Project at a glance
Invoice volumes doubled to 250,000 annually, but the process remained manual. Paper-based approvals, limited visibility, and slow issue resolution created delays across regions and made it difficult to manage invoices at scale.
- 80% reduction in invoice resolution time
- Full visibility across all invoices and entities
- Faster supplier payments and improved relationships
- Reduced billing costs through automation
- Quicker query resolution across time zones
When invoice volume doubled, the process didn’t scale
C&C’s invoice volume had grown to 250,000 annually. The process hadn’t changed. Invoices were handled through manual, paper-based workflows. Approvals were slow, and visibility across invoices was limited, especially across multiple regions. When issues occurred, they were difficult to track and resolve. Teams worked across time zones, but the process wasn’t designed to support that. The result was predictable. Delays increased, visibility decreased, and the process became harder to manage at scale. The day-to-day reality included:
- Paper-based invoice processing across multiple entities
- Limited visibility into invoice status and issues
- Slow resolution of problem invoices
- Difficulty coordinating across regions and time zones
Making invoices visible and resolvable across regions
Fixing AP wasn’t about processing more invoices. It was about making them visible and easier to resolve. SoftCo implemented a centralised AP automation platform, fully integrated with JD Edwards, giving C&C a single view of all invoices across the business. Invoices are now captured, matched, and routed through a consistent workflow. Issues are identified early and routed through structured exception handling processes. Teams can see where invoices are, what’s blocking them, and act on them immediately, regardless of location.
“Staff act faster, we can pay suppliers faster, and build better relationships.”
The process is now consistent across procurement and finance, removing the need for manual workarounds and disconnected systems.
From weeks to days in resolving invoice issues
The impact is most visible in how quickly invoices are now resolved. Invoice resolution times have reduced by 80%, with issues identified and addressed in days rather than weeks. Finance now has full visibility across all invoices, enabling teams to track status, identify bottlenecks, and resolve issues quickly. Supplier relationships have improved as a result. Faster resolution leads to faster payments, reducing friction and improving reliability. Beyond AP, billing processes have also been automated. Costs have reduced, and customers now receive invoices faster, with immediate access to supporting documents.
80% faster issue resolution
From weeks to days
Full invoice visibility
Across all entities and regions
Reduced billing costs
Paper-based processes removed
Faster supplier payments
Quicker resolution and fewer delays
Improved cross-region coordination
Issues resolved across time zones
“Staff who help us resolve problem invoices are based in offices around the world. We find that the SoftCo AP solution makes it much easier to communicate with people across different time zones.”
Jimmy McHugh
IT Business Systems Manager, C&C Group
