Business Automation Case Study
First E & P Redefines Operational Agility with Microsoft AI and Power Platform
First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (First E&P) is one of Nigeria’s leading independent oil and gas company with strategic offshore assets and operations in the Niger Delta. First E&P plays a vital role in Nigeria’s upstream sector making it a key player in the energy value chain. As part of its vision to become a digitally enabled energy company, First E&P initiated a full-scale transformation to eliminate manual inefficiencies and improve visibility across critical business processes.
The Business Challenge
Historically, First E&P relied heavily on a system that was restricted to only the finance department, leaving all upstream invoice activities including invoice submission, approvals, vendor communication, and tracking entirely manual and disconnected.
With Invoice processing still stuck in the past, the outcome was a 2‑ to 3‑week turnaround time for payments processing, limited visibility for supply‑chain and HR stakeholders, repeated vendor follow‑ups and a high risk of manual errors.
The Solution Deployed
By working hand in hand with First E&P, we implemented an AI‑powered Invoice Processing Portal built entirely on Microsoft Power Platform. Power Apps delivers a role‑based interface for internal users and vendors alike, AI Builder extracts data straight from uploaded invoices, while Power Automate orchestrates approvals and validations. Approved invoices synchronized automatically with First E&P’s existing ERP system via Dataverse, while real‑time dashboards gave every authorized user an end‑to‑end view of invoice status.
This Intelligent Automation deployment which combined Power Apps, Power Automate, AI Builder, and Microsoft Copilot, has helped First E&P replace its manual invoicing process with scalable, intelligent and automated workflows.
Potential Turned into Performance
The intelligent automation solution delivered tangible business outcomes for First E&P. The solution has reduced invoice turnaround time by 65%, from weeks to days, has processed over 500 + invoices with near‑zero manual intervention since implementation and driven 35% month‑on‑month growth in active users across Finance, Supply Chain and HR. Vendors now track their invoices independently, reducing follow‑up queries by more than 70% and strengthening partner relationships.
First E&P now enjoys full audit trails, real‑time operational visibility and dramatically improved cash‑flow accuracy.
Charting The Next Phase
With intelligent automation firmly embedded, First E&P is expanding the AI-Powered portal to cover expense claims, travel requisitions and budget tracking to deepen productivity and keep the company agile as it scales in the fast‑moving energy market.
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