Microsoft Scenario Library Finance Spend anomaly identification agent

Available with: Copilot Studio

Finance scenario: Spend anomaly identification agent

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Scenario

Using AI Agents to build a spend anomaly identification agent

Automate detection of suspicious vendor activity, abnormal spending patterns, and duplicate invoices, using AI-powered anomaly detection and fraud detection logic.

1. Extract financial transactions

Extracts financial transactions from ERP systems and monitors transactions continuously.

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AI Agent

Continuously pulls transaction data to enable proactive anomaly detection.

2. Standardize and structure transactions

Transforms data into a clean, consistent and analysis ready format so that it’s ready for anomaly detection.

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AI Agent

Cleans and formats data for consistent, accurate analysis.

3. Detect patterns

Applies rule-based and pattern-based logic and detects patterns in vendor behavior and payment history.

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AI Agent

Identifies suspicious trends in vendor behavior and payment activity.

4. Conduct risk assessment

Scores each transaction based on predefined risk metrics and flags high-risk transactions for review.

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AI Agent

Flags high-risk transactions based on predefined risk rules and metrics.

5. Complete compliance validation

Flags transactions with internal policies and regulatory requirements for compliance validation cross-references.

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AI Agent

Ensures every transaction aligns with internal policies and regulatory standards.

6. Document issue resolution

Provides actionable insights for resolving flagged issues & automates follow-up actions.

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AI Agent

Provides clear next steps to resolve flagged anomalies and prevent future issues.

KPIs

Opportunity to impact key functional area KPIs

How Microsoft Copilot can help average request times

Microsoft Copilot can help with lowering resolution times which in turn ​leads to increased agent productivity and higher customer satisfaction rates.​

Boost productivity​

  • Rapidly find information​
  • Diagnose problems faster​
  • Check for similar issues and resolutions​
  • Quickly send follow-up communications​

Speed data analysis and reporting​

How Copilot can improve risk management

Finance teams grapple with complex tasks—from credit and collections to risk management and compliance. Get real-time insights and strategic recommendations. By automating mundane tasks, Microsoft Copilot frees up time for critical decisions, streamlining audits, simplifying collections, and accelerating financial reporting.

Speed data analysis and reporting

  • Quickly analyze trends
  • Generate informative charts
  • Create strategy presentations

Efficient Email Management:

Custom Support Chatbots

How Microsoft Copilot can reduce finance department spending

As a cost center, Finance teams face the challenge of constantly achieving more with fewer resources. By assisting with everyday tasks, Microsoft Copilot can help increase time for additional analysis, proactive audits, collections processes, and financial reporting.

Keep communication lines open

  • Draft communications such as approval requests, status emails, and supplier communications
  • Summarize stakeholder meetings around budget status and approvals
  • Create sourcing strategy decks

Reduce outsourcing requirements

Avoid spend on finance system updates

How Copilot can help reduce spend on financial systems and tooling

Microsoft Copilot can be extended into processes to bring data together and speed decision-making without performing expensive updates to financial systems.

Inform your decisions:

  • Draft budgets and spreadsheets
  • Search for cost variances across different options

Improve your data: 

How Microsoft Copilot can help reduce days sales outstanding

Collections play a crucial role in any business. Timely and efficient collections help ensure healthy cash flow, liquidity, and operational efficiency. 

Improve collections process

  • Use Copilot to organize information from past interactions
  • Draft communications with Copilot clearly outlining the collection process
  • Analyze different payment methods and its effectiveness

Improve customer meetings

1Access Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat at m365copilot.com, or the Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat mobile app and set toggle to “Web”.

2Access Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat at m365copilot.com, the Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat mobile app, or the Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat app in Teams, and set toggle to “Work”.

3AI Agents allow Copilot to access your organization-specific apps. In the past this would have required an API call to get data from a system of record.

The content in this example scenario is for demonstration purposes only. You should evaluate how Copilot aligns with your organization’s business processes, regulatory requirements, and responsible AI principles.