Artificial Intelligence (AI) can revolutionise the back office.

The way businesses handle their invoicing and accounts processes. One of the ways AI can do this is by using natural language processing (NLP). To extract invoice descriptions and add the data to accounts software.

The system can also be configured to automatically match invoices with purchase orders. Ensuring that all invoices are accounted for and reducing the risk of errors.

AI-powered invoice processing can also be integrated with other systems. Such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. To provide a more comprehensive view of a business's financial data.

Overall, the use of AI to extract invoice descriptions and add the data to accounts software.

Can help businesses streamline their invoicing and accounting processes. Leading to increased efficiency and cost savings.

Microsoft lists and Power Automate

Creating website forms can be challenging to setup. In the past Microsoft offered InfoPath. Personally, I used JotForm for websites. For a while, Microsoft did not offer an InfoPath alternative. Then Microsoft released Microsoft Forms. Initially for the education sector only. Business customers successfully reached out to Microsoft. Requesting ‘Forms’ to be released for business customers.

Scenario

You have a website where you want to add a form. You need form submissions to be automatically posted. To a SharePoint list or Excel or Common Data Service (CDS, Dynamics CRM). You may possibly want to use the data to produce Power BI reports.

Requirements

Microsoft Office 365 E3 license. Alternatively, you can purchase services separately. Recommendation purchase MS O365 E3 license.

Objective

In this article, you are going to learn how to add a MS Event Feedback Survey Form. To a WordPress website (the above form). How to use Power Automate to automatically pass form data to populate a SharePoint list.

Part One - Create a Form and SharePoint List.

Setup Time: 30 minutes

Setup Overview: These setup instructions walk through the steps required to configure. A ‘Microsoft Form. A Microsoft SharePoint Online (SPO) List.’ The lab exercise for PAF365: Power Automate Bootcamp.

Log in to Office 365. Click the square dots. Top left corner and choose ‘Forms’. If you do not see ‘Forms’ click ‘Explore all your apps’ and choose ‘Forms’ see below.

You can create your own form. Just choose ‘New Form.’

In the new pop up window. Click ‘Untitled form.’ Name your form ‘Event Feedback Survey.’ For description type. ‘Gauge areas of success and improvement for your event. By collecting customer input around time, location, content, speakers, and so on.’

Next click ‘+ Add New’ button and in the revealed options click ‘Add all.’ This tutorial will use defaults. If you prefer you can, of course, add your own questions.

Should you choose to you can add a ‘Form theme’ (1) or simply click ‘Preview’ (2) to view your form.

Forms can be previewed either as a desktop form (1) or a mobile view (2). To view the previous screen, click ‘Back’ (3).

To add the form to a website page you need iframe code. Click the ‘Share’ button (1) and click the angle brackets icon (2). Click the ‘Copy’ button (3).

Note: Text 'Only people in my organisation can respond.' Click the drop down to select 'Anyone with a link can respond.'

Create or edit a webpage or blog post. 

How you add the iframe code is dependent upon your WordPress editor. Assuming you are using WordPress default editor. Then click the code block icon to add your iframe code see image below.

Next test your form. Either preview or publish to test your form. Answer the questions and click the ‘Submit’ button. We require some test data.

Return to your ‘Forms’ default window. You should see your form under ‘My forms.’ At the bottom, you should see the number of ‘Responses’. You should see one response.

Click on the form. At the top of the form. You should see two tabs. ‘Questions’ and ‘Responses.’ The next to ‘Responses’ is the number ‘One’ in your case see the image below. Click the ‘Responses’ tab.

Take a little time to view the results. Then click ‘Open in Excel.’

The Excel workbook will download to your device. Open the Excel workbook see below.

The reason for creating an Excel workbook. We can create a list using the spreadsheet. Microsoft has published an ‘easy how to create a list based on a spreadsheet’. Certainly, easier to create an automated SharePoint Online (SPO) list. Then manually create an SPO list. 

Open SharePoint. Click the square shape dots (1) then click lists. If you do not see lists. Click ‘Explore all your apps’ bottom of the screen and choose ‘Lists’ see the image below.

In the popup window click ‘From Excel.’

In the updated popup windows. Click ‘Upload file.’ If ‘Table1’ is not automatically set up click the drop-down and choose table one. You should see your question data see the image below and click the next button.

All being well you should see your SPO list.

Congratulations.

Part Two – build a Power Automate Flow.

Setup Time: 30 minutes

Setup Overview: These setup instructions walk through the steps required to configure. A ‘Power Automate Flow’ the lab exercise for PAF365: Power Automate Bootcamp.

Your next step is to automate the collection of website visitor questionnaire submissions. To your SharePoint list. Once you have collected a reasonable number of questionnaire responses. You could choose to use Power BI to carry out an analysis. You may want to send an automated thank you email to those who completed the form. But that capability is for a future article.

Viewing the ‘Lists’ window you will see ‘Automate’ click and select ‘Create a flow.’

Scroll down the ‘Flow’ options and pop out the window to click ‘See more templates.’

Power Automate opens. In the search box. Type ‘Forms’ (1) and press enter on your keyboard then click ‘Record form responses in SharePoint.’

A new window opens. Confirm you are logged in to MS Forms & MS SharePoint. If not, simply click to do so (1). Then click the ‘Continue’ button (2).

Power Automate opens the ‘Flow.’

1. For ‘Form id’ you need to add the ‘Form’ name. Click the drop- down and select.

For ‘Get response details’ add ‘Form id’ (2) by clicking the drop-down and choosing your form. For ‘Response Id’ (2) place the mouse cursor in the box and choose ‘List of response notifications Response Id’ (3).

The next step ‘Get user profile (2)’you can miss[1]. If the form is used for organisational purposes only and users are Office 365 users, this step can capture user details for example email.

[1] If there is demand a future tutorial will show you how to add email input to your ‘Form’ and ‘Flow’ and send a thank you email to the person submitting the form.

Note: Users do not need to add an email address. Useful if you wish to send an automated thank-you email or follow-up information.

If your form is to be used for a public website. Then you wish to capture email addresses you will need to add form user input for email[1].

[1] General Data Protection Regulation

‘Get user profile (2)’ cannot be applied to capture user details.

If the form has an email input, it will appear in the next step ‘Create item’.

‘Create item’ you need to specify. A SharePoint ‘Site Address’ the ‘List Name.’ All other inputs follow the same steps as previously. Place your mouse cursor in the box (1), locate the input from the submenu (2) click to add.

Note: Assuming you did not add ‘Get user profile (2)’ you will not have options for ‘Email’ and ‘Name.’

5. Save your Flow. And run ‘Flow checker.’

6. To test your ‘Flow’ you need some data. Return to your Form and answer your questions.

7. Return to your ‘List.’ You should see your data.

Note: To make three list entries more descriptive I have renamed the columns.

If your flow didn’t succeed click the ‘Start’ title to learn where your flow 'Test failed.'

Do not worry if your ‘Flow’ failed it is a good learning opportunity. Review this tutorial to identify where you may have made an error.

Congratulations on completing this tutorial.

Download a pdf version of this article.

Note: The above illustrates a desktop test. Using a phone or tablet you would use the camera to capture the receipt. 

AI receipt scanning...

Microsoft PowerApps has released a fantastic app to help you submit expense reports. All too often receipts are misplaced. Or quite rightly, more urgent tasks take priority. Assuming receipts are found you may be able to submit them at a later date. If the accounts department allows.

I am not going to show you how to build a receipt processing app. Microsoft has produced an excellent training module click here…

Unfortunately, the training module does not really explain. How to send receipt data from PowerApps to Power Automate (Flow) and then on to your data storage of choice.

This article will show you how to code PowerApp submit button to send receipt data to Power Automate. Then forward the data to One Drive for Business, Excel spreadsheet.

Assuming you are not in the US you might notice currency is in dollars. You can code this to show the currency of your choice. Personally, I do not think it is worth the effort. Excel is the data’s destination and uses spreadsheet functionality this can be easily amended.

So, add a button and name the button text ‘Submit.’

Build the flow

You can either initiate a ‘Power Automate’ from Power Apps, the ‘Action’ menu. Alternatively, open Power Automate in a new browser tab.

On the left click ‘Create’ (1) and along the top, you have options to start from blank. Choose ‘Instant Flow’ (2).

A new window appears. Name your flow. For example ‘Expenses.’ Then click the radio button. On the left choose ‘PowerApps.’ Next click ‘Create.’ You should see the below.

We need to add a ‘Compose’ data operation. Click the ‘New Step’ button.

In the search box type ‘compose.’ Below you should see ‘Compose Data Operations’ click to select.

Place your mouse cursor in the ‘Inputs’ box and on the right sub-menu choose ‘Ask In Power Apps.’

See the beneath.

If you are new to Power Automate. You might be surprised to learn at this stage, we need to ‘Save’ the flow and return to PowerApps. We need to implement this step to be able to generate a JSON scheme.

1. Select the button.
2. Choose Action from the menu.
3. From the ribbon menu select ‘Power Automate.’
4. Select the ‘Expenses’ the ‘Power Automate’ you just created.
5. Complete the button ‘OnSelect’ code see below

Next, we need to add a receipt. Click the ‘Play’ button and a new window opens.  

Click the receipt button(1). You need to have previously scanned a receipt and saved the receipt to wherever you choose. Navigate to the saved scan(2), click to select the scanned receipt, and click open (3).

You should see a circle spinning while it processes the receipt. Once complete you should see your table populated. Click the ‘Submit’ button.

Close the window to return to your app development screen. Assuming all went well you should not see any red circles with white cross.

Return to your ‘Power Automate’ flow and you should see the below ‘Succeeded.’

Congratulations.

Complete the flow

Click the title (1 - above) and your Flow will open a new view (see below).

Place your mouse cursor in the ‘Outputs’ (1) box. Hold down the keyboard ‘Ctrl’ key and press ‘A’ to select all. Still holding down the ‘Ctrl’ key press ‘C’ key. Open Notepad or Notepad ++ and place your mouse cursor in the Notepad then press ‘Ctrl’ and ‘P’ keys. You should see something like the one below.

Next you need to edit your flow.

Click the Edit icon top right.

Your next step is to add ‘Parse JSON.’ Click new step and type ‘Parse JSON.’

Expand ‘Parse Json’ to add inputs. Place your mouse cursor in the ‘Content’ (1) box and from the sub-menu on the right and click ‘Outputs’ (2).

Next, we need to generate a ‘Schema’ and click the Generate from sample button (3).

Return to your Notepad and copy the code you pasted earlier. Then click the ‘Done’ button.

Next click ‘+New step’ button and type in the search ‘Apply to Each’ (1) and select (2).

Place your mouse cursor. In the ‘Select an output.' From previous steps (1). Scroll down to the ‘Compose’ section. Select ‘Output’ (2) from the right-hand submenu.

Next click ‘Add an action’ and select ‘Excel Online (Business)’. I am assuming. You have implemented the Get started with receipt processing in AI Builder exercise. If not and you wish to add your receipt data. To ‘One Drive for business – Excel’ then you need to add an Excel workbook (instructions here).

Next, you need to select ‘Excel Online Business’ see above. Then choose ‘Add a row into a table.’

Next for ‘Locations' click the drop-down and choose ‘OneDrive for Business.’

For ‘Document Library’ in the drop-down choose ‘OneDrive.’

‘File’ you need to navigate to where your file is stored.

‘Table’ in the drop-down select your table.

Note: Red asterisk *. You must provide inputs.

When you have added the Excel table you should be asked to add the following.

1. Name
2. Price
3. Quantity
4. Total Price

See the illustration below.

Click the ‘Save’ button.

If you wish, click the ‘Test’ flow. If you are not familiar with test methodology move on to the next step.

Return to ‘PowerApps’ and select ‘Submit’ button. In the ‘OnSelect’ function box add the code below.

Test PowerApp automated workflow using receipt processor

Next test your app.

Click the 'Submit' button. 

You should see the below.

Congratulations. Well deserved. 

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank @Mr-Dang-MSFT and @JoeF-MSFT at Microsoft Power Apps community support.

Initially, I was making my solution far too complicated.

Ideally whenever possible in my experience the simpler things are the better.

MS PowerApps - Solve business problems with receipt processing PDF 

If you have not heard of web scrapping, it is the term used to extract data from websites. You may have visited a website and they kindly provide data tables for you to download. On other occasions, you may have thought. As you manually copied and pasted the data into your database or spreadsheet there must be a better way.

Warning: Before extracting any data, check you won't be breaking any copyright infringement rules. 

Fortunately, there is an array of software tools available. 

Sequentum (desktop or server) aimed at the enterprise market. Pricing you need to contact Sequentum. I have no experience with this software. The fact they will not provide pricing on their website suggests it is not for everyone. 

Dexio is a suite of software to meet all your extraction transform, load (ETL) needs. Again, frightened to provide pricing and I have no experience of using Dexio. 

UniPath provides robotic (algorithm) automation  process software. An example job candidate submits their resume, a robot automates resume data extraction. Most end-users should be able to use this software. 

Web Scraper is a free browser extension with paid options. To collect web data, it has a point and clicks interface. They call this a scraper. Once you have configured a scraper and ran your scraper you can download the data in CSV format. 

To use either R or Python you would have to invest time learning how. Without question R and Python are the most robust solutions but not for everyone. 

Web scraping with Power BI, Power Query

As an example, let’s suppose I wanted to extract data from Amazon. I seek books to do with ‘collect combine and transform data.’ I require the book title. Author, the number of reviews, average rating and published date.

Open Microsoft Power BI. Click the Get Data icon to reveal the drop-down and select web. 

You should see the next window. Click ‘Add Table Using Examples.’

You should see the example window below. 

Tip: Maximise the window.

In the top half of the window you should be able to scroll through the list to view the available books.

In the bottom half of the window. On the left you should see a table with one column. Named ‘column 1.’ Double click the ‘column 1.’ Rename the column to ‘Title.’ Below the title row click the empty row. Type the first few letters of the book title. In this case ‘Learn Microsoft PowerApps.’ You should not need to type as many letters. Before the title becomes obvious to you. Click book title to add to the column. Add the next book title. On rare occasions you may need to add another book title. To have the column fully populate with webpage book titles.

On the right next to ‘Title’ column is a thin column with an asterisk. Click to add another column. Name the column ‘Author.’ Repeat the previous steps you did to add book title but this time author name. Repeat the same steps to add ‘Average Rating’ and ‘Release Date.’ 

You should find the table rows self-populate. 

Once you completed click ‘OK.’ 

Power BI should open with the table populated. If you do not see the table. On the left hand of the screen you should see three icons. Click the table icon see below. 

You can now manipulate the data to suit your needs see below. 

Conclusion

Power Query offers you a lot of flexibility and for many Power Query is all they will ever need.