AP Helpdesk Workflow

• AP Helpdesk connects to designated accounts payable (AP) shared mailboxes (Gmail, O365, etc.).

• AI Agents continuously monitor these mailboxes for incoming emails at all times.

• All emails are ingested and logged for further processing.

2. Sender Verification and Classification

• The system verifies the sender’s identity using contact records and domain allow-lists.

• Emails are classified into sender types:

  • Enrolled Sender: Contacts on supplier records for which comprehensive SmartBot email processing is enabled.
  • Unenrolled Sender: Contacts on supplier records for which comprehensive SmartBot email processing is not enabled.
  • Internal Sender: Configured employee contacts for which comprehensive SmartBot email processing is enabled.
  • Internal Cohort Sender: Contact not found on supplier records with email address domain matching that of connected mailbox or configured employee contacts.
  • External Cohort Sender: Contact not found on supplier records with a non-public email address domain matching that of one or more supplier contact email addresses.
  • Unknown Sender: Contact not found on supplier records, without an email address or a domain association with supplier contacts, employee contacts, or connected mailboxes.

• Relaxed matching can be configured to allow domain-based sender qualification for automation.

3. Intent Detection and Content Analysis

• The system uses large language models (LLMs) and finance-specific models to analyze email content.

• It detects the business intent of each email, such as:

  • Request for payment status

  • Invoice submission

  • Request for record update

  • Request for remittance advice

  • Short pay inquiry

  • Credit memo submission

• For invoice and credit memo submissions, the system checks for attachments and validates file types (PDF, DOCX, PNG, JPG).

4. Automated Processing and Task Creation

a. Payment Status Requests

• If the sender is authorized and the intent is a payment status request, AI Agents:

  • Query the ERP system for payment status.

  • Reply with payment status details in the email body.

  • Optionally attach CSV or PDF remittance advice.

b. Invoice and Credit Memo Submissions

• Invoice and credit memo submissions can be processed in two ways: 
  • Forwarded directly to Workday OCR for customers using Workday OCR 
  • Handled via email forwarding for customers who do not use Workday OCR or use a separate mailbox for intake.
• The system checks for duplicate invoices or credit memos using: 
  • File hash (SHA256 signature) 
  • Extracted values (invoice/credit memo number, date, amount)
• If the file is unique, it is forwarded for further processing (either through Workday OCR or the alternative intake process).
• If a duplicate is detected, the email is labeled, and a user task is created for review.
• If attachments are missing or incompatible, the system labels the email and creates a user task for manual intervention.

c. Record Update and Short Pay Inquiries

• Requests for record updates or short-pay inquiries are escalated to team members for review and resolution.

d. Remittance Advice Requests

• If the request is for remittance advice and the sender is authorized, AI Agents replies with the requested documentation attached.

5. Exception Handling and Escalation

• If the system cannot process an email due to missing information, incompatible attachments, or low confidence, it:

  • Labels the email (e.g., “NeedsHumanAttention,” “InvoiceAttachmentsMissing”).

  • Creates a user task for manual intervention.

• All exceptions are tracked and visible in the AP Helpdesk console.

6. Activity Tracking, Dashboards, and Reporting

• The AP Helpdesk console provides dashboards and metrics on:

  • Total emails received and processed

  • Emails by sender type and intent

  • Processing outcomes (e.g., resolved, escalated, duplicate detected)

  • Task status (open, done, no reply sent)

  • Invoice and credit memo submission metrics

• Most charts support drill-down, export (CSV, image), and filtering by team, user, or intent.

• All actions, labels, and notes are logged for audit and compliance.

7. Security and Data Handling

• Only authorized contacts receive automated replies.

• Emails from unknown or suspicious senders are flagged for review.

• All actions are logged for audit readiness and compliance.

8. Supported Business Intents

• Request for payment status

• Invoice submission

• Credit memo submission

• Request for record update

• Request for remittance advice

• Short pay inquiry

• Internal PO inquiries