Overview

Ottimate Copilot is the first AI assistant built specifically for Accounts Payable that doesn’t just answer your questions, it proactively works with you to optimize your AP operations. Whether you’re trying to track invoices, avoid late payments, or improve cash flow, our copilot provides intelligent, real-time insights through a simple conversation. And when it spots something unusual, it tells you before it becomes a problem.

Ottimate Copilot is a conversational AI assistant that lives right within the Ottimate platform. It provides a simple, intuitive chat interface where you can ask questions and get accurate, real-time answers based on your AP data. That means you can:

• Ask complex AP questions and get instant answers, or generate tailored reports based on your data and needs
  
  

• Monitor approvals, efficiency, and process gaps across all locations to ensure nothing slips through
  
  

• Get visual insights and smart suggestions to improve cash flow, margin, and strategic decision-making

What is Ottimate Copilot & How Does it Help Me?

Think of Ottimate Copilot as your personal finance assistant who knows everything about your invoices and can answer questions instantly.

Instead of:

• Clicking through multiple screens to find invoice information
  
  

• Downloading reports and searching through spreadsheets
  
  

• Asking colleagues "Hey, do you know the status of that Vendor A invoice?"
  
  

• Spending 10 minutes to find the answer to a simple question
  
  

You can now:

• Type a simple question into Copilot, like "Show me all pending Vendor A invoices."
  
  

• Review results in easy-to-read tables or charts
  
  

• Focus on making decisions instead of finding data
  
  

• Get answers in seconds
  
  

How to Use Ottimate Copilot - Step by Step

Your First Question (2-minute walkthrough)

Step 1: Open Ottimate Copilot (also located in the Apps Section / Navbar on your dashboard)

Step 2: Ask a question
 Type: Show me all invoices from last week and press the submit button

Step 3: Review Your Answer
 Ottimate Copilot will show you a table with:

• Invoice numbers
  
  

• Vendor names
  
  

• Amount ($)
  
  

• Status
  
  

• Dates
  
  

Step 4: Ask a Follow-up
 Type: Which invoices are still pending approval?
 Ottimate Copilot will automatically filter the results.

Understanding Ottimate Copilot's Responses

Tables: Most search results come back as sortable tables you can export to Excel.

Charts: When you ask for trends or comparisons, you'll get visual charts plus the underlying data.

Summaries: For complex analysis, Copilot provides raw data along with explanations for your review.

What Questions Can I Ask?

Finding & Searching Invoices
Perfect for: Daily AP tasks, status checks, finding specific invoices

Status & Tracking Questions:

• Show me all invoices pending approval for more than 3 days
  
  

• Which invoices were approved yesterday?
  
  

• Find invoices with status "Pending Approval" from last month
  
  

• List all overdue invoices by due date for the last 30 days
  
  

Vendor Specific Questions:

• Show me all Vendor A invoices from July 2025
  
  

• Which Vendor B invoices are pending my approval?
  
  

• Find all invoices from new vendors created last month
  
  

• Show me Vendor A invoices over $1,000 this quarter
  
  

Dollar Amount Questions:

• Find all invoices over $5,000 approved in the last 30 days
  
  

• Show me invoices between $1,000 and $3,000 that are pending approval
  
  

• Display the top 10 highest invoices by invoice amount from this month
  
  

GL Code & Accounting Questions:

• Find all invoices coded to GL 5001 (Food Cost) last quarter
  
  

• Show me maintenance invoices (GL 6200) over $500 from last 90 days
  
  

• Which invoices are coded to Fresh Produce (GL 5002) and due this month?

Master prompt to entirely understand invoice specific lifecycle:

• Trace invoice <invoice number>
  
  

Business Analytics & Trends
Perfect for: Monthly reviews, budget analysis, vendor comparisons

Spending Trends:

• Generate a line chart showing weekly food costs for the last quarter
  
  

• Show me a bar chart comparing Vendor A vs Vendor B spending by month for the last 6 months
  
  

• Create a pie chart of spending by GL category last quarter
  
  

Location Analysis:

• Calculate food cost percentage by location for last quarter
  
  

• Show me total spending by location this month
  
  

Vendor Comparisons:

• Compare costs between Vendor A and Vendor B last 6 months
  
  

• Which 5 vendors have increased prices most in the last 3 months?
  
  

• Show me vendor spend trends for the last 2 quarters
  
  

Advanced Financial Analysis
Perfect for: Cash flow planning, forecasting, financial strategy

Cash Flow & Projections:

• Project cash requirements for my AP costs over next 30 days based on past invoices data
  
  

• Forecast Food & Beverage spending for holiday season (October to December)
  
  

Risk & Analysis:

• Which locations are most exposed to price increases from Vendor A?
  
  

• Calculate a 10% <Item Name> price increase impact on total food costs
  
  

Cost Simulations:

• Which vendor poses the highest financial risk based on price volatility?
  
  

Team Performance & Operational Efficiency
Perfect for: Managing your AP team, tracking efficiency

Volume & Activity:

• How many invoices were approved yesterday?
  
  

• Show me average invoice approval time by team member last week
  
  

• Who approved the most invoices this month?
  
  

• Compare weekend vs weekday invoice volume
  
  

Efficiency Tracking:

• Which team members override GL codes most often?
  
  

• Show me invoices requiring manual edits in the last 90 days
  
  

• What's the average time taken from upload to approval by the team?
  
  

Finding Historical Coding
Perfect for: Consistent GL coding, reference lookups

Coding History:

• Where have I coded <Item Name> before?
  
  

• Show me how we've historically coded <Item Name>
  
  

• What GL code did we use for <Item Name> last month?
  
  

Writing Great Prompts - Tips & Tricks

What Works Best (note: the more specific you are, the better the answer from Ottimate Copilot):

Be Specific with Time Ranges:
Phrases to use: last week, July 2025, last 90 days, Q1 2025
Phrases to avoid: recently, a while ago, some time back

Include Key Details:
Phrases to use: Vendor A invoices over $1,000 pending approval
Phrases to avoid: big invoices that need approval

Use Vendor Names or Vendor IDs Exactly:
Phrases to use: Vendor Z, Vendor A, Vendor X Company
Phrases to avoid: that food vendor, the soda company

Request Specific Output Formats:
Phrases to use: show as a line chart, display in table format, sort by date
Phrases to avoid: make it look good

Making Ottimate Copilot Understand Context: Stack Multiple Conditions
 Find invoices from Vendor A AND over $1,000 AND pending approval AND from our Chicago location

Ask Follow-up Questions:

1. Show me all food cost invoices from last month
   
   

2. Which ones are over $2,000? (Ottimate Copilot remembers the previous context)
   
   

3. Sort those by vendor name
   
   

Common FAQs

About Ottimate Copilot's Capabilities

Q. Can Ottimate Copilot approve invoices for me?
A. Not yet! Version 1 is focused on finding information and analytics. Invoice approvals, rejections, and other actions are coming in Version 2 (end of 2025).

Q. Can I export Ottimate Copilot's results?
A. Yes! Most tables have an "Export to CSV" button. Charts can be saved as images.

Q. Does Ottimate Copilot work on mobile?
A. Yes, but the experience is optimized for desktop. The chat panel adapts to your screen size.

Q. Does Ottimate Copilot remember previous conversation/cross-conversation history?
A. Ottimate Copilot does not retain memory across different conversations. However, if you log back in and continue with an existing conversation, you will be able to continue where you left off.

Q. What is considered as 1 Conversation?
A. Asking a question and getting a response is considered as 1 conversation

About Data & Access

Q. Can I see invoices from locations I don't have access to?
A. No. Ottimate Copilot respects all your existing permissions. You'll only see data you're already authorized to view in Ottimate.

Q. What if I ask about data that doesn't exist?
A. Ottimate Copilot will tell you clearly: "I couldn't find any invoices matching those criteria" and suggest similar searches.

Q. Can Ottimate Copilot access our ERP data?
A. Currently no. Ottimate Copilot works with invoice data stored in Ottimate. ERP integration is planned for future releases.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Q. Ottimate Copilot said, "I'm not sure how to help with that." What should I do?
A. Try rephrasing your question more specifically:
 Instead of: How are we doing?
 Try: Show me total spending this month vs last month

Q. I asked for a chart but got a table. Why?
A. Some data works better as tables. Try asking: Show me [your question] as a line chart or Create a bar chart for [your data]

Q. Ottimate Copilot gave me way too many results. How do I narrow it down?
A. Add more filters:

• Show me the top 10 results
  
  

• Only from location A
  
  

• Over $1,000 only
  
  

• From last 30 days
  

Q. Can I save my favorite questions?
A. Not yet, but you can bookmark this guide and use the prompt templates above for quick reference

Q. Why is my Copilot taking time to answer?
A. Copilot is strategizing how to answer your question and this process can sometimes take time depending on how large your dataset is

Q. Why is my Copilot not showing me the Invoice Approver email?
A. Approver email is hidden in the chat window to maintain privacy. Download the csv file to view the entire list.

Getting Better Results

Q. How do I find unusual or problematic invoices?
A. Try these searches:

• Show me duplicate invoices from last month
  
  

• Find invoices with missing GL codes
  
  

• Which are the duplicate invoices from this week?
  
  

• Show me invoices approved outside business hours
  
  

Q. What's the best way to track vendor performance?
A. Use these prompts:

• Show me average approval time by vendor
  
  

• Which vendors have the most invoice exceptions?
  
  

• Compare price trends between [Vendor A] and [Vendor B]
  
  

What's Coming Soon

Taking Action - planned for next release 

• Invoice approvals/rejections ("Approve all invoices under $500") – Coming in V2
  
  

• Bulk edits ("Change all restaurant related items in the invoices to GL 5001") – Coming in V2
  
  

• Bulk approvals ("Auto-approve cleaning invoices under $300") – Coming in V2
   Ottimate Copilot will say: "I can find that information for you, but I can't take actions yet. That feature is coming in Version 2!"
  
  

Additional Features planned for Q4

• Support for customers on Enhanced Dimensions
  
  

• Mobile friendly experience
  
  

• Troubleshooting support / support related to Ottimate’s internal workflows understanding (especially for onboarding/new customers)
  
  

• Understanding invoice related Payment Terms
  
  

• Statement ingestion and reconciliation related analysis
  
  

• Understanding approval workflow specifics

Other Roadmap Priorities

• COGS/Inventory Analysis. Gross margin calculations, inventory turns
  
  

• ERP Specific Fields. Custom fields from QuickBooks, NetSuite, etc.
  
  

• External Banking. Payment confirmation from bank feeds
   Workaround: Ask GL-based questions instead.
   Example:
   Instead of: "Show me gross margins by location"
   Try: "Show me food cost (GL 5001) as percentage of total spend by location"
  
  

Scheduling & Alerts

• Recurring reports ("Email me weekly spend reports") – Coming in V2
  
  

• Proactive alerts ("Notify me when invoices sit too long") – Coming in V2
  
  

• Scheduled analyses ("Run this report every Monday") – Coming in V2
  
  

Privacy & Security

Your Data is Protected

• Data Security: Ottimate Copilot uses best-in-class encryption and security protocols
  
  

• Role-Based Access: You only see what you're supposed to see
  
  
  

What Ottimate Copilot Knows About You

• Your Name & Role: To personalize responses and apply permissions
  
  

• Your Locations: To filter results appropriately
  
  

• Your Access Level: To respect data restrictions
  
  

• Your Company Data: Invoice, vendor, and GL information you’re authorized to see
  
  

What Ottimate Copilot Never Sees

• Other Businesses/Accounts: Only your company’s data, never others'
  
  

• Password Information: Ottimate Copilot has no access to login credentials. All password data is encrypted
  
  

Pricing

Currently, Ottimate Copilot will be available only to beta users and there will be no charge associated with it for the beta testing period. However, post the beta, we will move to a usage-based pricing model.

Quick Reference Card

Most Popular Questions:

1. Show me all invoices pending my approval
   
   

2. Find invoices over $1,000 from last week
   
   

3. Which vendors had the most spend this month?
   
   

4. Generate a cost analysis chart by GL for last quarter
   
   

5. Show me food cost by location and sort it by highest to lowest
   
   

6. Calculate average approval time last month for all team members
   
   

7. Find duplicate invoices from last 90 days
   
   

8. Project cash flow requirements for next 30 days based on past invoice spend data
   
   

Emergency Phrases When Stuck:

• "Show me an example"
  
  

• "What questions can I ask about vendors?"
  
  

• "Help me find invoice information"
  
  

• "I need to see spend data"
  
  

Quick Formatting Requests:

• "as a table"
  
  

• "as a line chart"
  
  

• "as a pie chart"
  
  

• "sorted by amount"
  
  

• "top 10 only"
  
  

For further assistance, contact Ottimate Support by emailing support@ottimate.com or click the link here and submit a support ticket.