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Graybar Enlists Optura to bring Business Process Optimization to High-Tech Distribution

As one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, Graybar sells, services, sources and ships just about any kind of electrical, telecommunication and networking product.
“High transaction volume” is daily fare for Graybar, even rivaling the likes of high volume retail data centers.

Graybar chose to bring its data processing needs up to speed by undergoing the largest SAP implementation ever in the U.S. Along with this implementation came the need for Optura expertise with two products specifically designed to optimize speed and efficiency—RapidFlow AP Link and AP Invoice Exception.

AP Link improves productivity and throughput in a company’s imaging-based Accounts Payable processes. It assists with PO based invoices, non-PO based invoices, T&E payments and more. Since Graybar will process up to 88,000 transactions per day, this kind of workflow process becomes a critical component for their success.

AP Invoice Exception streamlines Accounts Payable operations using imaging to facilitate paperless processing of invoices in A/P, and then routing problem invoices into the organization for resolution and approval. Graybar operates at more than 250 distribution facilities throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, so this kind of invoice organization assists Graybar in staying competitive even with a large distribution system. Finally, Graybar had to wrestle with the choice of buying a prepackaged, workflow process or building one internally. Their “buy” decision has enabled them to hit critical deadlines in their business strategy. Specifically, they asked Optura to have its implementation done within four months from kickoff. Since AP Link and AP Invoice Exception are ready-to-go products, they were able to finish this phase in three months and one week.
Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation, is a leader in the distribution of high-quality electrical, telecommunications and networking products and an expert provider of related supply chain management and logistics services. They process thousands of transactions daily and are responsible for 100,000 invoices per month. For this high performance company, nothing but the high performing implementation of Optura’s workflow processes would do.

For more information on this Graybar success story or to speak to Optura about providing workflow solutions contact click here

The Challenge of Accounts Payable Processing for a Worldwide Leader in Personal Care Products: Using Workflow Tools to move from unmanaged and unintegrated to Efficient, Manageable and Accurate.

Take a company that is the market leader in cosmetics, personal care, wound health and adhesives technology. It also has 18,000 employees worldwide, a host of internationally recognized brands and an aggressive R & D department. Combine this with the increasing demand of a competitive marketplace and the absolute need to move fast and you’ve got a business that can’t afford to make many mistakes. However, without workflow and integrated processes for Accounts Payable, many companies, such as the one described above, will make mistakes every day that eventually impact the bottom line.

This particular company, known in the health care industry for moving fast and being innovative, had some challenges that were beginning to cripple its long-term business strategy. Specifically in its Accounts Payable Department, these included:

· Geographically dispersed Approvers, Buyers, Requisitioners and Receivers
· After the fact approval validation
· Inaccurate snapshot of outstanding liabilities
· Missed discounts or late-payment charges
· Dissatisfied vendors who were unwilling to negotiate better terms

Optura partnered with this company to bring in a workflow process which worked within their existing SAP framework. It integrated many of their business processes, eliminating a number of inefficiencies that were plaguing this company’s A/P Department. After workflow, this company began to experience:

· Timely responses from the field and quick resolution of queries from Business Units and Partners
· Eliminating manual processes for approvals and problem invoice resolution
· Quick, accurate access to data and documents
· Processing transactions faster, with less cost
· Improved follow-up and escalation capabilities

If you have a superior product and need to have the barriers removed to get that product out to your customers, you need Workflow. Optura helped bring this company to a level of efficiency that will carry it well into its next aggressive phase of innovation, development and distribution.

For More Information:
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