From PDF to Excel, Without the Manual Data Entry

Some tasks don’t require a lot of problem-solving. They just require a lot of time.

For one of our clients, that meant manually transferring information from a six-page PDF into an Excel spreadsheet. It was straightforward work, but copying and organizing all that information took a couple of hours. This time, she decided to try something different.

The client needed to move the information contained in a six-page PDF into an Excel spreadsheet. Rather than entering everything by hand, she uploaded both the PDF and the spreadsheet to Microsoft Copilot.

The Prompt

She asked Copilot to transfer the information from the PDF into the spreadsheet. Once the data was in place, she followed up with specific formatting instructions to get the spreadsheet organized the way she needed it. Copilot helped transfer the information into Excel and then applied the requested formatting. The result was a completed spreadsheet that would have otherwise required hours of manual data entry and formatting.

What had been taking a couple of hours took approximately 30 minutes. That’s a meaningful difference for a task that needed to get done regardless of how it was completed.

Instead of spending that time copying information from one document to another, the client was able to use AI to handle much of the repetitive work and focus on reviewing the finished spreadsheet.

The Take 5 Takeaway

Not every useful application of AI involves writing something new or analyzing complicated information. Sometimes, the biggest benefit is getting repetitive work out of the way. If you regularly find yourself transferring information between documents, take five minutes to consider whether AI could help.

There’s one important step, though: review the work before you use it.

AI can help move information from one format to another, but it can also make mistakes. Check that the data transferred correctly, look for missing or misplaced information, and confirm that the formatting meets your needs. Saving time on data entry shouldn’t mean skipping data validation. The goal is to let AI handle more of the repetitive work while you stay responsible for the final result.

Take 5. Use AI. Keep your guardrails.

AI can help reduce repetitive work, but the right tools and responsible practices matter. Not sure where to start? OneSource can help your organization explore practical ways to use AI while protecting your business.