Manufacturing - Work Order Automation

Automating SAP Work Order Operations with IBX Agents

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A large manufacturing company was struggling with delays in fulfilling customer orders due to fragmented processes across departments including Production Planning, Procurement, Finance, and Dispatch.

Business Challenge

The entire process depended heavily on emails, spreadsheets, and manual coordination — resulting in longer cycle times, missed delivery commitments, and poor cross-team visibility. Key issues included:

  • Work order data locked inside SAP, requiring manual extraction
  • Frequent material shortages identified too late, forcing production halts
  • Delays in procurement due to lack of visibility and timely follow-ups
  • Customer deliveries held up because payment confirmations were not aligned
  • Planning and dispatch teams receiving incomplete or delayed information

Solution: Connected Intelligent Automation

The company implemented an end-to-end intelligent automation workflow using IBX, deploying both RPA Agents and Workflow Agents to bridge the gaps.

Implementation Breakdown

IntelliBuddies IBX orchestrated the entire lifecycle from SAP data extraction to final dispatch.

1. SAP Work Order Data Extraction (RPA Agent)

IBX RPA agents were deployed to securely connect with SAP and automate the initial data gathering:

  • Extract work order summaries at scheduled intervals
  • Capture Bill of Materials (BOM) requirements
  • Identify open production orders and due dates
Eliminated manual SAP reporting and ensured real-time data availability.
2. Automated Shortage Report Generation

The RPA agent analyzed material requirements against current inventory levels to proactively identify risks:

  • Generated a comprehensive material shortage report
  • Highlighted critical shortages impacting production schedules
  • Prioritized items based on delivery timelines
Critical shortages identified instantly, preventing last-minute surprises.
3. Intelligent Task Assignment (Workflow Agent)

IBX Workflow Agents took over process coordination for different teams:

  • Procurement Team: Tasks automatically assigned for shortage items to update commitment dates. Escalations triggered if vendors missed SLAs.
  • Finance / Customer Service: Parallel tasks created to validate customer payment commitments and flag orders on credit hold.
Teams worked in parallel with clear accountability.
4. Smart Routing to Planning & Dispatch

Once material availability was confirmed and payment commitments were secured, the workflow automatically routed the work order:

  • To Production Planning for scheduling
  • To the Dispatch Team for logistics preparation
Seamless handoff ensured production started on time without administrative delays.
5. Human-in-the-Loop Governance

IBX ensured automation never ran blind, maintaining control where it matters:

  • Managers received alerts for high-value or delayed orders
  • Location-aware task assignments ensured the right regional teams acted
  • Escalation rules triggered reminders and supervisor notifications
Full visibility and governance over the automated process.

Conclusion

By combining SAP-integrated RPA with cross-functional workflow automation, IBX transformed a fragmented, manual process into a connected, intelligent, and accountable operation — accelerating production readiness and improving on-time deliveries.

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