Document Collection Automation: Processing, Classification, Approvals, and Personalized Workflows
Organizations that handle large volumes of documents often face major challenges in processing them quickly and accurately. Recent studies show that over 40% of employees' time is spent on repetitive tasks related to document management, such as manual classification, data extraction, and individual approvals.
In this context, SenseTask has introduced intelligent document collection processing, also known as “collections.” With this new feature, users can upload one or more PDF files as part of a single collection. The platform automatically classifies the documents by type (invoices, delivery notes, contracts, annexes, forms, etc.) using both pre-trained and custom AI models. It then extracts key data specific to each document type and allows users to configure approval rules and workflows per document.
To illustrate how this works in practice, we’ll look at a real example from Verdum, a company specialized in waste management and transport logistics. Verdum uses SenseTask to fully automate the processing of transport-related document collections—saving significant time, eliminating manual errors, and streamlining the flow of documents into external platforms like SharePoint.
How Smart Document Collection Processing Works in SenseTask
SenseTask enables end-to-end processing of an entire digital collection — from upload to approval and export — with minimal user intervention. Here are the main steps:
1. Flexible import
Documents can be imported via email, API, or manually, depending on the needs of each team. Files are automatically organized into a logical folder structure based on metadata such as location, date, or document type.
2. Automatic classification
Once imported, SenseTask splits the file into individual documents and automatically classifies them by type: invoices, delivery notes, contracts, receipts, forms, etc. Users can review and adjust the classification if needed.
3. Key data extraction
The platform automatically extracts essential information from each document type, such as:
- Company Fiscal ID and supplier or client name
- Document number, series, and date
- Quantity, specific codes, signatures
The extracted fields can be fully customized to meet specific business requirements.
4. Assisted validation
Users can review and approve each document individually. If the classification or extracted data is incorrect, they can reprocess the original file or adjust it manually via the review interface.
5. Full collection approval
A collection is considered approved only after all individual documents have been validated. This ensures full control and transparency across the entire process.
6. Export and integration
Once approved, files can be automatically renamed and exported to various external platforms such as SharePoint, Google Drive, or ERP systems, according to each team's predefined rules.
Where can intelligent digital collections be applied?
SenseTask’s automated collection processing functionality is highly versatile and can be easily adapted to various industries and use cases. Anywhere there’s a flow of documents that needs to be grouped, processed, validated, and archived together, intelligent digital collections offer a clear advantage.
🚛 Transport and logistics collections
Transport companies deal with a high volume of documents per shipment: CMRs, delivery confirmations, invoices, fuel receipts, customs papers, and correspondence. With SenseTask, all documents related to a delivery can be automatically grouped into a single collection, with key data extracted and made ready for validation, invoicing, or archiving.
📁 Financial and grant application collections
Institutions and companies applying for funding must submit complex collections that include: the actual application, tax statements, bank statements, invoices, contracts, signed forms, and more. SenseTask can automatically group, classify, and extract data from each document, generating a complete and verifiable collection for internal or external approval.
🛡️ Insurance claim collections
In insurance, each claim involves a collection containing: claim notification, policy, official reports, photos, invoices, and correspondence. The platform automates the entire process: sorting, indexing, data extraction, and approval.
⚖️ Legal case collections
Law firms and legal departments can organize and process collections made up of: contracts, annexes, addenda, ID copies, correspondence, and court decisions. Classification and fast searching based on extracted data dramatically reduce analysis time.
🏥 Medical or patient collections
Medical institutions can automate the processing of patient collections – including medical records, approvals, prescriptions, lab results, and consent forms – consolidating everything into a secure, validated flow ready for archiving or transfer.
🏗️ Compliance and audit collections
Companies in industries like construction or manufacturing are required to document compliance across projects. These collections may include reports, environmental approvals, certificates, contracts, and official records – all automatically processed and ready for inspection or audit.
🧾 Client or vendor onboarding collections
Onboarding processes involve collections with: completed forms, signed contracts, ID copies, proof of payment, and more. Automating the verification and approval of these collections reduces activation time and minimizes errors.
Case Study: Automating Transport Collections for Verdum
Verdum, a provider of integrated waste management solutions, needed a scalable and efficient way to automate the processing of transport collections, which included multiple documents—delivery notes, annexes, weighbridge tickets, waybills, forms, etc. Their objective was clear: full automation of collection processing, with minimal human intervention and seamless integration with existing systems.
The Challenge
Verdum’s teams received daily PDF files containing complete transport collections. These were processed manually and required:
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Classification of individual documents, such as:
- Factory delivery note (may serve as a waybill)
- Verdum delivery note (may serve as a waybill)
- Hazardous waste transport form
- Non-hazardous waste transport form
- Transboundary waste transport form
- Weighing slip (or weighing ticket)
- CMR waybill (for cross-border road transport)
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Extraction of key data for each document type (e.g., VAT ID, quantities, EWC codes, signatures)
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Automatic validation of quantities sent vs. received, based on ERP data
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Verification of required signatures on applicable documents
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Approval of each document
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Automatic approval of the entire collection
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Automatic file renaming and export to SharePoint
This process was time-consuming, error-prone, and hard to scale.
The SenseTask Solution
SenseTask was deployed in under a month, in a configuration tailored to Verdum’s workflow. The activated capabilities included:
✅ Automated import
Collections are imported automatically via API directly from Verdum’s infrastructure, into a structured system organized by work site and date. If a work site cannot be detected, files are sent to an “Unassigned” space for later processing.
✅ Document classification
After import, files are automatically split into individual documents and classified by type relevant to the waste management domain: delivery note, weighbridge ticket, annex, etc. Classification can be manually adjusted by operators directly from the review interface, if needed.
✅ Essential data extraction
For each document type, SenseTask automatically extracts key information:
- VAT ID and name of supplier and client
- Document number, date, and series
- EWC codes, quantities, signatures
Tags are structured for standardized export to SharePoint.
✅ Automated data and signature validation
Extracted quantities are automatically compared against ERP records to detect mismatches between shipped and received amounts. The system also verifies whether mandatory signatures are present on the relevant documents, flagging any issues before approval.
✅ Controlled approval workflow
Documents can be validated individually. If errors occur, users can reprocess the entire collection or just one document, including reclassification. Only after each document is validated is the entire collection marked as “approved.”
✅ Automated export with renaming
Once approved, the master file is renamed according to a specific template agreed with Verdum (e.g., <transportdate><deliverynote_number>
Results and benefits
- Drastic reduction in processing time: from tens of minutes per collection to under 3 minutes, including validation
- Full coverage of scenarios: whether the collection is complete or documents are sent separately, the system handles flexible processing
- Native SharePoint integration with automatic folder organization
- Fewer human errors and improved data traceability
What sets SenseTask apart from other document processing solutions?
In a crowded market of OCR, RPA, and document automation tools, SenseTask stands out with a unique set of capabilities designed to solve real business problems—not just extract text.
📦 Processing entire collections, not just individual documents
Most solutions focus on a single file. SenseTask introduces the concept of the intelligent digital collection, enabling coordinated processing of multiple related documents—with classification, validation, and approval across the entire set.
🛠️ Full customization for each client
Every organization has its own rules. With SenseTask, you can configure:
- Which fields to extract for each document type
- The required processing order for documents
- Validation and approval rules
- File renaming and export logic
All without writing a single line of code.
🔁 Robust review and control workflows
Users can:
- Reclassify a document if miscategorized
- Reprocess files without manual re-upload
- Approve documents individually, then approve the entire collection
- This level of granularity offers full control and traceability at every step.
🤝 Easy integration with existing systems
SenseTask offers both standard and customizable integrations with:
- SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive
- ERPs like Microsoft Business Central, Xero, QuickBooks
- Internal platforms via API or automated exports
🚀 Easy to implement, enterprise scalable
Designed for non-technical users, the interface is intuitive, while the backend architecture supports enterprise-level scalability:
- Multiple teams with controlled access
- Custom directory structures
- Rules by work site or business line
Conclusion: Automate collection processing with SenseTask
Automated digital collection processing fundamentally changes how organizations handle documents. Whether it’s a transport collection, a grant application, or an insurance claim, SenseTask provides a flexible, intelligent, and controllable framework to accelerate workflows, reduce errors, and ensure compliance.
With capabilities like automated classification, customizable data extraction, assisted validation, and native integration with your existing platforms, SenseTask becomes the ideal partner for full-scale document process digitalization.
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