It goes without saying that with manufacturers, operational efficiency is critical. A mid-sized flooring manufacturer recognized that Microsoft Copilot could accelerate their operations, but they needed to move quickly and with confidence.
The challenge
The manufacturer’s original state involved a highly manual and time-consuming sales order process. With 1,040 to 2,600 orders arriving as PDFs via email each year, the team was burdened by manual data entry into their Dynamics Financial and Supply Chain system. This process was not only slow but also prone to errors, creating a significant operational bottleneck. Manual review processes and manual entry into multiple systems meant that valuable resources were being spent on repetitive, low-value tasks instead of strategic initiatives.
The solution: Sikich Copilot Agent Deployment
The manufacturer partnered with Sikich for a Copilot Agent Deployment engagement. This service is designed to build and deploy custom AI agents that automate specific, high-impact business processes. Unlike a general training workshop, the Agent Deployment service focuses on delivering a tangible, automated solution to a specific business problem.
The Sikich team worked with the manufacturer to analyze their manual sales order process and design a custom Copilot agent to automate it from end to end. This involved a deep dive into their existing workflows, data sources, and systems to ensure the agent would be both effective and secure.
“Sikich’s team made it simple. In just a few days, we went from uncertainty to confidence. Our team knows how to use Copilot, and we have a clear plan for scaling it across the organization.”
The results
A Copilot-powered agent was developed to automate the entire sales order process. The agent now scans the email inbox, reads the PDF order, validates the data, and automatically creates the sales order in the ERP system, with a final validation step incorporated for team members. This end-to-end automation has transformed how the organization processes orders.
- The new process saves approximately 15 minutes per order, resulting in an annual time savings of 260-650 hours. This translates to the equivalent of 1-3 full-time employees freed up for higher-value work.
- Automation has significantly reduced manual entry errors, leading to fewer downstream issues, improved data quality, and reduced rework across the supply chain.
- The team is now freed from tedious manual work and can focus on higher-value activities, such as customer service, process improvement, and strategic planning.
Take the next step
Ready to automate your manual processes and unlock new levels of efficiency? The Sikich Copilot Agent Deployment service can help you build custom AI agents that solve your most pressing business challenges. Learn more about this workshop and our other Copilot services here.
And be sure to join our upcoming webinar, “Microsoft Copilot Essentials: Prepare Your Organization for AI,” on Wednesday, February 25th at 10 a.m. CT. You’ll see live demonstrations and learn how to build a practical blueprint for making Copilot work in your business. Register today!
This publication contains general information only and Sikich is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should you use it as a basis for any decision, action or omission that may affect you or your business. Before making any decision, taking any action or omitting an action that may affect you or your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. In addition, this publication may contain certain content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) language model. You acknowledge that Sikich shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by you or any person who relies on this publication.
