope of any implementation and subsequent support based on this workflow.
- Which functions in your existing software already cover the workflow?
- Which fields need to be transferred between systems?
- Which checks and approvals are required?
- Would configuration, an integration or a supplementary application be appropriate?