Connected control
iApprove™ | Sales Order Processing
Live QAD data informs validation. Approved Sales Orders execute directly back into QAD. QAD: v7.4 | On-Premise
Project SnapshotsRea Magnet Wire Company
Rea Magnet Wire · Manufacturing
iApprove™ Sales Order Processing
Streamlining Sales Order Processing with iApprove™
Automating email-based customer orders with third-party OCR capture, real-time QAD validation, controlled routing, human review, and direct Sales Order creation.
The Client
A high-volume manufacturer with a long-standing QAD environment.
Rea Magnet Wire, headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of magnet and nonferrous wire products and processes high volumes of customer orders annually.
Opportunity / Challenge
Manual effort created a clear opportunity for controlled automation.
Rea processes 93,000 Sales Order line items annually. Only 20% are processed via EDI; 80% are manually entered, and more than half of those originate from emailed PDF POs.
93,000Sales Order line items / year
80%Manually entered into QAD
>50%Of manual lines from emailed PDFs
01
High Manual Volume
80% of 93,000 annual Sales Order line items were manually entered into QAD.
02
Email / PDF Orders
Over 50% of manually entered lines came from emailed PDF purchase orders.
03
Repetition & Inefficiency
65% of manually processed orders were repeat business; about 45,000 lines could benefit.
04
Errors & Delays
Manual entry introduced errors, inefficiency, and processing delays.
05
Special Handling Needs
Some make-to-order items required engineering review, preserving the need for human judgment.
The Opportunity: Automate repeat, email-based orders while preserving human review where special handling is required.
Solutions Implemented
From emailed PDF to QAD Sales Order - in one controlled workflow.
Rea implemented iApprove™ with a third-party OCR tool. OCR captures incoming PO data; iApprove™ manages QAD validation, human review, approval/rejection, and approved QAD execution.
iApprove™ | Sales Order Processing
One fully visible implemented workflow
- Customer EmailIncoming email contains the customer purchase order in PDF format.
- Third-Party OCR CaptureThe OCR tool reads the email and captures PO data.
- iApprove™ WorkflowCaptured data moves into a controlled workflow.
- Real-Time QAD ValidationiApprove™ validates captured data against QAD.
- Human ReviewStakeholders review, edit, approve, or reject.
- QAD ExecutionApproval creates the Sales Order directly in QAD.
Key Capabilities
Automation where it helps. Human control where it matters.
Expand each capability to review the source-supported role it played in the implemented Sales Order workflow.
01Automated Capture+
Reduce manual re-keying of emailed PO data.
02Real-Time Validation+
Use QAD data to validate order information.
03Controlled Routing+
Move orders to the appropriate reviewers.
04Human-Controlled Decisions+
Preserve edits, exceptions, and approval/rejection.
05Direct QAD Execution+
Create the approved Sales Order in real time.
06Audit-Ready Workflow+
Support a controlled and traceable process.
Results / Benefits
Expected capacity gains - plus better control and customer responsiveness.
Following a successful proof of concept, Rea went live in November 2024. The approved source identifies expected annual processing and labor-capacity benefits.
40,000+Line items expected / yearExpected benefit
~700Labor hours expected saved / yearExpected benefit
Nov. 2024Go-liveConfirmed milestone
Supported / Expected Benefit
Reduced Cycle Times
Streamlined processing reduces manual steps for email-based orders.
Supported / Expected Benefit
Improved Accuracy
Less manual entry supports better Sales Order accuracy.
Supported / Expected Benefit
Improved Compliance
Audit-ready workflows strengthen control and traceability.
Supported / Expected Benefit
Enhanced Collaboration
Routing supports communication across departments.
Supported / Expected Benefit
Faster Customer Turnaround
More efficient processing supports responsiveness.
Supported / Expected Benefit
Greater Productive Capacity
Expected labor savings reduce repetitive manual entry.
The Takeaway
Automate repeat, email-based orders while preserving human review where special handling is required.
Customer PO → OCR Capture → QAD Validation → Human Review → Approval → QAD Sales Order
