Vendor invoice approval and payment

Purpose

1. Automate the collection, validation, approval, and payment processing for vendor invoices, streamlining accounts payable and reducing errors in a hockey supply retail store.

2. Automate matching of purchase orders, digitization of invoice data, and multi-level approval workflows to ensure compliance and transparency.

3. Automated notifications, payment initiation, and reconciliation reduce manual effort and accelerate processing cycles, automating compliance tracking and providing audit trails.

Trigger Conditions

1. Automated receipt of vendor invoice via email, e-invoice portal, or document upload.

2. Automated arrival of new purchase order marked as "received" in ERP.

3. Automated scheduled batch processing (e.g., nightly invoice aggregation).

4. Approval action required notification trigger.

5. Automated detection of discrepancy between invoice and PO/receiving data.

Platform Variants

1. Microsoft Power Automate

• Feature/Setting: Automated cloud flow on new Outlook email with PDF attachment; extract and validate invoice data via AI Builder.
  

2. SAP S/4HANA

• Feature/Setting: Incoming invoice API automates import and validation; configure "Post Supplier Invoices" (API_SERV_SUPPINV) endpoint.
  

3. QuickBooks Online

• Feature/Setting: Automate "New Bill" trigger; configure "Create Payment" endpoint for invoice settlement.
  

4. Xero

• Feature/Setting: Automate "New Purchase Invoice" webhooks; configure "Approve Invoice" and "Pay Bill" API calls.
  

5. Oracle NetSuite

• Feature/Setting: Automated "Vendor Bill" integration using REST API; schedule "SuiteFlow" for approvals.
  

6. Zoho Books

• Feature/Setting: Automate "Vendor Invoice Created" trigger; API to automate approval and e-payment integration.
  

7. DocuSign

• Feature/Setting: Automate "Template" and "Bulk Send" for approval documents; automate routing and signature collection (API: Envelopes:create).
  

8. Approve.com

• Feature/Setting: Automate "Invoice Submission" workflow with approval chain logic; API for status updates and payment.
  

9. Stripe

• Feature/Setting: Use "Invoices API" to automate payment issuance for approved invoices.
  

10. Bill.com

• Feature/Setting: Automate "Inbox Invoice Entry" and "Pay Bills" API; workflow rules for each approval level.
  

11. Google Workspace

• Feature/Setting: Automated "Gmail: New Attachment" trigger; Google Sheets for invoice log; Apps Script for validation.
  

12. Box

• Feature/Setting: Automate "File Uploaded" trigger; use Box Skills for OCR and tagging invoices for workflow routing.
  

13. FreshBooks

• Feature/Setting: Automate "New Invoice" trigged through webhook; automate payment and approval status update via API.
  

14. Slack

• Feature/Setting: Automate approval notification using "Incoming Webhook;" update channel with invoice status.
  

15. Trello

• Feature/Setting: Automate card creation when invoice arrives; use custom fields/power-ups for approval states.
  

16. Monday.com

• Feature/Setting: Automate board creation; use "Status Change" automation to send invoice payment actions.
  

17. PayPal

• Feature/Setting: Automate "Invoice Received" and "Send Payment" using PayPal Invoicing REST API.
  

18. AirTable

• Feature/Setting: Automate new row addition on invoice receipt; automate status sync with supplier and payments.
  

19. Dext Prepare

• Feature/Setting: Automate invoice data extraction and export to accounting software via API integrations.
  

20. Sage Intacct

• Feature/Setting: Automate "AP Bill" object for new invoices; configure "Create Payment" and approval objects in API.
  

21. ServiceNow

• Feature/Setting: Automate invoice approval workflow using "Flow Designer;" automate escalation and audit trail.
  

22. Plaid

• Feature/Setting: Automate bank transaction data pull for payment verification; reconcile invoices to payment data.
  

Benefits

1. Automates manual data entry and reduces human error, increasing accuracy.

2. Automatedly accelerates invoice approval and payment cycles, improving supplier relationships.

3. Automates compliance with internal controls and records audit trails for transparency.

4. Automating approval routing and notifications reduces bottlenecks and lost invoices.

5. Automation enables real-time reporting and payment status updates, enhancing financial visibility for the hockey supply retail business.