Short answer
AI can automate order entry. It reads each purchase order (PO) from email or PDF and pulls out the customer, line items, quantities, prices, and dates. Then it checks them against your quote and ERP (enterprise resource planning) records. A person approves the draft, and the tool creates the sales order in your ERP. Lattice Partners is an AI implementation partner based in Los Angeles and New York. We help companies build an AI strategy, train their employees on AI tools, and build custom agents and software.
- The AI drafts the order and flags what doesn't match. A person approves it before it reaches the ERP.
- Most of the value is in the checks: price against the quote, part numbers against the item list, drawing revision against the job.
- Your ERP stays the system of record. The tool reads from it and writes to it.
Why is order entry slow in a job shop today?
Order entry is slow because every customer sends orders in a different format and someone retypes each one. A PO arrives as an emailed PDF, a spreadsheet, a portal download, or text in the body of an email.
The person entering it looks up the customer, matches part numbers, and confirms the price and ship date against the quote. That checking takes longer than the typing.
Mistakes cost more than the time. A wrong quantity or price becomes a wrong job, a wrong invoice, or a late shipment. In a fabrication shop, each order also carries drawing revisions, material callouts, and certifications, which are easy to miss when someone retypes them.
How does AI order entry work?
AI order entry reads the PO the way a person would. It does the same lookups and comparisons, then hands back a draft order for approval. A typical flow has five steps.
- Receive. The tool watches a shared inbox or folder and picks up each new PO.
- Read. AI reads the PDF, spreadsheet, or email text and extracts the customer, PO number, ship-to address, line items, quantities, unit prices, requested dates, and notes. Scanned pages are harder to read than typed ones.
- Match. The tool finds the customer and part numbers in your ERP and finds the quote the PO refers to.
- Check. It compares the PO to the quote and your records and marks anything that differs.
- Approve and create. A person reviews the draft, fixes anything flagged, and approves. The tool then creates the sales order and attaches the original PO.
The checks are what separate this from typing faster. These are the ones most shops want.
| Check | What the tool compares | What gets flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Price | PO unit price against the quoted price | Any difference, with both numbers shown |
| Part number | PO line against the item list | Unknown or retired parts, with close matches suggested |
| Quantity and units | PO against the quote | Changed quantities, "each" versus "box" mismatches |
| Drawing revision | Revision on the PO against the quote | A revision that doesn't match |
| Dates | Requested ship date against your lead time | Dates the shop can't meet |
| Customer | Sender, bill-to, and ship-to against the customer record | New customers and changed addresses |
| Duplicates | PO number against existing orders | A PO that was already entered |
Can AI connect to my ERP?
AI can usually connect to your ERP if the ERP has an application programming interface (API). NetSuite is one example. Oracle's documentation says its REST web services let an outside application create, read, update, and delete records.
Other ERPs used by fabricators, such as Epicor, Acumatica, and JobBOSS, have their own integration options, so check yours before planning. For NetSuite specifics, see AI quoting and scheduling for NetSuite shops.
If your ERP has no usable API, the tool can still produce a file your ERP's import feature accepts. A person then loads it.
What are the options for automating order entry?
Shops have five ways to reduce order entry work, and they fit different situations. The table compares them.
| Option | How it works | Fits best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual entry | A person retypes each PO | Order volume is low and customers are few | Typing errors, and the checks depend on who's entering |
| EDI (electronic data interchange) | The customer's system sends structured order data | A large customer requires it and already sends it | Each trading partner needs its own setup |
| Document capture (OCR) software | Reads fixed layouts into fields | You see a few predictable PO formats | It breaks when a layout changes and doesn't check against quotes |
| Customer portal or import file | Customers key in orders themselves | You control how the customer orders | Customers rarely change how they order |
| Custom AI tool on your ERP | AI reads any format, checks against your quote and ERP, and a person approves | You see many formats and have shop-specific rules | Needs a builder who knows shop operations |
Most shops end up with a mix. A large customer on EDI and a long tail of small customers emailing PDFs is common.
What should a person still approve?
A person should approve every order at first, then only the exceptions as the tool earns trust. The shop sets the rules, and the tool logs each override so the rules can improve.
Orders that usually stay with a person:
- New customers and changed ship-to addresses
- Any price that differs from the quote
- Repeat orders where the quantity or revision changed
- Part numbers the tool doesn't recognize
- Orders above a dollar amount you choose
Orders that match the quote exactly can move through with a quick review. The quoting side matters here, because the quote is what the order gets checked against.
"We're not trying to replace whoever enters the orders. They should be a key part of the new process, moving faster with AI."
Martin Anquetil, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Lattice Partners
How does order entry connect to scheduling and job tracking?
An order in the ERP with the quote's pricing and routing attached can flow straight into production scheduling and a shop floor job board. Nobody re-enters job details at each step.
That's the main reason to fix order entry early. Every later step reads what was entered first, so a wrong quantity here shows up in the schedule, on the floor, and on the invoice.
How Lattice Partners does this
We've built order entry tools for metal fabricators and job shops. We sit with the person who enters orders and write down the checks they run in their head. Then we connect the tool to your ERP and your quotes.
We aim to ship a first version within a few weeks. We then improve it over 2 to 3 rounds using real orders. It's a one-time build. You own the code, with no per-seat or per-module license from us. If your ERP already does this well, we say so.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI read scanned or photographed purchase orders?
Yes, but typed PDFs are more reliable. Blurry or skewed scans produce more reading errors, so the tool should send low-confidence orders to a person instead of guessing.
Will AI order entry create orders without anyone checking?
Not at first. Every order gets a person's approval until the tool has a track record. After that, a shop can let exact matches through and keep a person on the exceptions.
What happens when a customer changes their PO format?
Because AI reads the content and not a fixed layout, a new format usually still works. Template-based capture tools often break. A person still approves orders from a new format until results are steady.
How much does it cost to automate order entry?
Typical market ranges for custom software or an agent are $5,000 to $100,000 per project. The cost depends mostly on how many PO formats you receive and how your ERP connects. Lattice Partners scopes each project after learning how your team works.
Do I need to replace my ERP?
No. The tool reads from and writes to the ERP you already run, and your ERP stays the system of record.
Related reading
About Lattice Partners
Lattice Partners is an AI implementation partner based in Los Angeles and New York. We help companies build an AI strategy, train their employees on AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, and build custom AI agents and software. Clients own the code we build. Lattice Partners was founded by Colin McDonnell, Martin Anquetil, and Christian Yeghnazar. Contact us to talk about your use case.