enVista Customer Story

KEY CHALLENGES

• Support company growth while balancing headcount. • Seamlessly integrate with new ERP system: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Cloud. • Leverage automation to centralize AP invoices and reduce time spent tracking down information. • Reduce amount of emails from suppliers regarding payments and create a more efficient invoice approval process.

CHALLENGES

Overcoming lack of resources & visibility in current AP process.

As a leading global software, consulting, automation and managed services provider, enVista helps its customers optimize and transform physical and digital commerce for the world’s leading brands – maximizing cost savings, customer service and profitability.

Hectic email inboxes are the bane of existence for a lot of accounts payable (AP) departments, but this was especially true for enVista. The time spent emailing back and forth with suppliers and tracking down the right people with the right answer to their questions was inefficient.

Invoices weren’t centralized in a single location, creating challenges for the AP team. And getting approvals for invoices was simply taking too long to keep up with demand. enVista knew it was time to optimize its AP process.

After vetting several solution providers, enVista chose Esker’s Accounts Payable solution to deliver the efficiency and visibility it needed to improve the performance and day-to-day operations of its AP department.

"As consultants, we’re trying to stay ahead of the curve from a technology perspective, always looking for the best and most efficient way, not only for our customers, but internally for our employees. And Esker was a long overdue product"
Ryan Gerde | Controller, enVista"

SOLUTION

Reaping the far-reaching benefits of automated AP workflow.

One of enVista’s non-negotiables for an AP solution was the ability to integrate with any ERP system. Currently using Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the company is in the process of migrating to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Cloud. While many solution providers couldn’t integrate with enVista’s ERPs, Esker came through and was able to do so seamlessly.

enVista recognizes that invoice approvers play a major role in controlling company spend. Automating and standardizing the invoice approval workflow not only accelerated processing times, it also helped enVista gain even more control and visibility over company cashflow.

The way Esker’s solution centralizes all invoices has been one of the biggest difference-makers in the day-to-day lives of AP staff. According to enVista Controller Ryan Gerde, “Preimplementation of Esker, the team would spend a lot of time just chasing emails, making sure the approvals were included in the email, the attachment was in the email and not embedded, and just more or less wasting time trying to get the ultimate answer that an Esker type of system would provide.”

"We’ve endured accounting errors in the past that have now been more or less eliminated because of the sheer functionality of Esker and its seamless integration into our ERP."
Ryan Gerde | Controller, enVista

RESULTS

Focusing on value-added tasks instead of chasing invoice approvals.

enVista is now processing more than 90% of supplier invoices directly through Esker, and the benefits from doing so keep compounding for its AP team.

As supply chain consultants, enVista knows that process improvement and digital transformation are a continuous journey, so getting the buy-in from staff is key to success. enVista CFO Michelle Demarco places a heavy emphasis on effective change management, and it made all the difference when it came to getting the AP team to not only use Esker, but to be excited about using it.

By automating the tedious, manual parts of its AP process, staff now has more time to work on activities that actually add value to the company. No more overwhelming email inboxes or playing phone tag with suppliers and approvers — Esker takes care of all that now.

For enVista AP Manager Kelly Majors, automation has given her peace of mind. “I don’t have to worry about missing an email or invoices being approved without proper review to save time,” Kelly stated. “Now we can quickly catch things that the company should not be paying for, so it gives me peace of mind knowing that I’ve got approvers actually, truly reviewing all invoices.”

"Esker even talked about important things like change management during implementation, so we never really felt like we were alone in the transition. We always felt we had someone to answer questions with a pleasant, quick response. "
Ryan Gerde | Controller, enVista