Project at a glance
Grafton’s AP process lacked visibility and control across a high-volume, multi-location operation. With 200,000 invoices, 35 locations, and over 100 approvers, invoices were difficult to track and took up to 40 days to approve.
- 75% of invoices processed touchlessly
- Approval cycle reduced from 40 days to 10
- Nearly doubled AP productivity
- Full visibility across all invoices and locations
- ROI inside the first 12 months
40-day approvals with no clear view of the process
Grafton operates at scale. High invoice volumes, multiple locations, and a large approval network created complexity across the AP process. Invoices moved slowly and visibility was limited. Teams couldn’t easily track where invoices were in the process, and approvals could take up to 40 days. The impact was operational and financial. Delays created inefficiencies, while the lack of visibility made it difficult to manage performance across locations. The day-to-day reality included:
- 200,000 invoices processed across 35 locations
- Over 100 approvers involved in the workflow
- Approval cycles taking up to 40 days
- Limited visibility across the AP process
Replacing slow approvals with a process that moves
Scaling AP across multiple locations requires control, not just automation. SoftCo automated invoice processing, matching, and approvals across Grafton’s entire AP function, giving teams a single, unified view of the process.
"We now have one single view of the whole AP process"
Invoices that meet defined criteria flow through automatically. Exceptions are routed efficiently, with clear visibility at every stage. At the same time, the move to a cloud-based solution removed infrastructure overhead and improved access.
A global AP process that no longer slows down
Productivity has nearly doubled, allowing the team to handle volume more efficiently without increasing resources. Visibility has been fully restored. Finance teams can now track every invoice across all locations, with complete control over the process. he investment delivered rapid return, with full payback achieved within the first year.
75% touchless processing
Invoices flow without manual intervention
Approvals reduced from 40 to 10 days
Faster invoice lifecycle
Productivity nearly doubled
More invoices processed per team
Full process visibility
Across locations and approvers
Payback in year one
Rapid return on investment
We were processing 200,000 invoices across 35 locations with over 100 approvers, and we had no real visibility into where anything was. . With SoftCo, we now automatically match 75% of invoices and we have full visibility across the entire process.”
Brian Conneely
Finance Director, Grafton Group
