Starting point
Purchasing & supplier commitments
Match supplier confirmations to purchase orders
An incoming supplier confirmation is checked line by line against the purchase order before confirmed details enter the ERP. Purchasing receives price, quantity or date differences with supporting evidence; the original order remains available as a separate, traceable record.
Process architecture
From a supplier confirmation to a checked order status.
A PDF confirmation from the purchasing mailbox is matched to an order and compared with its current lines. Matching details become a recorded confirmation status; discrepancies go to purchasing with evidence. An uncertain match stays open and is not recorded as a commitment or an order amendment.
01Input
Confirmation & order
The message and attachment are captured and linked to the purchase order, supplier and previous confirmation.
2 Steps
02Process
Line checks & decisions
Confirmed lines are extracted and compared. Only unambiguous or explicitly reviewed details reach the confirmation register.
4 Steps
03Output
Status & evidence
Purchasing sees confirmed details separately from unresolved cases; the original document, comparison and decision remain accessible.
4 Steps
Source01Capture the confirmation
Microsoft Graph API reads the new message and PDF from the purchasing mailbox. Microsoft Power Automate creates a case with the message identifier to prevent duplicate processing.Details
Capture the confirmation
Microsoft Graph API reads the new message and PDF from the purchasing mailbox. Microsoft Power Automate creates a case with the message identifier to prevent duplicate processing.
Interfaces
- Microsoft Graph API
- SharePoint API
Next steps
- Match the order
Data02Match the order
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central API reads the supplier, reference and current purchase-order lines. Missing or ambiguous matches stay open rather than guessing from similar numbers.Details
Match the order
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central API reads the supplier, reference and current purchase-order lines. Missing or ambiguous matches stay open rather than guessing from similar numbers.
Interfaces
- Azure AI Document Intelligence
- Mistral OCR
- Dataverse API
Next steps
- Extract the lines
Action03Extract the lines
Azure AI Document Intelligence extracts item references, quantities, prices and dates with document locations. Illegible fields are flagged rather than replaced with apparently certain values.Details
Extract the lines
Azure AI Document Intelligence extracts item references, quantities, prices and dates with document locations. Illegible fields are flagged rather than replaced with apparently certain values.
Interfaces
- Power Automate
- Azure Functions
- Microsoft Graph API
Next steps
- Compare order details
- Review the differenceUnclear document
Decision04Compare order details
Microsoft Power Automate compares lines, units, currency and dates with the current order. Only matching values or recorded internal reviews pass the check.Details
Compare order details
Microsoft Power Automate compares lines, units, currency and dates with the current order. Only matching values or recorded internal reviews pass the check.
Interfaces
- Azure OpenAI GPT
- Anthropic Claude
- AI Builder
Next steps
- Save confirmed detailsChecked status
- Review the differenceDifference
Approval05Review the difference
Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards presents the difference and document to purchasing. The buyer corrects mappings, records an internal assessment or leaves the case open for supplier clarification.Details
Review the difference
Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards presents the difference and document to purchasing. The buyer corrects mappings, records an internal assessment or leaves the case open for supplier clarification.
Interfaces
- Teams Adaptive Cards
- Power Apps
Next steps
- Compare order detailsCheck again
- Keep queries openQuery open
System06Save confirmed details
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central API saves the checked status in a provided confirmation register. Ordered values remain intact; a custom API extension is used where required.Details
Save confirmed details
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central API saves the checked status in a provided confirmation register. Ordered values remain intact; a custom API extension is used where required.
Interfaces
- Dynamics 365 API
- Azure Service Bus
Next steps
- Show the commitment
Result07Show the commitment
The ERP shows confirmed quantities and dates separately from ordered values, including document version and review. This record is not a goods receipt, payment or contractual acceptance.Details
Show the commitment
The ERP shows confirmed quantities and dates separately from ordered values, including document version and review. This record is not a goods receipt, payment or contractual acceptance.
Interfaces
- Power BI API
- Teams Webhook
Next steps
- Notify purchasing
- File the evidence
Result08Notify purchasing
The responsible buyer sees the updated confirmation status in Microsoft Teams with its order reference. This workflow sends no supplier reply and does not issue a purchase-order amendment.Details
Notify purchasing
The responsible buyer sees the updated confirmation status in Microsoft Teams with its order reference. This workflow sends no supplier reply and does not issue a purchase-order amendment.
Interfaces
- Power BI API
- Teams Webhook
Result09File the evidence
SharePoint REST API files the original confirmation, comparison and decision in the restricted purchasing library. Both confirmed and unresolved cases retain their unique reference.Details
File the evidence
SharePoint REST API files the original confirmation, comparison and decision in the restricted purchasing library. Both confirmed and unresolved cases retain their unique reference.
Interfaces
- Power BI API
- Teams Webhook
Result10Keep queries open
A missing match or unresolved discrepancy remains visible with an assigned owner. It does not give the order a false confirmation status, but its original document is still filed.Details
Keep queries open
A missing match or unresolved discrepancy remains visible with an assigned owner. It does not give the order a false confirmation status, but its original document is still filed.
Interfaces
- Power BI API
- Teams Webhook
Next steps
- File the evidence
System landscape
Microsoft 365 connects confirmation and ERP.
- Microsoft
Microsoft Graph API
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
SharePoint API
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Azure AI Document Intelligence
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Mistral OCR
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Dataverse API
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Power Automate
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Azure Functions
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Azure OpenAI GPT
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Anthropic Claude
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
AI Builder
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Teams Adaptive Cards
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Power Apps
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Dynamics 365 API
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Azure Service Bus
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Power BI API
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Microsoft
Teams Webhook
Möglicher Baustein für die Microsoft-Systemvariante.
- Interfaces in use
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central API
Reads the current order and saves a reviewed confirmation status through an approved interface, with a custom extension where needed.
- Interfaces in use
Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards
Presents price, quantity and date differences alongside the source document to an authorized buyer.
- Interfaces in use
Microsoft Power Automate
Orchestrates intake, line comparison, retries and controlled continuation following review.
- Interfaces in use
SharePoint REST API
Files the original, comparison and decision against the purchase order and confirmation version.
- Possible apps & platforms
Microsoft Outlook
Purchasing receives supplier confirmations in the designated mailbox.
- Possible apps & platforms
Microsoft Teams
Authorized buyers assess differences and see the resulting case status.
- Possible apps & platforms
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Purchase orders and the provided confirmation register form the authoritative business records.
- Possible apps & platforms
Microsoft SharePoint
The purchasing library stores originals, comparisons and documented decisions.
Implementation in context
Check commitments before they drive planning.
The trigger is a supplier order confirmation, not an invoice, reorder request or physical delivery. The existing Business Central order remains the comparison baseline. Confirmed values are recorded separately; that entry neither replaces a goods receipt nor constitutes a buyer-issued order amendment.
Required fields include supplier, purchase-order reference, a uniquely matched line, unit, currency and an interpretable date. Missing references, partial confirmations and different units need a business decision. Recording an internal assessment does not imply contractual acceptance of changed supplier terms.
Attachments may contain contact details and commercial conditions and remain in approved purchasing storage. Only extraction-relevant content reaches the configured document service; processing region and retention are agreed with the business. Mailbox access and ERP write permissions are limited, and the Teams review becomes a separate decision record in the case.
Each case carries a message identifier, document version and reference to the order state checked. If the order changes during review, another comparison runs before saving. Integration failures remain visible in a controlled retry queue; a newer supplier document does not replace an earlier decision without renewed review.
Target picture
Every confirmation has a comparison against its order and a traceable status. Matching details are documented, discrepancies reach purchasing with evidence and uncertain cases remain open rather than misleading downstream planning.
Expected benefits
- Buyers see changed prices, quantities and dates alongside the relevant document location.
- Ordered and confirmed details stay separate and traceable when another confirmation arrives.
- An ambiguous line is not treated as a reliable delivery commitment in planning.
- Business decisions retain the responsible person, comparison state and document version.
- Repeated messages do not silently create duplicate confirmation records.
Prerequisites to start
- 01A designated purchasing mailbox and an application registration with scoped Microsoft Graph permissions are available.
- 02Business Central exposes order lines and an approved confirmation register with write access; any required API extension is agreed.
- 03Supplier and item references, units and date formats can be mapped unambiguously.
- 04Purchasing defines comparison rules, owners and treatment of partial confirmations and changed contractual terms.
- 05The document-service region, processing and retention and the SharePoint library permissions are agreed.
- 06A test environment covers representative documents, failure cases and renewed checks when the order changes.
More use cases
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Finance & documents
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Send payment reminders from overdue invoices automatically
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Complaints & returns
Automate Complaint and Returns Handling
Every complaint from the mailbox and the web form is linked to its order and checked against photos and the reported defect. Only cases outside the agreed deadlines or approval limits reach quality assurance or sales management; everything else gets its decision the same day.
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- REST API
- Webhook
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Purchasing & goods receipt
Resolve discrepancies at goods receipt
Received quantities, item lines and visible damage are compared with the purchase order and delivery note. When something differs, purchasing gets a reviewable case with photographs and documents; only accepted quantities are posted to the system of record.
Each shipment has one case linking the order, received quantities and supporting evidence. Matching lines can be posted; a purchasing person decides discrepancies against a specific difference before any query reaches the supplier.
- Google Forms API
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