The Intents and Outcomes step in SmartVendor AP Helpdesk configuration enables you to define the types of supplier or internal requests (“intents”) that SmartVendor should recognize, as well as the automated actions (“outcomes”) that should be triggered for each. This ensures your AP Helpdesk responds consistently, efficiently, and in line with your business rules—reducing manual effort and improving supplier satisfaction.
Screen Overview
At the top, a progress bar highlights your current step (“Intents & Outcomes”) and shows your place in the overall configuration workflow. Each intent is displayed as a selectable row with a checkbox. The right side of each row shows an “X out of Y selected” indicator, letting you know how many outcomes are enabled for that intent. At the bottom, you’ll find Previous and Continue buttons for navigation. The Cancel link in the upper right allows you to exit the configuration process at any time.
Figure 1: Intents & Outcomes configuration screen
What is an Intent?
An intent is the specific type of request or inquiry detected in an incoming email. SmartVendor uses AI to analyze each message and classify it into one or more intents, such as a payment status inquiry, invoice submission, or remittance advice request. Intents are grouped by sender type (Vendor or Internal Sender), and can also be detected for unknown senders.
Available Intents (as of current release):
Vendor Intents:
Vendor has requested payment status
Vendor has requested remittance advice
Vendor has requested for record update
Vendor has submitted an invoice
Vendor has submitted a Credit Memo
Vendor is inquiring about a short payment
Internal Sender Intents:
Internal Sender has requested payment status
Internal Sender has requested remittance advice
Internal Sender has requested record update
Internal Sender has requested PO Status
Internal Sender is inquiring about a short payment
What is an Outcome?
An outcome is the automated action SmartVendor takes when a specific intent is detected. Outcomes can include sending replies, creating tasks, labeling emails, transferring documents, or adding notes. Not all outcomes are available for every intent; for example, document submission intents (like invoice or credit memo) allow you to choose the transfer method (API or Email), but may not offer a “Send Reply” option.
Available Outcomes:
Send Reply: Automatically sends a pre-configured response to the sender (not available for all intents).
Create Task: Generates a task for your AP team to review or follow up.
Add Label to Email: Tags the email for tracking and workflow in the Helpdesk console.
Create Note: Adds a note to the vendor or transaction record.
Transfer Invoice/Credit Memo via API or Email: For invoice or credit memo submissions, select whether to transfer the document using an API integration or by forwarding via email (choose via radio buttons).
How to Configure Intents and Outcomes
Review the List of Intents:
The screen displays all available intents, grouped by sender type. Each intent is shown as a selectable block with a checkbox.Select Intents to Automate:
Check the box next to each intent you want SmartVendor to recognize and automate.
Tip: Only select intents that are relevant to your business processes. You can update this list at any time.Expand Each Intent to Configure Outcomes:
Click the expand arrow next to any intent to view and select its available outcomes.For most intents, you can select multiple outcomes (e.g., “Send Reply,” “Create Task,” “Add Label to Email”).
For document submission intents (like “Vendor has submitted an invoice” or “Vendor has submitted a Credit Memo”), you can choose the transfer method (API or Email) using radio buttons.
Customize Outcomes as Needed:
Not all outcomes are available for every intent. For example, “Send Reply” may not be shown for internal record update requests or document submissions.
The UI displays a summary (e.g., “3 out of 4 selected”) for each intent, so you can quickly review your configuration.
Navigation and Canceling:
Click Continue to proceed to the next step, or Previous to review earlier settings.
If you need to exit the configuration process at any time, click the Cancel link in the upper right. This will stop the current configuration session and discard any unsaved changes—useful if you want to abandon your changes or start over.
Example
Scenario:
A vendor emails your AP Helpdesk with the subject “Invoice 12345 – Payment Status.”
SmartVendor detects the “Vendor has requested payment status” intent.
Based on your configuration, SmartVendor sends an automated reply with payment details, adds a label to the email, and creates a task for your AP team to review.
Scenario:
A vendor submits a new invoice as an attachment.
SmartVendor detects the “Vendor has submitted an invoice” intent.
The system transfers the invoice to your ERP via API (or forwards by email, based on your selection), adds a label, and (optionally) creates a task for review.
Use Cases
Automate Routine Inquiries:
For intents like “Vendor has requested payment status,” select “Send Reply” and “Create Task” to ensure suppliers get immediate answers and your team is notified for follow-up.Streamline Document Handling:
For “Vendor has submitted an invoice,” select “Transfer Invoice via API” if you have an ERP integration, or “Transfer via Email” if you rely on email-based workflows.Internal Requests:
For internal sender intents (e.g., “Internal Sender has requested PO Status”), you may want to create tasks and add notes, but not send automated replies.Labeling and Tracking:
Use “Add Label to Email” to visually track processed emails in the Helpdesk console, especially for high-volume intents.Continuous Improvement:
In Collaborative Mode or Supervised Automation, users can review, edit, and confirm detected intents and outcomes, providing feedback that improves SmartVendor’s accuracy over time.
Tip:
Regularly review and update your Intents and Outcomes configuration to ensure it aligns with your evolving business processes and compliance requirements.