Manufacturing business process automation that starts with the process.
Map it, cut the steps that add nothing, then automate the rest.
Automating a process as it stands keeps every redundant step in it. We start with one process from start to finish, usually order-to-cash or procure-to-pay, map how it really runs across sales, the floor, purchasing and accounting, remove the duplicate entry and the approvals nobody needs, and then build automation for what remains.
- Free
- AI audit and process map before you commit
- One process
- Redesigned start to finish before it is automated
- Fixed price
- Builds quoted against a defined scope
Your processes grew one workaround at a time
Steps nobody can explain anymore
An order is entered in the ERP, copied to a production spreadsheet, re-checked by accounting and approved twice. Each step was added to fix a problem years ago, and nobody has checked whether the problem still exists.
Two systems that disagree about inventory
Fishbowl or Katana says one quantity, the accounting ERP says another, and the cycle count says a third. Month-end close turns into a hunt for which receipt, issue or adjustment was missed.
Exceptions handled by whoever notices
A price mismatch on a supplier invoice, a short receipt, an order over the customer's credit limit. Each one is handled by email when someone spots it, and nobody can see how many are open.
What we build for manufacturers
Each of these is a real engagement shape. Open one to see how it works, what it needs from you, and where a person stays in the loop.
Any figures are targets we scope towards, not guarantees. What you actually get depends on your volume, your systems, and how much stays under human review.
Order-to-cash redesign
Between a customer PO and cash in the bank, an order passes through sales, planning, the floor, shipping and accounting, with data re-entered at most of those stops.
Order-to-cash redesign
Between a customer PO and cash in the bank, an order passes through sales, planning, the floor, shipping and accounting, with data re-entered at most of those stops.We map the whole order-to-cash path, agree a single system of record for each piece of data, remove the re-entry and redundant approvals, and automate the handoffs that remain, from order entry through invoicing and payment matching.
How it works
- 01Walk the process with the people who run it and map every step and system
- 02Mark each step as required, redundant or a workaround for an old problem
- 03Agree the system of record for customers, items, prices and order status
- 04Remove the redundant steps first, then automate the handoffs that remain
- 05Roll out in stages so each part is proven on live orders before the next
Where a person stays in the loop
Your team decides which steps go and which stay. Credit holds, pricing exceptions and write-offs keep a named approver.
- Process owners sign off the redesigned map before any build starts
- Credit and pricing exceptions always go to a person
- Each stage runs alongside the old process until your team is satisfied
What it needs from you
- Time with the people who run each stage of the process
- Your ERP, with an API, import or reliable export
- Sample orders that show the normal path and the common exceptions
Typical build: 2 to 3 weeks per stage·Aim: One path from PO to payment
Talk through this oneProcure-to-pay and three-way match
Requisitions arrive by email, POs are approved informally, and accounts payable matches supplier invoices to receipts by hand.
Procure-to-pay and three-way match
Requisitions arrive by email, POs are approved informally, and accounts payable matches supplier invoices to receipts by hand.Purchasing is mapped from requisition to payment, approval rules are written down, and supplier invoices are matched automatically against the purchase order and the receiving record. Only mismatches reach a person.
How it works
- 01Map how requisitions, POs, receipts and invoices move today
- 02Set approval thresholds by amount, category and supplier
- 03Read incoming supplier invoices and match them to the PO and the receipt
- 04Pass clean matches to AP for payment and route mismatches with the reason attached
Where a person stays in the loop
Matching is automated. Paying a supplier is not. AP releases every payment, and every mismatch goes to a person.
- Price and quantity differences outside your tolerance go to AP
- New suppliers and changed bank details always need a person to verify them
What it needs from you
- Purchase orders and receiving records from the ERP
- The inbox where supplier invoices arrive
- Your current approval limits, even if informal
Typical build: 2 to 3 weeks per stage·Aim: Approval rules that are written down
Talk through this oneInventory reconciliation between systems
Inventory lives in an MRP or warehouse tool and again in the accounting ERP, and the two drift apart between counts.
Inventory reconciliation between systems
Inventory lives in an MRP or warehouse tool and again in the accounting ERP, and the two drift apart between counts.Quantities and costs are compared between systems on a schedule, differences are traced back to the transaction that caused them, and corrections are proposed for an inventory or accounting lead to approve.
How it works
- 01Pull item quantities and costs from each system on a schedule
- 02Compare them and list each difference with the receipts, issues and adjustments behind it
- 03Propose a correction for each difference with the likely cause
- 04Post approved corrections and keep a log for month-end
What it needs from you
- Read access to inventory in both systems (for example Fishbowl or Katana and your ERP)
- Your item master and units of measure
- Your cycle count schedule
Typical build: 3 to 4 weeks·Aim: Differences caught when they happen
Talk through this oneOne exception queue with owners
Short receipts, invoice mismatches, credit holds and late supplier dates each surface in a different inbox, with no record of who is handling them.
One exception queue with owners
Short receipts, invoice mismatches, credit holds and late supplier dates each surface in a different inbox, with no record of who is handling them.Exceptions from every stage of the redesigned process land in one queue, each with a type, an owner and a due date. Routine ones carry a suggested fix; the rest go straight to the owner.
How it works
- 01List the exception types your process produces and who should own each
- 02Raise exceptions from the ERP, inboxes and reconciliation runs into one queue
- 03Attach the documents and a suggested fix where one exists
- 04Track each exception to closure and report on what keeps recurring
What it needs from you
- A list of the exceptions that happen today and who handles them
- A place your team already works for the queue (email, Teams, Slack or the ERP)
Typical build: 2 to 3 weeks·Aim: A count of what is open and who owns it
Talk through this oneBuilt inside your systems, not beside them.
We work in your cloud, using your tools, under least-privilege access. We never train models on your data, and you keep the source code.
Your cloud, your code
We build in your own cloud account where possible, and you keep the source code.
Least-privilege access
Each step of the process gets only the records it needs, read or write.
No training on your data
Supplier pricing, costs and customer data are never used to train models.
Audit trail
Every automated posting and every approval is logged with who made it.
ERP and inventory systems we build around
- NetSuite
- Sage Intacct
- Acumatica
- Epicor
- SAP Business One
- QuickBooks
- Fishbowl
- Katana
- Excel and Google Sheets
These are systems manufacturers commonly ask about, not a list of existing integrations. We connect where your system offers an API, an import or a reliable export, and confirm what your edition and plan allow during scoping.
Questions we get
What is business process automation for manufacturing?
Manufacturing business process automation is redesigning a whole process, such as order-to-cash or procure-to-pay, and then automating it. The difference from automating single tasks is the order of work: we map the process first, remove duplicate entry and approvals that add nothing, agree which system holds each record, and only then build automation for the steps that remain.
Which manufacturing processes benefit most from BPA?
Order-to-cash and procure-to-pay benefit most, because they cross the most departments and systems. Inventory reconciliation between an MRP and the accounting ERP is another strong candidate, as is exception handling across all three. If you only need one handoff fixed, such as emailed POs into the ERP, our manufacturing workflow automation page covers that narrower work.
Does BPA integrate with our ERP and inventory systems?
Usually, yes, but we confirm it during scoping rather than assume it. NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Acumatica, Epicor, SAP Business One, QuickBooks, Fishbowl and Katana each expose data differently, and access can depend on edition, plan or hosting. We check for API access, a supported import or a reliable export, and tell you before quoting if a system limits what can be automated.
How much does business process automation cost for a manufacturer?
It depends on how many steps and systems the process crosses, whether those systems have usable APIs, how much judgement the automation must replicate, and your transaction volume. The AI audit is free and ends with a process map and a scoped estimate. Builds are fixed-price per stage, and ongoing support is a flat monthly fee. Our pricing page explains what moves the number.
Can BPA reduce errors in order and inventory management?
Yes. Most order and inventory errors come from the same data being entered in more than one place, and a redesign removes that re-entry before anything is automated. Scheduled reconciliation then catches differences between systems when they happen instead of at month-end. Corrections are proposed by the system and approved by a person.
What's the ROI of business process automation in manufacturing?
The return comes from fewer touches per order, fewer errors to unwind, faster invoicing and a shorter month-end close. Part of it comes from steps removed in the redesign, before any automation is built. How large it is depends on your volume and how manual the process is today. The free audit measures your current process first, so estimates use your numbers.
How long does implementation take?
Most builds go live in two to three weeks from a defined scope. A whole-process redesign is delivered in stages, each scoped and proven on live transactions before the next starts, so the full process takes longer than a single workflow. An on-premises ERP or a system without an integration path adds time, which is why we scope before we quote.
Will BPA replace shop floor or office staff?
No. This work is in the office processes around production, not on the shop floor. It takes re-entry, matching and chasing off purchasing, customer service and accounting, so they can deal with suppliers, customers and the exceptions. People keep approval over credit, pricing, supplier payments and inventory corrections.
Is manufacturing BPA secure for production and vendor data?
We build it to be. We work in your own cloud account where possible, give each step least-privilege access, encrypt data in transit and at rest, and log every posting and approval. Supplier pricing, costs and customer data are never used to train models, and you keep the source code. Changes to supplier bank details always require a person to verify them.
Pick one process and see it mapped.
Book a scoping call. We will walk through order-to-cash or procure-to-pay with you, show where the redundant steps are, and tell you what a staged redesign would cost.
Book a scoping call