In the world of modern finance and operations, the ERP is the heart of the business. But for many organizations, that heart is clogged by manual data entry, “human-middleware,” and endless email threads. Automating your Priority ERP isn’t just about installing software; it’s about transforming your ERP from a passive archive of past events into an active, real-time participant in your business growth.

When done correctly, automation turns “processing an invoice” from a 10-minute chore into a 2-second background task. However, the secret to a seamless “Touchless” workflow isn’t in the code, it’s in the preparation.

Here are the 7 essential steps to get your Priority ERP ready for the future of automation.

Step 1: Establish Operational Clarity

Before a single bot is deployed, you must understand how work really flows through your office. Automation cannot fix unclear ownership; it only exposes it.

• Identify the Owners: Who owns the document at each stage? Procurement, Logistics, or Finance?
• Define the Trigger: What business action should this document trigger? (e.g., Does an invoice trigger a payment, or a query to a warehouse manager?)
• Output: A clear decision map (Approve, Match, Hold, Reject) that eliminates “gut feeling” processing.

Step 2: Conduct “Digital Housekeeping”

Automation thrives on consistency. If your Priority data is messy, your automation will be too.

• Data Cleansing: Audit your Vendor Master File. Ensure VAT numbers, bank details, and entity names are unique and up to date.
• Master Data Alignment: Ensure that the “Terms of Payment” and “G/L Accounts” in Priority are correctly mapped to your frequent vendors.
• Output: A “Machine-Ready” dataset that allows the automation to identify vendors with 100% certainty. 
• Internal Automation Rules: It is highly desirable to set up automatic rules within Priority that pre-fill budget sections or expense accounts based on the specific Supplier + Item Number combination.
• Item Cross-Referencing: A clean mapping between supplier/customer item numbers and your own internal Part Numbers must be maintained to ensure the system “recognizes” what is being bought or sold.

Step 3: Align Document Logic to Priority Entities

This is where many projects fail, by not accounting for the “messiness” of real-world documents.

• Entity Mapping: Decide exactly how a PDF relates to Priority. Is this document a Purchase Order (PO), a Goods Receipt (GR), or an Invoice?
• Handling Inconsistencies: Prepare rules for when vendors ignore PO numbers or when an invoice arrives before the goods have been received in the system.
• Output: Deterministic rules that tell the system exactly where to “land” a document within Priority’s structure.

This stage is critical for successful ERP document automation, where documents are no longer interpreted by humans but by structured logic.

 Step 4: Setting Supplier Requirements (The Intake Standard)

Automation is a “garbage in, garbage out” system. To achieve high success rates, you must set clear expectations with your supply chain:

• Mandatory Order Numbers: Suppliers must attach a valid Purchase Order (PO) number to every invoice and a corresponding order number to every Delivery Note.
• Address Consistency: For orders, require the customer/supplier to consistently record the exact delivery address or website to avoid logistical mismatches.
• Output: A standardized incoming document flow that the AI can read without guessing.

Step 5: Design the Bi-Directional Conversation

With DOConvert, integration isn’t a one-way street. Automation should be a live conversation with your ERP.

• Live Validation: Instead of just pushing data into Priority, the system should pull data out to verify it. Does this price match the price in the Price List? Is the PO still open?
• Data Enrichment: Use Priority’s existing data to automatically fill in missing pieces on the document, such as Project Codes or Cost Centers.
• Output: Higher accuracy and the total elimination of “Data Rework.”

Step 6: Implement Progressive Automation (The Trust Phase)

Don’t aim for a “Big Bang” go-live. We recommend a phased approach to build trust among your team.

• Assist Mode: The system does the work, but a human gives the final “OK” before it hits Priority.
• Conditional Automation: Set “Safe Zones.” For example, if an invoice is from a trusted vendor and matches the PO exactly, let it go through touchlessly.
• Output: High adoption rates and a team that feels empowered, not replaced, by the technology.
• Enforced Adoption & Ownership: It is critical to designate a specific “System Owner.” Initially, you must enforce the use of the system strictly. There will be fluctuations and a learning curve at the start; the team must set aside dedicated time to work through this initial phase rather than reverting to manual habits.

Step 7: Define Success Metrics and Feedback Loops

Preparation means knowing what “Good” looks like before you start.

• The “Touchless Rate”: Track the percentage of documents that reach Priority without any human intervention.
• Exception Management: Treat every error as a data point. If an automation fails, is it because of a vendor error or a missing rule in Priority?
• Output: Continuous improvement and a measurable ROI that proves the value of the project to stakeholders.

Ready to start the journey?

Preparing your ERP for automation is a path we’ve walked many times with Priority users. By following these steps, you ensure that the transition is not just “seamless,” but transformative