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A North American industrial components distributor specializing in hydraulic, pneumatic, and sealing solutions needed to modernize its shipment intake process.
Their operations relied on manual data entry across multiple courier waybills, creating inefficiencies and inconsistencies at scale.
AlphaBOLD assessed the workflow, introduced Dynamics 365 as the operational platform, and implemented an AI-powered solution to automate waybill data capture. The result was a streamlined intake process that reduced processing time from minutes to second while improving data accuracy and consistency.
The Challenge
The organization manages a high volume of inbound shipments from multiple logistics providers as part of its distribution operations.
Shipment intake relied on manual data entry from courier waybills across providers such as UPS, FedEx, Purolator, Loomis, and TForce. Each courier used different formats and layouts, creating friction in daily operations.
This resulted in:
- Time-intensive manual entry across multiple shipment fields
- Inconsistent data capture due to varying document formats
- Increased risk of human error in operational records
- Lack of a standardized intake process across teams
While Dynamics 365 was in place, the intake workflow itself had not been optimized for efficiency or scale.
The Solution
AlphaBOLD designed and deployed an AI-powered courier log feature directly within Dynamics 365 to automate shipment data capture.
The solution allows users to scan a waybill and automatically extract and populate all relevant shipment data in real time.
Core Components:
- Custom PCF control for in-application image capture
- Power Automate for workflow orchestration
- AI Builder using GPT-based prompts for structured data extraction
- Dataverse integration for real-time lookup resolution and validation
How It Works:
- A user scans a courier waybill within Dynamics 365
- The image is processed through an AI model
- Key shipment data is extracted and structured into JSON
- Fields are automatically populated in the courier log
- Dataverse performs real-time lookups to match and validate records
The process is completed within seconds, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Business Impact:
- The implementation delivered immediate and measurable improvements:
- Reduced shipment data entry time from minutes to seconds
- Improved consistency across multiple courier formats
- Minimized manual errors in shipment records
- Standardized intake workflows across operational teams
- Increased efficiency without introducing new systems
Why This Matters:
For industrial distributors operating with high shipment volumes and strict quality standards, operational efficiency depends on accurate and timely data capture.
This solution demonstrates how AI can be embedded directly into existing systems like Dynamics 365 to streamline workflows without disrupting core operations.
AlphaBOLD’s Approach
AlphaBOLD focuses on applying AI where it delivers practical, measurable outcomes.
By integrating Power Platform capabilities with real-world business workflows, we help organizations move beyond manual processes and operational bottlenecks, enabling scalable and efficient systems.
Looking to Automate Similar Workflows?
If manual data entry slows down your operations, there are opportunities to streamline and automate using AI within your existing systems.
Request a consultation to explore how AI can improve your workflows.
