Create Document Automation Workflows in 3 Steps

You receive invoices by email. Someone downloads them, types the data into QuickBooks, and files the PDF. It takes 15 minutes per invoice, and you process 50+ per week. That's 12.5 hours of manual work every week.

What if you could create an automated workflow that handles this in seconds? When an invoice arrives, it automatically extracts the data, creates a bill in QuickBooks, and files the document—no human intervention needed.

This isn't a developer fantasy requiring custom code. With visual workflow builders, anyone can create powerful document automation in minutes by dragging and connecting simple building blocks.

This guide shows you exactly how to build your first document automation workflow, step by step, without writing a single line of code.

What Is a Document Workflow?

A document workflow is an automated sequence that processes documents from start to finish.

Traditional Process (Manual):

1. Invoice arrives via email
2. You download the PDF
3. You open it and read the information
4. You type data into your accounting system
5. You save the file to the right folder
6. You mark it as processed

Automated Workflow:

1. Invoice arrives
2. System automatically extracts all data
3. System creates accounting record
4. System files the document
5. System notifies you it's done

Same outcome, zero manual work.

The 3 Building Blocks of Every Workflow

Every document automation workflow has three components:

1. Trigger (When)

The trigger defines when your workflow starts:

• Email received with attachment
• File uploaded to specific folder
• Document submitted via web form
• File added to Google Drive or Dropbox
• API call from another system

Example: "When an invoice is emailed to invoices@mycompany.com"

2. OCR Processing (What)

The OCR step defines what data to extract from the document:

• Invoice number and date
• Vendor name and address
• Line items and amounts
• Tax information
• Payment terms

Example: "Extract vendor name, invoice number, total amount, and due date"

3. Action (Then)

The action defines what happens with the extracted data:

• Create record in your CRM
• Add bill to accounting software
• Send email notification
• Create task in project management tool
• Store in database

Example: "Create a bill in QuickBooks with the extracted data"

Together, these create an automated workflow: WHEN invoice arrives → EXTRACT key data → CREATE QuickBooks bill

Creating Your First Workflow: Step-by-Step

Let's build a real workflow that processes vendor invoices and creates bills in your accounting system.

Step 1: Access the Workflow Builder

1. Log into your Scanny dashboard
2. Click Workflows in the left sidebar
3. Click Create Workflow
4. Give your workflow a name: "Process Vendor Invoices"
5. Add a description (optional): "Automatically create bills from vendor invoices"

You'll see the Visual Workflow Builder with three connected blocks: Trigger → OCR → Action.

Step 2: Configure Your Trigger

Click the Configure button on the Trigger block.

Choose Your Trigger Type:

Option A: Email Trigger

• Select "Email"
• You'll get a unique email address like: invoices-abc123@scanny.ai
• Forward invoices to this address or give it to vendors
• Any email sent here starts the workflow

Option B: Upload Trigger

• Select "File Upload"
• Upload documents manually via dashboard
• Good for batch processing existing documents

Option C: Cloud Storage Trigger

• Select "Google Drive" or "Dropbox"
• Choose the folder to monitor
• Any file added to that folder starts the workflow

Option D: API Trigger

• Select "API"
• You'll get a unique endpoint URL
• Your systems can POST documents to this URL

For our example, choose Email:

• Trigger type: "Email"
• Your trigger email: invoices@mycompany.scanny.ai
• Filter: Documents with "invoice" in subject (optional)

Click Save.

Step 3: Configure OCR Extraction

Click the Configure button on the OCR block.

This is where you define what data to extract from your documents.

Choose a Document Type:

Pre-Built Templates (Recommended):

• Invoice (standard)
• Receipt
• Purchase Order
• ID Card / Passport
• Contract
• Application Form

For invoices, select "Invoice Template".

The system will automatically extract common invoice fields:

• Invoice number
• Invoice date
• Due date
• Vendor name
• Vendor address
• Subtotal
• Tax amount
• Total amount
• Line items (description, quantity, price)

Custom Fields (Advanced):

Need to extract fields not in the template? Add custom fields:

1. Click Add Custom Field
2. Name your field: "Purchase Order Number"
3. Choose field type: Text, Number, Date, or Currency
4. Add a description: "PO number referenced on invoice"

The AI will look for this information and extract it.

Example Configuration:

• Document type: "Invoice"
• Template: "Standard Invoice"
• Custom fields:
  • "Department Code" (Text)
  • "Project ID" (Text)

Click Save.

Step 4: Configure Your Action

Click the Configure button on the Action block.

This is where you decide what happens with the extracted data.

Choose Your Action Type:

Popular Actions:

1. CRM Actions:

• Create deal in HubSpot
• Create opportunity in Salesforce
• Update contact in Pipedrive

2. Accounting Actions:

• Create bill in QuickBooks
• Add expense to NetSuite
• Create invoice in Xero

3. Project Management:

• Create task in Asana
• Add card to Trello
• Create ticket in Jira

4. Communication:

• Send email notification
• Post to Slack channel
• Send SMS alert

5. Storage:

• Save to Google Drive folder
• Upload to Dropbox
• Store in database

For our invoice example, choose "Create QuickBooks Bill":

1. Select "QuickBooks" as the platform
2. Click "Connect QuickBooks" (you'll authorize once)
3. Map the extracted fields to QuickBooks fields:

Extracted Field	QuickBooks Field
Vendor Name	Vendor
Invoice Number	Ref No.
Invoice Date	Bill Date
Due Date	Due Date
Total Amount	Amount Due
Line Items	Item Details

Additional Options:

• Approval Required: Check this to require human approval before creating the bill
• Notification: Enter email addresses to notify when workflow completes
• Error Handling: Choose what happens if something fails (notify, retry, or flag)

Click Save.

Step 5: Test Your Workflow

Before going live, test with real documents:

1. Click Test Workflow

2. Upload a sample invoice

3. Watch it process through each step:

   • ✓ Document received
   • ✓ Data extracted (review the extracted data)
   • ✓ QuickBooks bill created (click to view)

4. Verify the results:

   • Is the extracted data accurate?
   • Did the bill create correctly in QuickBooks?
   • Are all fields mapped properly?

If something's wrong, click Edit on any block to adjust.

Step 6: Activate and Deploy

When you're satisfied with testing:

1. Toggle Workflow Status to "Active"
2. Click Save Workflow
3. Share the trigger email with your team or vendors

Your workflow is now live! Every invoice sent to that email address will process automatically.

Real-World Workflow Examples

Example 1: Customer Onboarding

Business Need: Process customer applications and create CRM records

Workflow:

• Trigger: Form submitted on website
• OCR: Extract company name, contact info, industry, company size
• Actions:
  1. Create contact in HubSpot
  2. Create company record
  3. Send welcome email to customer
  4. Notify sales rep in Slack
  5. Create onboarding task in Asana

Result: New customers move from "applied" to "onboarding" in minutes instead of days.

Example 2: Expense Report Automation

Business Need: Process employee expense receipts

Workflow:

• Trigger: Employee emails receipt to expenses@company.com
• OCR: Extract merchant, date, amount, category
• Actions:
  1. Create expense in accounting system
  2. Attach receipt to expense report
  3. Route to manager for approval
  4. Send confirmation to employee

Result: Expense processing time reduced from 2 weeks to 24 hours.

Example 3: Contract Processing

Business Need: Extract terms from signed contracts

Workflow:

• Trigger: Contract uploaded to "Signed Contracts" folder in Google Drive
• OCR: Extract client name, contract value, start date, end date, terms
• Actions:
  1. Create deal in Salesforce with contract value
  2. Set close date to contract start date
  3. Create calendar reminders for renewal date
  4. Generate project in project management tool
  5. Email legal team with contract summary

Result: Contract data available immediately instead of waiting for manual entry.

Example 4: Recruiting Pipeline

Business Need: Process job applications and resumes

Workflow:

• Trigger: Application submitted via careers page
• OCR: Extract candidate name, email, phone, experience, education, skills
• Actions:
  1. Create candidate profile in Greenhouse ATS
  2. Score candidate based on required skills
  3. If score > 75, send interview scheduling link
  4. If score < 75, send "not a fit" email
  5. Notify hiring manager of qualified candidates

Result: Candidates receive responses within minutes, improving candidate experience.

Example 5: Multi-Language Invoice Processing

Business Need: Process invoices from international vendors in different languages

Workflow:

• Trigger: Invoice emailed from any vendor
• OCR: Auto-detect language, extract data (works in 100+ languages)
• Actions:
  1. Normalize currency to USD
  2. Create bill in accounting system
  3. If amount > $5,000, route to CFO for approval
  4. If amount < $5,000, auto-schedule payment
  5. File in vendor-specific folder

Result: Process invoices in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, etc. without translation.

Advanced Workflow Features

Conditional Logic

Add "If/Then" logic to your workflows:

Example:

• If invoice amount > $10,000
  • Then require CFO approval
• Else
  • Then auto-approve and schedule payment

Example 2:

• If application type = "Enterprise"
  • Then assign to enterprise sales team
• Else if application type = "Small Business"
  • Then assign to SMB sales team

Multi-Step Actions

Chain multiple actions together:

Example Invoice Workflow:

1. Create QuickBooks bill
2. Then send Slack notification to AP team
3. Then create approval task in Asana
4. Then file PDF in Google Drive
5. Then email vendor confirming receipt

Data Transformations

Modify extracted data before using it:

Examples:

• Convert currency (EUR → USD)
• Format dates (DD/MM/YYYY → MM/DD/YYYY)
• Normalize phone numbers (+1-555-1234 → 5551234)
• Calculate totals (quantity × unit price)
• Lookup values (vendor name → vendor ID from database)

Approval Workflows

Add human checkpoints:

Example:

1. Extract data from contract
2. Pause and send to legal team for review
3. Legal team approves or rejects
4. If approved → create Salesforce deal
5. If rejected → send back to sender

Error Handling

Define what happens when things go wrong:

Options:

• Retry: Try again up to 3 times
• Notify: Email the team about the failure
• Queue for review: Flag document for manual processing
• Skip: Continue workflow but log the error

Webhooks

Send data to any system via webhook:

Example:

• Extract data from document
• Send JSON data to your custom API endpoint
• Your system handles it however you want

Use Cases:

• Custom internal systems
• Proprietary software
• Legacy applications
• Complex integrations

Best Practices for Workflow Design

1. Start Simple

Build basic workflows first:

• One trigger
• One extraction template
• One action

Get it working, then add complexity.

2. Test with Real Documents

Don't test with perfect sample PDFs. Use:

• Actual vendor invoices (various formats)
• Real customer applications (handwritten sections)
• Scanned documents (not just digital PDFs)

Edge cases appear in real documents.

3. Name Workflows Clearly

Good names:

• "Process Vendor Invoices → QuickBooks"
• "Customer Applications → HubSpot + Email"
• "Expense Receipts → Approval Workflow"

Bad names:

• "Workflow 1"
• "Test"
• "Invoice thing"

4. Document Your Workflows

Add descriptions explaining:

• What documents this processes
• Who uses it
• Where data goes
• Any special rules or exceptions

When team members take over, they'll thank you.

5. Monitor and Iterate

Check your workflows weekly:

• How many documents processed?
• What's the success rate?
• Are there errors?
• What edge cases appeared?

Refine templates and actions based on real usage.

6. Set Up Notifications

Configure alerts for:

• Processing failures
• Low confidence extractions (< 90%)
• High-value transactions (> $10,000)
• Duplicate documents detected

Don't let problems go unnoticed.

7. Archive Old Workflows

When workflows are no longer needed:

• Set status to "Inactive"
• Add note: "Replaced by Workflow XYZ on [date]"
• Keep for reference but don't delete

Maintains audit trail.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Over-Complicating Initial Workflows

Problem: Trying to handle every edge case on day one.

Solution: Build the 80% case first. Handle exceptions manually while you learn the patterns. Add complexity gradually.

Mistake 2: Not Testing Edge Cases

Problem: Workflow works perfectly with clean PDFs but fails on scanned images.

Solution: Test with worst-case documents—blurry photos, handwritten notes, faxes.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Confidence Scores

Problem: Auto-processing low-confidence extractions leads to bad data in your systems.

Solution: Set confidence thresholds. Anything below 90% confidence should flag for review.

Mistake 4: Poor Field Mapping

Problem: Mapping invoice "Total" to QuickBooks "Subtotal" field creates wrong amounts.

Solution: Carefully verify field mappings. Test with multiple documents. Check the results in your target system.

Mistake 5: No Duplicate Detection

Problem: Same invoice processed twice creates duplicate bills.

Solution: Enable duplicate detection based on invoice number + vendor name. Choose whether to skip or flag duplicates.

Measuring Workflow Success

Track these metrics to prove ROI:

Time Savings

Before:

• Average processing time per document: 15 minutes
• Documents per month: 200
• Total time: 50 hours/month

After:

• Average processing time per document: 2 minutes (review only)
• Documents per month: 200
• Total time: 6.7 hours/month

Savings: 43.3 hours/month = 520 hours/year

Cost Savings

Before:

• Labor cost: 50 hours × $30/hour = $1,500/month

After:

• Labor cost: 6.7 hours × $30/hour = $200/month
• Software cost: $500/month
• Total cost: $700/month

Savings: $800/month = $9,600/year

Accuracy Improvement

Before:

• Error rate: 2% (4 errors per 200 documents)
• Cost to fix errors: $50 per error = $200/month

After:

• Error rate: 0.1% (0.2 errors per 200 documents)
• Cost to fix errors: $10/month

Savings: $190/month in error correction

Business Impact

Faster Processing:

• Invoice payment cycle: 14 days → 2 days
• Early payment discounts captured: $2,000/month
• Better vendor relationships

Scalability:

• Doubled document volume with same team
• Expanded to new markets without hiring

Employee Satisfaction:

• Team focuses on analysis, not data entry
• Less repetitive work, more strategic work

Getting Started Today

Ready to build your first workflow? Here's your action plan:

Week 1: Choose Your First Use Case

Pick a document type you process repeatedly:

• Invoices
• Receipts
• Applications
• Contracts
• Forms

Criteria for First Workflow:

• Process 10+ per week (high volume = high impact)
• Currently takes 10+ minutes per document
• Clear, standardized format
• Data goes to one system (not multiple)

Week 2: Build and Test

1. Create your workflow
2. Configure trigger, OCR, and action
3. Test with 20-30 real documents
4. Refine field mappings
5. Add error handling

Week 3: Pilot Launch

1. Activate workflow
2. Process real documents alongside your manual process
3. Compare results
4. Fix any issues discovered
5. Get team feedback

Week 4: Full Deployment

1. Train your team
2. Update processes to use workflow
3. Monitor daily for first week
4. Measure results
5. Plan next workflow

Your Workflow Library

Once you've built one workflow, build more:

Finance Workflows:

• Vendor invoice → QuickBooks
• Customer receipts → Expense reports
• Bank statements → Reconciliation

Sales Workflows:

• Signed contracts → Salesforce
• Purchase orders → Deal creation
• Quote requests → Opportunity pipeline

HR Workflows:

• Job applications → ATS
• New hire paperwork → HRIS
• Timesheet photos → Payroll system

Operations Workflows:

• Shipping docs → Inventory update
• Work orders → Project creation
• Inspection reports → Compliance tracking

Each workflow saves hours of manual work.

The No-Code Advantage

Ten years ago, automating document processing required:

• Hiring developers
• Custom code
• Months of development
• Expensive maintenance

Today, with visual workflow builders:

• Anyone can build workflows
• No code required
• Minutes to deploy
• Self-service changes

The businesses winning today aren't the ones with the biggest IT departments. They're the ones empowering their teams to automate their own processes.

Ready to Build Your First Workflow?

Scanny's Visual Workflow Builder makes document automation simple:

• Drag-and-drop workflow creation
• Pre-built templates for common document types
• 100+ integrations with CRMs, accounting software, and business tools
• 99%+ accuracy on document extraction
• No coding required—if you can connect blocks, you can automate

Process your first 50 documents free.

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Stop wasting time on manual document processing. Start your free trial and build your first automated workflow today.