Procurement & Raw Materials

Q: Can the automation handle multiple suppliers for the same material?

Yes. The automation sends quote requests to all preferred suppliers simultaneously, compares their responses, and recommends the best option based on your cost and delivery criteria.

Q: Will the automation work with our existing spreadsheet data?

Yes. The automation reads your bill of materials, inventory levels, and supplier list from your current spreadsheets and uses that data to generate quote requests and purchase orders.

Q: Do we need to approve every purchase order before it is sent?

Yes. The automation recommends a supplier and creates the purchase order, but your procurement team reviews and approves it before it is sent to the supplier.

Q: What happens when goods arrive at the warehouse?

Warehouse staff notify your team via email or Slack, and the automation updates your inventory records and marks the purchase order as received in your accounting software.

Keep raw materials flowing without the manual chase work that stalls your production floor.

192 hrs

Manual time identified

Companies have mapped

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About This Automation

Procurement and raw materials sourcing is the process of identifying material needs from production schedules, requesting quotes from suppliers, comparing options, and placing orders.

Automation captures production requirements, sends quote requests automatically, analyzes supplier responses, and routes approved orders to accounting. The result is faster sourcing cycles, fewer stock-outs, and cleaner supplier records.

Key features:

Automatically send quote requests to preferred suppliers and track all responses in one place

Compare supplier quotes by price and delivery time without manual spreadsheet work

Route approved purchase orders directly to accounting software

Monitor supplier delivery status and send follow-up reminders if shipments are delayed

Log all supplier communication and quote history for audit and future reference

Data insights How it works Apps used What you get FAQ

Top friction points when done manually

The issues teams report most often with this process

#	Friction point	Companies Report This
1	Email-based quote collection Quotes arrive scattered across email with no central log, making comparison and tracking difficult.	80%
2	Manual spreadsheet comparisons Procurement staff manually copy prices and terms into spreadsheets, introducing errors and consuming time.	67%
3	Repeated supplier follow-ups Multiple emails and phone calls are needed to confirm shipment status and delivery dates.	53%
4	Lost communication trails Quote history and supplier communication are scattered across email folders with no audit trail.	40%
5	Manual PO data entry Purchase orders are typed manually into accounting software, creating transcription errors.	26%

Disclaimer

Automation readiness

How well-suited this process is for automation

Process Pain Score™

9.2/ 10

AI Fit Rating™

9.1/ 10

Automation Lift Index™

8.8/ 10

Hidden Overhead™

7.3/ 10

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Production Schedule Confirmedtrigger

A production run is scheduled in the system or inventory falls below reorder threshold. The automation is triggered with material requirements and delivery date.

2. Fetch BOM and Stock Levels

The automation retrieves the bill of materials and current inventory and, calculates order quantities, and prepares a material request.

3. Supplier Quote

The automation sends quote requests to preferred suppliers via email with material specs, quantities, and delivery date. It logs each request and sets a deadline for replies.

4. Quote Analysis

As supplier quotes arrive via email, the automation extracts pricing and lead time, compares options against cost and delivery criteria, and recommends the best supplier.

5. Create PO

A purchase order is automatically created with the selected supplier, line items, quantities, and pricing from the winning quote.

6. Send PO

The PO is sent to the supplier email address automatically, with a copy logged in the system for audit and tracking.

7. Delivery Tracking

The automation monitors supplier responses and sends follow-up emails if confirmation is not received within 24 hours. It logs all communication and expected delivery dates.

8. Update Inventory on Receipt

When goods arrive and are confirmed by warehouse staff, inventory is automatically updated and, and the PO status is marked complete.

Most popular tool stack used

— the complete tool combinations companies use

52% of companies

28% of companies

15% of companies

Disclaimer

What you get when you map this process

Everything you need to understand, plan, and build your automation.

ROI and business case

What this process costs today and what changes once it's automated.

Launch schedule

What gets built, in what order, and what success looks like once it's live.

Process runbook

How the automation runs day to day, including exceptions and human decision points.

Developer handover pack

Full build spec, logic, and configuration — ready to hand off without a briefing call.

Integration and connections guide

Every tool connection, credential, and data mapping the build needs.

Test and QA plan

96 hrsIdentified

4Mapped

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

What happens if a supplier does not respond to a quote request?

The automation tracks all quote requests and sends a reminder email after 24 hours if no response is received. Your team can manually follow up or mark the supplier as unresponsive for future cycles.

Can the automation handle multiple suppliers for the same material?

Will the automation work with our existing spreadsheet data?

Do we need to approve every purchase order before it is sent?

What happens when goods arrive at the warehouse?

View more FAQs

Process pain:9.2/10

Mapped by:4 Companies

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Page updated 10 August 2026