Document processing solution

Document processing automation that turns files into usable business information.

OpSmith designs document-processing workflows that extract the fields your operation needs, validate what can be checked, preserve the source and route exceptions to a person before downstream work continues.

Where the work gets stuck

Stop opening, checking and re-entering the same kinds of documents.

The expensive part is rarely one PDF. It is the repeated chain of reading, validation, clarification, approval and entry that follows every similar document.

Invoices and purchase ordersCapture vendor, reference, date, totals and line-item information while preserving the original document for review.
Forms and applicationsNormalize structured and unstructured submissions, identify missing fields and create a consistent operating record.
Contracts and reportsPrepare summaries or comparison drafts without allowing the system to replace legal, financial or operational judgment.
Exception routingSend incomplete, low-confidence, unusual or high-risk documents to the person responsible for deciding what happens next.
How the improved process works

Move information without hiding uncertainty.

A dependable document workflow records its source, separates high-confidence handling from exceptions and makes human review visible.

01

Receive and preserve

Capture the email, upload or form together with source details so the original information remains available throughout the process.

02

Extract and validate

Read the required fields, compare them with business rules or system records and flag uncertainty instead of inventing a value.

03

Review and route

Send exceptions to a person, then update the destination system or trigger the next approved handoff with an audit trail.

Document workflows in practice

Specify what enters the workflow, what leaves it and who resolves uncertainty.

Document automation becomes dependable when each document family has its own required fields, validation rules, confidence thresholds and destination—not one generic instruction to read every file.

Invoice and purchase-order intake

Inputs
Vendor email, PDF or image, purchase-order record and approved vendor data.
Output
A reviewable transaction record with source document, totals, references and coding inputs attached.
Approval point
Accounts payable resolves unmatched vendors, total differences, duplicate documents and policy exceptions before posting.

Application and form processing

Inputs
Web form, attachment, identity or account references and required-field rules.
Output
A normalized case record, completeness status and a task for the next responsible team.
Approval point
A person reviews missing consent, conflicting identity details, unusual requests and low-confidence extraction.

Contract and report intake

Inputs
Agreement, report or renewal document plus the comparison template and current system record.
Output
A source-linked summary of requested clauses, dates, obligations or changes—not a legal conclusion.
Approval point
The accountable legal, financial or operational reviewer confirms consequential interpretations and next actions.
Before and after

Make the operating change visible before implementation.

The goal is not “more AI.” It is a shorter, clearer path from a real input to an accountable result.

BEFORE · MANUAL
  1. Open every attachment and identify the document type.
  2. Copy fields into a spreadsheet, CRM or accounting system.
  3. Email someone when information is missing or totals do not match.
  4. Reopen the source later to explain what was entered.
AFTER · CONTROLLED WORKFLOW
  1. Preserve the source and classify it against an approved document family.
  2. Extract required fields and validate them against rules or system records.
  3. Route only uncertain or exceptional documents to the correct reviewer.
  4. Write approved information to the destination with source and decision history attached.
Existing systems

Connect the tools already carrying the work.

  • Intake channelsShared inboxes, upload forms, scanners and secure document portals where files already arrive.
  • Document storageSharePoint, Google Drive or another governed repository that preserves the original and access controls.
  • Systems of recordAccounting, ERP, CRM, case-management, spreadsheet or database destinations with supported import or API access.
  • Review queuesTask, ticket or approval tools that give exceptions an owner, status and recovery path.
Exceptions

Design the recovery path before launch.

  • Unreadable or unfamiliar layoutsHold the document, retain the image and ask a reviewer instead of guessing a field.
  • Conflicting references or totalsShow the source values and related system record together so the responsible person can resolve the difference.
  • Sensitive or unnecessary informationLimit extraction and downstream exposure to the fields required for the defined business purpose.
Measurement

Know whether the workflow improved.

  • Handling time per documentCompare active minutes spent opening, reading, entering and routing each document family.
  • Straight-through handling rateTrack the percentage completed without human intervention, separately from accuracy.
  • Exception and correction rateMeasure how often documents require review and how often approved records later need correction.
  • Time waiting for missing informationTrack the delay between detecting a gap and receiving a usable response.
Operating evidence

Use representative inputs before making a build decision.

OpSmith tests the proposed workflow against real examples, exceptions and ownership requirements instead of assuming a clean demo represents daily operations.

Authoritative references

Requirements to consider during workflow design.

These sources are starting points for the responsible owner and do not replace legal, privacy, safety or professional advice.

A good fit looks like this

Your team handles similar documents at meaningful volume, follows repeatable checks and loses time to re-entry, missing information or avoidable waiting.

OpSmith starts with a focused process and a measurable baseline. If the workflow is not a responsible fit for automation, we will say so before implementation.

Inputthe real request, record, document or update
Decisionrules, AI assistance and human review
Handoffthe right person, system or customer
Questions worth resolving

Know what should be automated—and what should not.

Can the system read poor scans or inconsistent layouts?

Sometimes, but reliability depends on the document set. We test representative samples, define confidence thresholds and route unclear documents for review rather than treating every extraction as certain.

Will document automation replace approval steps?

Not unless the process supports it. Financial, contractual and unusual documents can retain human approval while automation prepares the information and routes the decision.

Where does the extracted information go?

It can be prepared for a CRM, spreadsheet, accounting platform, database or another approved business system, depending on the workflow and available integrations.

Related workflows

Connect this process to the rest of the operation.

Reporting automation

Turn verified documents and recurring updates into decision-ready reporting.

Practical field guides

Plan the workflow before you automate it.

Use OpSmith’s workflow automation resources and guides to document the work, control exceptions and measure the operating change.

See whether this workflow is worth improving.

Tell us how the process works today, where it slows down and what a better handoff would change. We will use that context in the first conversation.

Discuss document processing ↗