Written by Marijn Overvest | Reviewed by Sjoerd Goedhart | Fact Checked by Ruud Emonds | Our editorial policy

The 7 Steps of Robotic Process Automation

RPA can streamline procure-to-pay, but only through a structured rollout. The steps that follow map the journey from quick-win tasks to full-scale automation while keeping stakeholders aligned and risks controlled. Spot the quick-win candidates

Begin by mapping the entire procure-to-pay (P2P) flow and flagging high-volume, rule-based chores—PO creation, three-way matching, vendor-data updates—that drain time but add little judgment value. Focusing on these “low-hanging fruit” builds confidence and shows early ROI.

Step 1 – Assess workflows and build the business case

Document the current throughput, error rates, and hand-offs for each shortlisted task, then estimate savings in hours, defects, and cash. This baseline and a risk-benefit analysis justify the budget and pinpoint KPIs bots must hit.

Example:

Telefonica documented that manual entry of supplier invoices in their global P2P process consumed over 20,000 hours per year, with a 7 % error rate. By piloting an RPA solution for invoice capture, they projected a 75 % reduction in processing time and error rates below 1 %, justifying the initial RPA investment.

Step 2 – Secure cross-functional sponsorship

Involve procurement, IT, finance and (when roles will shift) HR early; align on data access, infrastructure and governance so that automation plans don’t stall in silos.

Example:

Santander Bank formed an RPA steering committee that included procurement, IT, finance, and internal audit representatives. This alignment on ERP access, security policies, and oversight enabled their three-way matching automation pilot to launch without governance delays.

Step 3 – Choose the right RPA platform

Evaluate tools for ease of bot design, ERP compatibility, security, and scalability. Cloud-ready platforms with API as well as screen-scraping options simplify integration across e-sourcing, AP, and analytics stacks.

Example:

Schneider Electric evaluated four leading RPA vendors and selected UiPath for its intuitive bot design, built-in SAP connector, and ability to integrate quickly via REST APIs with their e-sourcing system.

Step 4 – Design, develop, and pilot bots

Build process maps, create bot scripts, and test them in a sandbox that mirrors production data. A controlled pilot (say, automating invoice capture for one supplier group) lets the team tune error handling and approval logic before full rollout.

Example:
AB InBev automated the reading and entry of raw-materials purchase orders in pilot mode, testing the bot on live data from two breweries. The solution achieved 98 % accuracy in the sandbox and then took over 60 % of all incoming orders in production.

Step 5 – Train users and manage change

Equip buyers and AP staff with quick-reference guides and dashboards that show what the bots are doing and where human intervention is still needed. Clear communication eases concerns about job impact and accelerates adoption.

Example:

ING Bank created an interactive e-learning module and a “bot dashboard” within SharePoint for its AP teams, showing processing status and matched PO amounts. Combined with online Q&A sessions, this approach drove full bot adoption in just two weeks.

Step 6 – Go live with controls and compliance hooks

Move the bots into production with robust access rights, audit trails, and fallback procedures. Tie bot actions to existing approval matrices so compliance and segregation-of-duties standards stay intact.

Example:

Pfizer integrated all RPA actions into its GxP-compliant audit system upon production rollout, assigning unique audit-trail IDs to each process and automatically generating monthly compliance reports.

Step 7 – Monitor, measure, and scale

Track KPIs such as touches-per-PO, first-pass-match rate, and cycle-time shrinkage in real time. Use the data to fine-tune scripts, add exception-handling logic, and identify the next wave of processes, like dynamic bidding or spend analytics extraction, to automate.

Example:

Coca-Cola FEMSA tracked KPIs such as “transactions per bot per day” and “exception rate” after initial deployment. Within three months, they expanded automation to 12 related P2P tasks, freeing staff to focus on cost analysis and negotiation strategy.

Uses of Robotic Process Automation in Procurement

Here are some uses of RPA in procurement that you may want to know about.

1. Purchase request to purchase order

In the past, the procurement department or team had to process the purchase request and create a purchase order manually. This led to delays and errors in making a purchasing order. 

The integration of RPA in the procurement process will shorten the amount of time in processing purchase requests and creating purchase orders. Software robots can streamline the processes that will make them faster and easier. 

The software robots can automatically implement the steps in your workflow once you receive a purchase request. This will allow the business to process more purchase requests that are beneficial for its profitability. 

2. Inventory management

Inventory is important for every company as it needs to be carefully monitored to accurately match the demand of customers. 

RPA helps the procurement department to monitor inventory levels and notify when the supplies get low. This will allow the procurement department to order products immediately to meet the demands of customers. 

Additionally, it helps the procurement department to see a real-time report on the inventory levels at any time. This allows the company to identify the current needs and forecast future demands. 

3. Planning demand and supply

RPA in procurement helps the end-to-end management of demand and supply planning. The software robots can help to centralize the processes by eliminating the division of the different departments in the organization. 

4. Work order management

A work order is usually a task assigned to the procurement department for the convenience of customers. 

RPA ensures that the procurement team is able to monitor the requests of customers. When the procurement team is not able to complete the order, it will lead to a revenue loss.

Companies adopt RPA in their work order management to get notified when work orders are created. This allows the procurement team to know when it will pick up the work order for execution. 

Once the work order is completed, the RPA closes it and notifies the client of the status. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Robotic Process Automation

Here’s a table of the advantages and disadvantages of RPA that you may find useful!

How Does Robotic Process Automation Make a Difference in Procurement?

RPA in procurement can be used to completely automate the procure-to-pay process. Procure-to-pay is highly transactional and it needs a great amount of investment of time and resources in order to streamline. 

The implementation of RPA in procurement helps organizations to save significant amounts of time and money. Additionally, it can automate most of the procurement tasks by reducing human interaction within its processes. 

Conclusion

Understanding and implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in procurement is crucial for optimizing processes and overcoming challenges in the evolving landscape of supply chain management.

This article provides insights into what RPA is, its role in procurement, and the transformative impact it can have on automating transactional procedures. By embracing RPA strategically, businesses can enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and empower their procurement teams to focus on more critical tasks.