data.day
automation / sharepoint / power-automate / finance-ops

Case: Invoice Attachment Lost, Payment Late, Supplier Angry

A missed PDF cost us late fees and a vendor relationship. Here is the 'Monster Hack' flow that saves and renames attachments instantly.

Marta Clarity Marta Clarity

The $500 Mistake

The invoice was for $5,000. The late fee was $500. That means the cost of “I missed the email” was effectively $500.

In Operations, we often rely on humans to be data routers. We expect them to:

  1. Receive the email.
  2. Open the attachment.
  3. Click “Save As.”
  4. Navigate to the correct folder.
  5. Rename the file (so it isn’t just Scan001.pdf).

This is The Manual Drag. It is boring, repetitive, and prone to error. If the human is sick, busy, or just forgets, the file disappears into the digital abyss.

The Automation: The Document Harvester

We treat automation as Self-Defense. We defend ourselves against our own forgetfulness.

I built a Power Automate flow that handles this. It took 20 minutes to build. It saves us 5 hours a month and infinite embarrassment.

Step 1: The Trigger

  • Watch: The [email protected] alias (or a specific folder).
  • Condition: Has Attachment = Yes.

Step 2: The Filter (The Smart Part)

We don’t want every Facebook icon from email signatures.

  • Logic: If Attachment Size > 20KB AND Content-Type contains “pdf”.
  • Then: Proceed.

Step 3: The Standardization (The Rename)

This is where the magic happens. We do not save the file as Invoice.pdf. That overwrites the previous one.

  • Expression: YYYY-MM-DD_SenderName_FileName.pdf
  • Result: The file is saved as 2025-12-05_AcmeCorp_Services.pdf.

Step 4: The Storage

  • Action: Create File in SharePoint > “Finance/Incoming Invoices”.
  • Action: Post to Teams Finance Channel: “New Invoice received from Acme Corp. Saved to drive.”

The Aftermath

Now, when the Office Manager goes on vacation, the process does not stop. The robot catches the PDF. The robot files the PDF. The Accounts Payable team sees the notification in Teams.

We went from a single point of failure (the Inbox) to a shared system of record (SharePoint).

  • Before: “Did we get that bill?” (Searching Outlook).
  • After: “Check the folder.” (One click).

Stop saving files manually. It is a tax you do not need to pay.

FAQs

What if the email has a logo image in the signature?

We filter by size. If the attachment is < 5KB, the bot ignores it. We only want the real files.

How do I find the file later?

The bot renames it with the Date and Sender Name. It creates a standardized index.

Is this secure?

More secure than your inbox. SharePoint has version history and access logs. Your inbox has neither.