Procurement Automation

From request to delivery, data moves.
On a mismatch, the agent stops.

Procurement turns a request into a quote, the quote into an order and the order into a delivery, updating supplier data, prices and contracts along the way. Most of the work is moving data between email, Excel and portals, so both the volume and the cost of errors are high. Nisus places robots and AI agents at specific points in this flow; when the data does not match, the agent stops the work and leaves the decision to the procurement specialist.

6 placement points
11 process packages
The specialist decides

How procurement works

A procurement cycle goes through four stages. At each stage, data from different sources is tied together.

1
Request
Suppliers are asked to quote for the request, quotes are compared and new suppliers are set up
Inputs
Purchase requests and MRP, supplier quote emails, supplier onboarding form
Output
→ Quote comparison table, verified supplier record
2
Order
The order is sent and confirmed; price lists and contracts are updated
Inputs
Supplier portals, confirmation emails, contracts and price lists
Output
→ Approved purchase order, confirmed delivery schedule
3
Tracking
Open orders, due dates and stock levels are tracked together
Inputs
Open orders, goods receipt and stock records
Output
→ Replenishment and critical stock alert
4
Evaluation
Supplier performance is scored at period end and actions are set
Inputs
On-time delivery, quality rejection, price deviation and response time data
Output
→ Supplier scorecard

Where it goes wrong today: Data is carried by hand between email, Excel and portals. Unconfirmed orders and slipping due dates are usually noticed only after production or sales are hit. For the same reason, off-price and off-contract buying stays invisible.

Where we place agents in the flow

A robot, an AI agent or both together (hybrid) sit at six points in the flow.

1
Request
2
Order
3
Tracking
4
Evaluation

Running1/6

1 · RequestHybrid

Quote collection and comparison

RobotPicks suppliers for each request line, sends the request for quote in a standard format and reminds those who do not reply
AgentExtracts price, lead time, payment and validity from the quotes and builds the comparison table

What it protects you from

Supplier decisions made on an incomplete comparison, and quote rounds that drag on

The brake: where people decide

At every placement, the procurement specialist has the final say. Where the agent is unsure, it does not finish the work but asks the specialist; once the specialist decides, the flow continues where it stopped.

Placement	When the agent stops	The specialist's decision
Quote collection and comparison	The comparison table is ready	The buyer chooses the supplier and the reason; the robot records the choice on the request
Supplier master data	A mismatch with official sources, or a possible duplicate	The procurement manager decides on the candidate
Order confirmation and due dates	The confirmed quantity, price or date deviates from the order	The buyer settles the deviation with the supplier and enters the decision
Price and contract updates	An increase appears to break the contract	The category owner approves or disputes the increase
Supply risk monitoring	A risky item and a suggested action	The procurement manager receives the daily risk list and chooses the action
Supplier scorecard	The scorecard and draft actions are ready	The category owner approves the scorecard and actions; no scorecard goes to a supplier unapproved

Quote collection and comparison

The comparison table is ready

The buyer chooses the supplier and the reason; the robot records the choice on the request

Supplier master data

A mismatch with official sources, or a possible duplicate

The procurement manager decides on the candidate

Order confirmation and due dates

The confirmed quantity, price or date deviates from the order

The buyer settles the deviation with the supplier and enters the decision

Price and contract updates

An increase appears to break the contract

The category owner approves or disputes the increase

Supply risk monitoring

A risky item and a suggested action

The procurement manager receives the daily risk list and chooses the action

Supplier scorecard

The scorecard and draft actions are ready

The category owner approves the scorecard and actions; no scorecard goes to a supplier unapproved

Important: A change to a supplier's bank details carries a fraud risk. The robot does not record such a change; it sends it for approval, and approval is with a person.

What you gain

Quote rounds take hours instead of days.
Off-price and off-contract buying becomes visible.
Duplicate and incomplete supplier records are prevented.
Due date slips are caught before production stops.
Suppliers are evaluated on time and with the same criteria.
The team spends its time on negotiation and supplier management instead of moving data between email and Excel.

We work out the gain at your volume together in the process review.

Let's Review Your Processes Together

What we have done in this department

Processes running live in our library

Quote creation from purchase requests
Price list upload

Ready process packages

The process inventory for the whole procurement department. "Live" processes run in our library; "Ready pattern" processes adapt a robot that already works the same way; "Proposed design" is a new proposal derived from existing patterns.

Main function	Process	Type	Status
Requests and quotes	Quote creation from purchase requests	Hybrid	Live
	Request approval flow tracking	Robot	Ready pattern
Orders and confirmation	Order confirmation matching	Robot	Ready pattern
	Open order and delivery date tracking	Robot	Proposed design
Supplier master data	Supplier record creation and verification	Robot + human approval	Proposed design
Prices and contracts	Price list upload	Robot + human approval	Live
	Contract term and renewal tracking	Robot	Proposed design
Supplier performance and risk	Supplier financial risk and insolvency tracking	Hybrid	Ready pattern
	Supplier scorecard reporting	Hybrid	Proposed design
Stock and replenishment	Critical stock monitoring and request creation	Robot	Proposed design
	Supplier delivery note and goods receipt matching	Robot	Ready pattern

LiveReady patternProposed design

- Quote creation from purchase requests · Hybrid · Live
- Request approval flow tracking · Robot · Ready pattern
- Order confirmation matching · Robot · Ready pattern
- Open order and delivery date tracking · Robot · Proposed design
- Supplier record creation and verification · Robot + human approval · Proposed design
- Price list upload · Robot + human approval · Live
- Contract term and renewal tracking · Robot · Proposed design
- Supplier financial risk and insolvency tracking · Hybrid · Ready pattern
- Supplier scorecard reporting · Hybrid · Proposed design
- Critical stock monitoring and request creation · Robot · Proposed design
- Supplier delivery note and goods receipt matching · Robot · Ready pattern

Frequently asked questions

Does the agent choose the supplier itself?

No. The agent reads the quotes and builds the comparison table. The buyer chooses the supplier and the reason; the robot only records the choice on the request and informs the other suppliers.

Quotes arrive in different formats, as PDF or Excel attachments. Can they be read?

Yes. Price, lead time, payment and validity are extracted from the attachment into a single table. A field that cannot be read, or is read with low confidence, goes to the buyer; the agent never fills it with a guess.

What happens if a supplier's bank details change?

The robot does not record the change directly; it sends it for approval. Because a change of bank details carries a fraud risk, the decision is always with a person.

Do you need to change our ERP or supplier portals?

Robots work through your existing screens and portals; your ERP does not need to change. Connections are set up through Central Agent.

Let's look at your procurement flow together.

Ask for a review of this department Explore All Departments

Procurement Automation

How procurement works

Request

Order

Tracking

Evaluation

Where we place agents in the flow

Quote collection and comparison

The brake: where people decide

Quote collection and comparison

Supplier master data

Order confirmation and due dates

Price and contract updates

Supply risk monitoring

Supplier scorecard

What you gain

What we have done in this department

Ready process packages

Frequently asked questions

Let's look at your procurement flow together.