To better understand this, let's take a commonly automated business process and compare the manual ("As Is") flowchart with the automated ("To Be") flowchart.

• A Purchase Order is received via email.
• The agent opens the email attachment and checks that the product code is present in the PO.
• If the product code is present in the PO, the agent opens SAP and runs a specific SAP transaction.
  • If the product code is not present in the PO, the agent looks it up in the master data file.
  • If the product code is present in the master data file, the agent opens SAP and runs a specific SAP transaction.
  • If the product code is not present in the master data file, the agent sends out an email to the Master Data Analyst to update the file.
• Once the product code is provided, the agent populates the required fields in the SAP screen, as per the organization requirements and the PO .
• Next, the agent generates the sales order.
• Finally, the agent replies to the initial email, adds the Sales Order in the attachment and moves the email to the processed folder.