AP Automation & Payments for a $1B Tech Reseller
Case Study
Accounts payable relied on manual, error-prone workflows that slowed payment cycles and obscured cash visibility. New Wave deployed an enterprise-grade automation platform covering invoice ingestion, matching, approvals, and payments—reducing cost-per-invoice to near-world-class levels and delivering payback within nine months.
Opportunity
- Manual entry, inconsistent reconciliation, and limited auditability
- High processing cost and excessive headcount
- Limited cash forecasting accuracy and discount capture
- Frequent vendor inquiries and slow issue resolution
Approach
- Implemented end-to-end invoice automation (capture → match → approve → pay)
- Introduced vendor self-service portal and automated exception handling
- Embedded compliance, segregation of duties, and role-based approvals
- Delivered dashboards for visibility into cash flow and performance metrics
Outcome
- Processing cost reduced to ≈ $1–$2 per invoice
- Labor efficiency improved ≈ 65%
- Vendor satisfaction and forecasting accuracy significantly improved
- Payback 6–9 months | 3-year ROI 400%–600%
About the Author
Craig Keller, Managing Partner at New Wave Associates, specializes in finance automation and digital transformation for middle-market companies.