How Strandbags' Finance Team Gained Back 25% of Their Day

As the business revelled in success and continued to expand its reach, the finance team experienced a sharp increase in workload. More sales meant more purchasing, and more purchasing led to more supplier invoices, especially during peak seasons. Processing such a large volume of paperwork was becoming time-consuming. Strandbags' finance team struggled to manage the mountain of manual data entry, and fluctuations in the lead-up to summer holidays and Christmas made it even more challenging.

In an attempt to gain control of their AP processes and facilitate better visibility over their purchasing, the team opted for a solution that stored supplier invoices in one place and integrated with their accounting software, Infor SunSystems.

Unpacking The Manual Mess

With its 300-store regional operation, efficiency is key to Strandbags' success. They employ a small but agile finance team of 2, with Melanie Lagos as the Accounts Payable Manager. Melanie oversees the company's financial operations, ensuring smooth processes across their retail network.

Before implementing Lightyear, Strandbags relied on a manual, time-consuming AP process. This was especially difficult during the peak seasons, when invoice volumes surged by 50-100%, putting immense pressure on the 2-person team.

"We were managing invoices manually before Lightyear. Invoices would come in by mail, courier, or email, and we’d forward them to regional managers for approval. After that, we’d manually enter the details into Infor SunSystems. It was a time-consuming process with plenty of room for error." 

Increased errors often lead to supplier payment delays for retailers, putting relationships at risk and potentially preventing stock priority during peak seasons.

Additionally, the Strandbags finance team struggled to store the volume of invoices they received, limiting their financial visibility. This led to cash flow uncertainties and made forecasting for seasonal fluctuations difficult.

"Before Lightyear, we printed invoices or sent them by mail because we couldn’t really store them. This became especially challenging during audits when we had to track down hard copies or sift through archived emails to find the documents," says Melanie.

To eliminate these issues, the team sought Lightyear’s automated invoice solution.

Crafting Savings with Every Sale

The integration of Lightyear with Infor SunSystems enabled automatic data flow between the systems, eliminating manual intervention for the team.

‘'We no longer have to send emails for approvals because everything is right there in one place. It has saved us around 2 hours daily, as we no longer have to check emails, forward invoices, or manually enter journals into SunSystems,’' adds Melanie.

The streamlined process meant the team has developed stronger relationships with suppliers, with all invoices sent to a central email ensuring nothing is lost.

"It’s easier for them to email the invoice directly to the designated address rather than sending it to accounts. It’s much more straightforward and has benefited them." Melanie highlights.

The team has also saved storage space, as they no longer need to pile up hard copies. Everything is now stored digitally within Lightyear.

"We can see everything more clearly now because all invoices are in one place. It makes reviewing and approving them more efficient and easier to track which invoices are outstanding, approved, or disputed. Lightyear has also made it simple to access invoices going back for years." comments Melanie.

Melanie further mentions that the support they continue to receive after Lightyear’s implementation is unmatched.

"Whenever there's an issue, the support team is always very helpful and quick to respond. The support is crucial, and I appreciate how efficiently they handle even minor issues. It’s reassuring to know that help is always just a call away."

6 Hours Back Every Week

By investing in Lightyear, the Strandbags finance team freed up 6 hours per week on AP tasks, gaining a strong ROI.

"Lightyear saves us around 5–6 hours per week, maybe more. It also helps us reduce errors from manual invoice entry. Before Lightyear, we paid for off-site invoice storage and spent countless hours on manual data entry. Now, all that time and cost is saved." highlighted Melanie.

The time saved has allowed the finance team to focus on tasks that support the company's growth.

"We’ve got other areas to focus on now, like processing payments. Before, things felt rushed, but now, with Lightyear, we have the confidence that all invoices are in order."

When asked what advice Melanie would give someone looking at Lightyear for AP automation, she said:

"I’d definitely recommend giving Lightyear a go. There are significant time and cost savings that make a real difference. The invoice storage system is great, and you no longer need to worry about off-site storage or the risk of human error."