Request intake
Capture the need from forms, messages, spreadsheets, APIs or system events; identify missing fields; classify and route it.
Procurement workflow automation
Automate the work around procurement decisions.
For procurement and operations teams managing requests, quotes, checks, approvals, purchase actions and exceptions across email, forms, spreadsheets and existing systems.
This is a procurement use case of Automation & AI Ingestion: automation structures and checks the routine work; named people keep the need, supplier choice, approval and exception decisions.
Request to action
One controlled path, with a human decision in the middle.
The workflow can prepare, check, route and record. It acts only after the required decision and only within the written limits.
01 · INTAKE
Capture the need
Forms, messages, spreadsheets, APIs and system events can start the workflow.02 · CONTEXT
Make it reviewable
Structure the request, category, quotes, terms and required context.03 · CHECK
Apply written rules
Check budget, policy, contract terms, thresholds and missing context.DECISION
Ready for a decision?
YES · NAMED PERSON
Approve, reject, choose or amend within their authority.
NO · STOP
Send missing context or a rule conflict to the exception owner.
05
Permitted action + independent record
Create only the approved task, draft or system update. Keep the source, checks, decision and action together.
Candidate workflows
Where the repeatable work usually sits.
The census evaluates these candidates. Pre-built integrations and savings claims are outside this page's scope.
Quote preparation and comparison
Normalise line items, terms, totals and differences into a reviewable comparison while retaining each source.
Written checks
Check the request against configured budget, policy, contract and approval thresholds; surface conflicts for review.
Approval packs and routing
Assemble the context a named approver needs, route by authority and record the decision.
Purchase action
After approval, create only the permitted task, draft or system update named in the workflow specification.
Changes and exceptions
Track amendments, cancellations and unresolved items; reconcile status and route exceptions to the named owner.
Ownership
Automation prepares. People decide.
The line is explicit: who supplies context, what the workflow prepares, who owns the decision and where permitted updates land.
REQUESTER
Owns the need
Raises the request and supplies clarifications.AUTOMATION
Prepares the work
Structures inputs, runs written checks, prepares routes and records the outcome.PROCUREMENT / APPROVER
Owns the decision
Sets criteria, chooses or approves, and resolves exceptions.CLIENT SYSTEMS
Provide context and receive permitted updates
Configured catalogue, contract and budget context stays in the client environment.AUTOMATION NEVER OWNS
The accountable decisions
The need, supplier choice, approval and exception decision stay with people.
Operating controls
What must be true before it acts.
Written boundary
Inputs, client systems, permitted actions and transaction limits are named before the workflow acts.
Named decisions
The requester owns the need. Procurement and named approvers own supplier choice, approval and exceptions.
Separation of duties
The workflow cannot grant itself authority or replace the approvals required by the client's policy.
Access boundary
The service identity receives only the systems and actions required for the specified workflow.
Exception path
Missing context, rule conflicts and work outside the written limits stop with a named owner.
Independent record and meter
Sources, checks, decisions and actions stay together; throughput, exceptions and errors come from workflow telemetry.
How to start
Start with one recurring procurement workflow.
Census timing agreed from scope; workflow delivery scoped after written specification. The census identifies the strongest candidate and the written specification sets its trigger, inputs, checks, action limits, exception owner and meter. Fixed-fee census; each workflow quoted against its written specification.