Processing order confirmations with AI Agents
Context
Managing order confirmations manually may seem manageable at first, but when they reach tens of thousands each year, the process turns into a bottleneck. One of our manufacturing customers needed to bring structure and automation to this workflow to cut risk, improve accuracy, and keep production moving smoothly.
Challenge
With a global supplier network, order confirmations arrived through multiple channels and formats - PDFs, Excel sheets, SAP screenshots, handwritten notes, dedicated supplier portals, and even short emails like “We confirm.” As each supplier operated differently, there was no single standard to follow.
This variability made it difficult to process confirmations quickly and accurately, and impossible to automate at scale. Many suppliers also did not use standardized EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) processes, adding further inconsistency in document formats and data inputs.
Key pain points
- No standardization in confirmations: Suppliers responded in multiple ways, from structured formats to free-text emails, making automation financially unfeasible.
- Existing automation was brittle: Mismatches between order confirmations (OCs) and purchase orders (POs) repeatedly triggered exceptions and manual workflows in ERP.
- Manual data validation was time-consuming: Open orders (OOs) required constant follow-up and verification through lengthy spreadsheets sent by suppliers.
- Unreliable data disrupted APS & MRP: Missing or inaccurate delivery dates and quantities in the ERP prevented Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems from generating reliable production schedules, leading to misaligned delays and frequent production plan changes.
- Scattered supplier data blocked performance: Confirmations and updates were spread across emails and unstructured formats, making it difficult to analyze supplier reliability and performance at scale.
Solutions
To eliminate inefficiencies caused by non-standardized order confirmations, scattered data, and manual validation, Nordoon deployed an Agentic AI solution that automates, consolidates, and centralizes the entire order confirmation process.
The system creates a continuous audit trail between purchase orders, open orders, and supplier confirmations, instantly detecting discrepancies and coordinating their resolution. By transforming unstructured inputs like emails or handwritten notes, into structured, analyzable data, the solution improves supplier performance tracking, ensures high-quality data in the ERP, streamlines production planning, and reduces errors in inventory management.
Contextual data integration
The AI Agent responsible for order confirmations drew on data from purchase orders and supplier emails to build context. This allowed it to resolve ambiguities, fill in missing information, and validate incoming confirmation data automatically.
The same contextual understanding extended to related processes like open and unconfirmed orders, bills of lading, delivery notes, and invoice reconciliation, creating continuity across the order-to-delivery cycle.
Specialized AI Agents
Dedicated Agents handled specific validations to ensure accuracy and reliability:
- The Date Validation Agent checked that order confirmation dates followed purchase order dates, verified delivery timelines, and flagged anomalies in alternative suggestions. It also recognized global date formats to ensure accuracy across international suppliers.
- Data Quality Control Agents aligned quantities, mapped SKU codes, and verified supplier IDs to ensure every record matched its corresponding purchase order, creating a seamless, error-free process.
Workflow integration
The AI Agents managing order confirmations across departments, working in tandem with users and other Agents involved in the Purchase Maintenance flow, issuing purchase orders, order confirmations, open orders, bills of ladings, delivery notes and invoices. This ensured data consistency across workflows and enabled context-aware exception handling whenever discrepancies surfaced.
System integration
Nordoon’s AI agents integrate seamlessly with both modern and legacy systems, including ERP platforms, data lakes, procurement tools, and email environments via Microsoft Graph API. This integration consolidates all relevant data, making it accessible for operations and user review whenever human input is required. Users can add context directly within familiar tools such as Microsoft Outlook and Teams. This approach ensures fast onboarding and minimal disruption to ongoing operations.
Results
Improved production planning
Accurate, automated processing of order confirmations enable the APS & MRP systems to operate seamlessly. This reduced stockouts, optimized inventory levels, and kept production schedules aligned with confirmed supply orders.
99% accuracy & compliance
By connecting data and workflows across departments and using specialized AI agents for validation, the solution achieved over 99% accuracy – minimizing errors that are critical for compliance and operational efficiency.
Reduced manual work
Automation removed the need for manual data entry and cross-checking, freeing staff to focus on higher-value, strategic work. This improved overall productivity and reduced administrative workload.
Global, multilingual support
The AI Agents processed documents in any format and language, enabling seamless communication with suppliers worldwide and efficient collaboration across regions.
