Purchase Order Automation

Purchase Order Automation for Non-EDI Buyers and Partners

Convert inbound PDF purchase orders from any buyer into structured data for ERP, WMS, and order management systems — without requiring EDI from your customers or trading partners.

No EDI requirement for buyers
PDF & email PO support
ERP, WMS & OMS delivery
What is it?

PO automation that connects buyer documents to your order fulfillment workflows

Cleo Purchase Order Automation helps businesses convert inbound PDF purchase orders and other non-EDI buyer documents into structured transaction data — EDI 850, XML, JSON, or application-ready payloads — that flows directly into ERP, WMS, TMS, and order management systems. Open ECX adds intelligent PO extraction while Cleo orchestrates workflow, integration, visibility, and exception handling. The result: automated order intake even when buyers aren't EDI-capable.

How It Works

Automate order intake without requiring EDI from your buyers

PO automation helps operations and fulfillment teams eliminate manual order entry and accelerate order-to-ship cycles — regardless of how buyers send purchase orders.

1

Capture Inbound POs

Ingest PDF purchase orders, email attachments, and faxed documents from buyers through any channel they already use — no EDI requirement on their end.

2

Extract & Validate PO Data

Extract line items, quantities, ship-to addresses, and header data, then validate against business rules and inventory availability before routing to fulfillment.

3

Route to ERP, WMS & OMS

Deliver validated order data into ERP, WMS, TMS, or order management systems automatically — with exception workflows for orders that need review before fulfillment begins.

Order Intake

PO automation for every buyer format

Buyers send purchase orders in many formats. Cleo PO automation handles them all — converting each into structured data your ERP and fulfillment systems can process without manual entry.

Buyer SendsCleo-Enabled Workflow Creates
PDF purchase orderStructured order data for ERP, WMS, or order management — mapped to EDI 850 or custom formats where required.
Email purchase orderAutomated intake that extracts PO data and routes it into order fulfillment workflows without manual handling.
Fax or scanned POExtracted, validated order fields with exception routing for orders that require review before fulfillment begins.
EDI 850 purchase orderValidated EDI transaction routed directly into ERP, WMS, or order management with full audit trail.
Why Cleo

Why Cleo instead of a standalone PO capture tool?

A standalone capture tool extracts PO data. Cleo connects that data to the ERP, WMS, and order management workflows that run your fulfillment operations — with full visibility and exception management built in.

ERP & WMS Integration

Connect extracted PO data directly to ERP, WMS, TMS, and order management systems — not just extract it for manual re-entry.

Explore integration capabilities

Exception Management

Flag and route PO exceptions — missing items, invalid addresses, inventory conflicts — before they delay fulfillment or impact customer relationships.

Explore document automation

Order Visibility

Track PO status, processing exceptions, and fulfillment workflow health across the full order lifecycle — from receipt through shipment.

Explore visibility capabilities
ERP-Connected Order Automation

PO automation becomes more powerful when it connects to your ERP and WMS

PO extraction is only the first step. Cleo turns captured order data into ERP- and WMS-connected fulfillment workflows, so validated orders move from intake through picking, packing, and shipping automatically — reducing cycle times and eliminating manual entry.

SAPOracleNetSuiteMicrosoft DynamicsInforManhattanBlue Yonder+ more
PO Ingestion
PDF, email, fax, EDI 850
Input
Extract & Map Order Data
Items, quantities, ship-to, pricing
Map
Validate & Exception Route
Inventory check, address validation, approvals
Validate
Deliver to ERP / WMS / OMS
SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Dynamics & more
Deliver

Eliminate Manual Order Entry

Stop re-keying PO data into ERP and WMS systems. Extracted and validated order data flows directly into fulfillment workflows automatically.

Faster Order-to-Fulfillment

Reduce order intake cycle times and errors with automated PO processing and downstream orchestration across ERP, WMS, and shipping systems.

Full Order Visibility

Track order status, exception queues, and fulfillment workflow health across the full lifecycle from PO receipt through shipment confirmation.

Related Solutions

Explore the full document automation suite

PO automation is one part of a broader document and order automation capability — all connected through Cleo Integration Cloud.

Document Automation

Non-EDI Document Automation

Automate PDFs, invoices, purchase orders, and other manual supplier documents and connect validated data into ERP and supply chain workflows.

Explore Document Automation
PDF Intelligence

PDF-to-EDI Automation

Transform PDFs into structured EDI transactions for trading partner and ERP workflows without requiring EDI from partners.

Explore PDF-to-EDI
AP Automation

Invoice Automation

Reduce manual AP processing and automate supplier invoice workflows with validation, exception handling, and ERP integration.

Explore Invoice Automation
PDF Intelligence

PDF Digitalization

Automate PDF-based workflows with intelligent extraction and ERP-connected automation for invoices, purchase orders, and more.

Explore PDF Digitalization
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about purchase order automation for non-EDI buyers and partners.

What is purchase order automation?
Purchase order automation is the process of capturing inbound PO data — from PDFs, emails, or EDI — extracting and validating it, and routing it automatically into ERP, WMS, or order management systems without manual data entry.
Do my buyers need to change how they send purchase orders?
No. Cleo PO automation handles PDFs, email attachments, scanned documents, and EDI 850 transactions. Buyers keep sending orders the way they always have — Cleo handles the extraction, transformation, and routing on your end.
How does PO automation reduce order-to-fulfillment cycle times?
By eliminating manual order entry and routing validated PO data directly into ERP, WMS, and picking systems, orders can begin fulfillment immediately after receipt — instead of waiting for someone to re-key data manually.
What systems does Cleo connect to for PO processing?
Cleo connects extracted PO data to ERP systems including SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, and Infor — as well as WMS platforms like Manhattan, Blue Yonder, and others — plus TMS, order management, and trading partner VANs.
How does Cleo handle PO exceptions?
Orders that fail validation — due to inventory conflicts, missing required fields, address errors, or pricing discrepancies — are automatically routed to exception workflows for review before fulfillment begins. Clean orders process automatically without interruption.

Ready to automate order intake without requiring EDI from your buyers?

Cleo helps operations teams eliminate manual PO processing and accelerate order-to-fulfillment cycles by combining intelligent PDF extraction with ERP- and WMS-connected integration and exception management.

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