Anonymized Real-World Example
Automate Quote Entry from Emails for AS/400
From unstructured inquiries to ERP-compatible data: Analyze quote emails, identify items and quantities, and automatically transfer them to the existing system.
Background
Requests for quotes were received via email with varying product names, quantity specifications, and wording. Employees had to read the content, search for the appropriate items in an extensive price list, and enter them into the ERP system.
Challenge
Unstructured inquiries had to be reliably matched against a price list containing tens of thousands of items. The existing AS/400 was to continue to be used for this purpose.
The Solution Implemented
Incoming emails are automatically analyzed. The system identifies the requested items and quantities, matches the product descriptions with the product master data, and determines the corresponding item numbers. This process generates a transfer file in the format required by the existing ERP system.
The Process
- Receive a quote request via email
- Analyze the content
- Identify Items and Quantities
- Compare with the comprehensive price list
- Determine the correct part numbers
- Create a handover file
- Process further in the AS/400 ERP system
Modern Automation for Proven Systems
Successful digital transformation does not automatically require replacing a functioning ERP system. Here, the modern analytics and automation solution serves as a bridge between unstructured emails, extensive product master data, and the tried-and-true AS/400.