Can you tell me about an automation you implemented in your previous role and how it made processes more efficient?

In my previous role at a mid‑size manufacturing firm, I automated the monthly reconciliation of vendor invoices using Python and pandas. The process originally involved manually downloading PDFs, extracting data with OCR, and matching entries against purchase orders in an Excel workbook—a task that took the finance team three days each month. I developed a script that pulled invoice data from the ERP system via API, performed data cleansing, matched invoices to purchase orders using fuzzy logic, and flagged discrepancies. The automation reduced the reconciliation time from three days to just two hours, improved accuracy by eliminating manual entry errors, and freed the finance team to focus on analytical reporting. Additionally, the script generated a summary report that was automatically emailed to stakeholders, ensuring timely visibility. This project not only increased efficiency but also demonstrated my ability to translate business requirements into scalable, maintainable code.