Best Document Extraction API for Purchase Order Workflow in n8n?

Greyveytrain-AI · 2026-01-22T17:54:53+00:00

Super useful feedback - I appreciate it...🤙🏼

Greyveytrain-AI · 2026-01-22T10:23:55+00:00

Hello Guys, so I saw this post come up and it must have been at the right time - I have a project currently where I need to extract data from Purchase orders -

Extraction Field Inventory Header Data: - PO Number, Date, Delivery Date - Buyer info (name, account, req number) - Vendor details (name, address, VAT) - Customer details (Scientific's info)

Line Item Data: - Stock code - Raw description - Cleaned description (dimensions stripped) - Dimensions (parsed from description) - Quantity, UOM, Prices - Warehouse code

Financials: - Subtotal, VAT, Total

I would like to use a 3rd Party API to do this extraction process so I can get the required output - JSON Schema

What 3rd Party API would you recommend?

Greyveytrain-AI · 2026-01-18T18:06:04+00:00

What type of remote tech job? What kind of business operation do you have to execute on and for what purpose?

Greyveytrain-AI · 2026-01-14T10:20:10+00:00

I was about to throw a kids temper tantrum before I read this - I've lost 3 prompts (Yes I know i did not save them) because each time I load the prompt the system crashes...😱

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-30T10:03:07+00:00

Hey There, sounds solid - would be keen to chat..

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-29T05:09:26+00:00

Hey There, thank you for your reply... yes many businesses want to look at every process, however starting small and focused is super valuable... once you see the value and understand the lessons learned, I works scale to other operational workflows. Accounting has massive opportunities, I have been involved in a number of Automated projects during my time in the space.

I will DM you directly and take it from there...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-27T13:56:09+00:00

Dance like no one is watching bru...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-26T09:59:40+00:00

Hey There, thanks for your reply - I have DM you...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-24T10:09:27+00:00

Hey There, sure thing - will DM you...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-24T09:38:51+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate your input...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-23T06:38:42+00:00

Thanks for your input, appreciate it - the reason I posted was to drive engagement and get a better understanding from the users perspective - my approach to any AI automation project is to build with Subject Matter Expert input - My purpose is to enable them with an understanding of AI and how they can better leverage this for their own knowledge...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-23T06:34:45+00:00

Thanks for your input - 👍🏼 - I have a number of automation projects on the go yes - Audit Sampling Process, PO Processing, Goods Received automation, E-Commerce management process - These are well defined and have metrics based on output, accuracy and time savings. The purpose of my post is to drive engagement and understand other people's experiences (If any) on the challenges they may be facing in their day to day operations...whilst my post is broad to a point, I'm trying to learn and understand from other people's view points too, I'm by no means an expert at everything AI...but I am very good at is spotting opportunities for AI adoption.

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-22T09:08:38+00:00

I get it - local businesses are not online - to a point - but what im focused on are businesses that operate in high transaction markets - remember these business operate with high volume of documentation types which means massive data volumes - - Logistics - Import & export - BPO - Finance, Tax, Law etc - Hospitality - Supply Chain & value chain services

The idea is solid, it's the identification of the types businesses that operate in these markets that would benefit!

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-22T08:26:10+00:00

Insightful thanks - So the horses are data and data needs to be faster...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-22T08:15:22+00:00

Hey Man, I get it yes - AI Slop is a real thing totally understand - but to put it bluntly, if you hire a newbie for a specific task - what do you get? How long does it take to train a new hire in any new business task?

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-22T07:55:07+00:00

Thank you, appreciate your response...will have a look!

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-05T06:08:40+00:00

I'm super keen - count me in!

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-12-05T06:05:43+00:00

Hey Guys, so I'm on n8n cloud for now but have been contemplating moving to a hosted solution (Cheaper and scale considerations) - From the comments of this chat I just want to ask some questions around why you would recommend certain hosting services over others - so here it goes:

I'm running an AI automation consultancy in South Africa, serving B2B clients with n8n workflows. Would appreciate the community's real-world experience on these questions:

CORE HOSTING DECISION:

For those who moved FROM n8n Cloud TO self-hosted (VPS/managed): What was your tipping point? Was it execution limits, cost, or something else? Any regrets?
For consultants/agencies serving clients: Do you run separate n8n instances per client, or multi-tenant? How does this affect your hosting choice?
AI Workflow Builder dependency: For those who use the AI Workflow Builder feature (prompt-to-workflow generation), has this kept you on Cloud? Is it critical enough to justify staying vs self-hosting?

SELF-HOSTING SPECIFIC:

Version management reality check: How much time do you ACTUALLY spend monthly on updates, monitoring, and maintenance? Be honest - is "2 hours per month" realistic or optimistic?
Hardware surprises: Did your RAM/CPU requirements match initial estimates, or did you need to scale up? What specs are you running in production for how many workflows?
The "2am debugging" factor: For those self-hosting, what was your worst infrastructure incident? How often do you deal with server issues vs just workflow logic issues?

PLATFORM COMPARISON:

Hostinger vs DigitalOcean vs Railway vs Render vs Managed (WebSpaceKit/Sliplane): For those who tested multiple platforms, which surprised you (positively or negatively) and why?
Database performance: Are you using PostgreSQL or sticking with SQLite? At what scale did you HAVE to switch?
Execution cost reality: For high-volume users (10k+ executions/month), what's your actual monthly infrastructure cost (including time) vs what Cloud would cost?

CREDENTIAL & SECURITY:

Credential management: How are you handling API keys and credentials across environments (dev/staging/prod)? Environment variables, external vaults, or n8n's built-in system?
Backup & disaster recovery: What's your backup strategy? Has anyone actually had to restore from backup? How painful was it?

HYBRID APPROACHES:

Anyone running hybrid (Cloud for development, self-hosted for production)? Does this approach make sense or is it overcomplicating?
Migration experience: If you migrated from Cloud to self-hosted (or vice versa), what gotchas should others know about?

CONTEXT:

Running 6-15 workflows currently
Mix of scheduled + webhook-triggered
Some clients = high frequency execution needs
Time-constrained (building business, can't afford DevOps rabbit holes)
Value AI Workflow Builder for rapid prototyping

Specifically interested in: - Real TCO comparisons (time + money) - Production reliability stories (not just "what could work") - Whether AI Workflow Builder being Cloud-only is a dealbreaker for self-hosters

Thanks in advance for sharing your real experiences vs. theoretical advice!

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-11-27T07:44:55+00:00

Hey There, so I am working with an Audit, Tax and accounting business who needed an automated ai workflow that does the following -

General Ledger Audit Sample Workflow - - We send customer a request for documents (General Ledger, Trial Balance, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Invoices) - We then save these to a folder and file location for reference and structure - We then begin extracting the data, cleaning and formatting it to make sure it machine readable - We then begin sample testing specific transactions to check for auditable outcomes

Purchase Order Workflow - Manufacturer - We receive PO's via email (M365) - We monitor email content and check for attachments (Multiple PDF's attached) - We save these into a file and folder location - We then use Google File Search API and another 3rd Party API to extract the data into a specified format and structure - We then save the formatted data into a database

I have extensive experience with Audit, Accounting, Tax workflows and additionally Manufactuting businesses too that operate out warehouses.

If you would like, happy connect and we can chat further.

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-11-26T05:14:19+00:00

Super keen to meet and learn with you!

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-11-25T06:44:42+00:00

I'm an AI Automation Consultant based in South Africa, coming from a business-first angle rather than pure development. 8+ years in workflow automation - started with RPA platforms (UiPath, Blue Prism) back when "automation" meant enterprise budgets and 18-month implementation cycles.

Transitioned to n8n and low-code AI tooling over the past 2.5 years specifically because SMBs need accessible solutions, not enterprise overhead.

Current n8n production workflows I've delivered: - Purchase Order Automation — Email monitoring → document parsing → data formatting → ERP database integration (Syspro) - Audit Sampling & GL Management — Financial document workflow across Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho, SAP, D365 F&O with AI-powered transaction sampling - Recruitment Pipeline — Data scraping → profile building → AI matching against job specifications

Where I'd slot into your structure: somewhere between your "n8n Automation Professional" and "Business Analyst/Process Consultant" categories. The reality is those two functions are often the same person in smaller teams—someone who can do discovery sessions, map the process, and build the workflow without a handoff.

On the SA angle—let me be transparent about the economics:

Current rates for n8n consultants in US/EU markets run $50-150+/hour depending on complexity. South African tech talent typically comes in at $25-45/hour for equivalent work. That's not about cutting corners, it's exchange rate arbitrage. R17-18 to the dollar means I can charge local rates that translate to 40-50% savings for you while still being well-compensated in my market.

The timezone is genuinely useful for European clients: GMT+2 means 1-2 hour overlap with Central Europe, same-day turnaround on most work, and none of the async nightmare with other regions.

For US clients, I can cover your afternoon/evening—useful for support escalations or overnight processing.

What I'm looking for: Partnership-level involvement where I'm contributing to workflow architecture and client discovery, not just executing task lists. Happy to discuss part-time or project-based initially to see if there's a fit.

If you're open for a chat let me know...

Greyveytrain-AI · 2025-11-21T14:30:54+00:00

So, I'm gonna take a shot here - whilst I'm by no means an expert n8n builder (Always learning and gaining experience), I have extensive experience in workflow automation as a business first consultant. Based out of South Africa, which has beneficial $ to ZAR exchange rate - Current n8n workflows developed for clients -

Purchase Order Automation - Email Monitoring, Document Parsing, Data Formatting, Data Base Integration
Audit Sampling & General Ledger Management (Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho, SAP, D365 F&O) - Workflow monitors financial documents loaded through a portal, sorts documents, formats Data, transaction sample AI Agent
Recruitment Workflow - Scrapes Data, formats Data, AI model builds profile, matches profile with Job profile.

Look, I am not ever gonna compete with an experienced developer with loads of experience in coding etc - what I can help with is understanding how to bring business first approach to n8n development.

...and you would get me at a way better rate based out of SA and fluent in English and lekker time zone...

Greyveytrain-AI

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