In many organizations, the finance and accounting department continues to handle a substantial amount of paperwork. Every purchase order – complete with product codes, specifications, and delivery details – must be checked, verified, and entered into the system. While each step seems simple on its own, together they consume a tremendous amount of time and effort.
That was exactly the challenge facing one finance team. Handling these paper-based orders not only slowed down their workflow but also made the process dependent on a few experienced staff members who “knew the system.” To break this cycle, the company decided to introduce WinActor RPA with AI-OCR, provided by NTT Data Group, aiming to bring structure and visibility to what was once a manual and error-prone process.
The Challenge: Paperwork and Hidden Inefficiencies
Before automation, the department’s ordering workflow involved several manual steps, from reading paper purchase orders to finding related data and entering everything into the order system.
This process created two major challenges. First, the sheer volume of paperwork made operations slow and inefficient, costing the department around 1,900 hours per year. Second, some critical information could only be handled by certain experienced staff members. This dependency turned everyday tasks into “black box” work – difficult for others to take over and nearly impossible to standardize.
The result was a process that was time-consuming, inconsistent, and vulnerable to human error.
The WinActor Solution: Digitization Meets Automation
To solve this, the finance and accounting team redesigned its ordering workflow using WinActor RPA in combination with AI-OCR. The new system digitizes paper documents, automates repetitive steps, and ensures accuracy across the entire process.
Here’s how it works:
- Receive & Digitize – When a purchase order arrives by email or fax, WinActor automatically triggers AI-OCR to recognize and extract data such as product codes and quantities from the document.
- Import & Verify – The extracted data is imported into a structured format for human review, ensuring accuracy before submission.
- Automated Processing – Once verified, WinActor handles the next steps: downloading data, logging into the ordering system, searching for related information (e.g., using Excel), and entering all required fields automatically.
- Final Check & Confirmation – The automation completes the process by confirming the input, leaving only minimal supervision for staff.
By digitizing and automating what used to be a paper-heavy workflow, the department eliminated the need for repetitive manual work and achieved a consistent, reliable process.
The Results: Saving Time, Reducing Errors, Building Stability
The results were transformative. After implementing WinActor RPA, the total processing time dropped by approximately 94%, from 1,900 hours to just 120 hours per year.
This massive time saving came with additional benefits:
- Fewer errors – Reduced manual input minimized mistakes in data handling.
- Greater stability – With a standardized digital workflow, the department built a more predictable and stable work environment.
- Knowledge sharing – Processes were no longer dependent on individual expertise, allowing smoother collaboration and training.
In short, what used to be a time-consuming, fragmented process has become a streamlined and transparent digital workflow.
Technology Context: The Synergy of AI-OCR and RPA
The success of this project lies in the synergy between AI-OCR and WinActor RPA. AI-OCR converts physical documents into digital data, removing the need for manual transcription, while WinActor automates all subsequent steps – searching, logging in, and entering information.
This integration allowed the finance team to move from paper to process automation without disrupting existing systems. It’s a practical example of how digital transformation doesn’t have to mean reinventing everything from scratch – just connecting the right tools in the right way.
Conclusion: From Manual to Managed with WinActor
By automating its ordering operations, the finance and accounting department achieved more than just faster processing. It built a smarter, more transparent workflow where every step is traceable, every document is accurate, and every employee can focus on meaningful work rather than repetitive paperwork.
With WinActor, what once took 1,900 hours now takes only 120 – a 94% efficiency gain that proves how small changes in daily operations can deliver big returns across the organization.
Ready to streamline your own operations? Discover how WinActor RPA can simplify your workflows, boost accuracy, and free your team from manual tasks. Start your free trial or schedule a consultation with our automation experts today.
Từ thao tác thủ công đến quy trình chủ động – Hành trình tự động hoá cùng WinActor
