GreenLeaf Manufacturing
Case Study
ANNUAL REVENUE
€150 million
LOCATION
Germany
INDUSTRY
Manufacturing
COMPANY SIZE
Over 1,000 employees
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
GreenLeaf Manufacturing, a leading producer of eco-friendly packaging solutions, was facing significant inefficiencies in its invoice processing workflow. The company processed thousands of supplier invoices monthly, but their manual, paper-based system led to several critical challenges:
1. Time-Consuming Manual Processes - The Accounts Payable (AP) team spent considerable time manually entering invoice data into their financial system, Sage. This process was prone to errors and required substantial resources to manage.
2. Delayed Approvals - The manual approval process for invoices was slow, often causing delays in payment and straining supplier relationships. Invoices were frequently lost or stuck in the approval chain, leading to late fees and missed payment discounts.
3. Lack of Visibility and Control -The company had limited visibility into the invoice processing workflow, making it difficult for management to track the status of invoices, identify bottlenecks, and ensure compliance with internal controls.
4. High Operational Costs - The inefficiencies in the invoice processing workflow resulted in higher operational costs, with a significant portion of the AP team's time spent on non-value-added tasks like data entry and chasing approvals.
SOLUTION DELIVERED
GreenLeaf Manufacturing partnered with us to deploy a digital transformation solution tailored to streamline their invoice processing. The solution included a custom-built Invoice Processing Management App with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology and integrated approval workflows, directly connected to their Sage financial system.
OCR-Enabled Invoice Capture:
Automated data entry with advanced OCR technology, reducing manual keying.
Validated extracted data against Sage records, flagging discrepancies.
Improved accuracy and reduced errors in financial records.
Automated Approval Workflows:
Created dynamic, customizable approval workflows for timely payments.
Sent automatic notifications and escalation alerts for overdue approvals.
Enabled mobile access for approvers to review and approve invoices on the go.
Integration with Sage:
Synchronised approved invoices in real-time with Sage, pre-populating data.
Provided a full audit trail for compliance and simplified audits.
Offered real-time reports on invoice processing and approval efficiency.
Results and Impact
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Increased Efficiency
The OCR technology reduced the time spent on manual data entry by 80%, allowing the AP team to focus on higher-value tasks such as supplier relationship management.
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Faster Approvals
Automated workflows shortened the invoice approval cycle by 50%, enabling timely payments and allowing GreenLeaf to take advantage of early payment discounts, saving the company €250,000 annually.
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Enhanced Visibility
The company gained real-time visibility into the status of all invoices, improving management's ability to monitor workflow performance, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions.
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Cost Savings
Overall operational costs were reduced by 30%, with a significant decrease in manual processing errors and the need for follow-up on lost or delayed invoices.