Automate Anything – Microsoft AI Builder

The IT world has seen a surge in jargon around AI over the past few years.

Tools like ChatGPT are now widely used across many business areas. However, one important use of AI often gets overlooked: automation.

While general AI focuses on conversation and analysis, automated AI is different. It completes specific tasks without any human involvement, with high accuracy and speed.

Microsoft has recognised this need by introducing AI Builder into the Office 365 environment.

AI Builder offers a range of practical automation solutions:

• It can be trained to carry out targeted tasks.

• It integrates directly into the Microsoft Power Platform.

Common Use Cases for AI Builder

• Invoice processing: Read and extract key fields from supplier invoices.

• Receipt scanning: Collect and process receipts for expense management.

• Form processing: Capture information from standardised forms.

• Document classification: Sort documents by type, such as contracts, agreements, and reports.

• Object detection: Identify objects in images for stock management or maintenance checks.

• Prediction modelling: Forecast outcomes like payment likelihood or customer churn.

• Business card reading: Capture contact details from business cards into CRM systems.

• Language processing: Translate or analyse sentiment from text inputs.

One powerful example is invoice processing.

Traditionally, Microsoft’s Power Automate could monitor email accounts and trigger actions. For example, it could forward emails, save attachments, or create approval flows.

AI Builder takes this a step further:

• It can read invoices attached to emails.

• It can extract key information like supplier names, dates, and amounts.

• It can insert the extracted data into a database without manual input.

Using PowerApps, you can then build simple, user-friendly applications to view and manage the extracted invoice data:

• Staff can review invoice records from any device.

• Finance teams can approve payments directly through the app.

• Managers can monitor invoice workflows in real time.

Benefits to Businesses

• Cost savings: Reduce the need for manual data entry and admin-heavy processes.

• Improved accuracy: Minimise human errors when extracting or entering data.

• Faster processing times: Move invoices and documents through the system quicker.

• Better resource allocation: Free up teams to focus on high-value tasks rather than repetitive work.

• Scalability: Easily handle increases in workload without needing more staff.

• Stronger compliance: Maintain clearer audit trails with automated data capture.

• Increased agility: Quickly adapt processes by retraining AI models when business needs change.

Are you still manually entering invoice details into your systems? Is your team bogged down with repetitive data tasks?

It’s time to rethink your approach with AI Builder, Power Automate, and PowerApps.