Late payment fees are one of the most avoidable yet costly consequences of manual AP processes in JD Edwards. However, you can easily eliminate them with the right automation solution. Federated Co-operatives Limited‘s (FCL) AP automation success story proves how transforming manual workflows can lead to major cost savings.
FCL’s Refinery Operation was drowning in paperwork. Processing 42,000 invoices annually for over 2,000 vendors—many of them high-volume—put significant strain on the AP team. Their meticulous document backup procedures, while thorough, were slowing them down and contributing to excessive turnaround times and costly late fees.
That’s when they turned to SCANMAN AP Automation for JD Edwards.
A Co-operative in Need of a Change
Based in Saskatchewan, Canada, Federated Co-operatives is a $12B wholesale and distribution organization owned by more than 160 independent local Co-ops across Western Canada. Efficiency isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential for supporting such a large, decentralized structure.
Shortly after rolling out JD Edwards EnterpriseOne to their Refinery Complex in 2021, the FCL team began looking for ways to streamline their AP processes and reduce costs. The wish list was clear:
- Native integration with JDE for seamless usage and deployment
- High OCR accuracy to speed up invoice recognition
- Improved visibility into invoice status
- Faster turnaround to avoid late payment penalties
Why SCANMAN Was the Right Fit
After assessing several solutions, SCANMAN stood out for its embedded AP automation within JD Edwards and impressive OCR capabilities. Implementation was fast and didn’t require extensive training. And to boost visibility further, FCL also deployed ReportsNow DAS to monitor invoice aging and exception rates in real time.
From Paper to Performance: The Results
In just a few months, FCL saw measurable improvements. The combination of SCANMAN and ReportsNow DAS helped them tackle the biggest bottlenecks in their AP process:
- Eliminated payment delays, reducing late payment fees by C$72,000
- Improved turnaround time by 60%, with most invoices processed within minutes
- Ensured correct routing of invoices, removing the need to track down approvals
- Enabled real-time visibility, reducing disputes and speeding up resolution times
- Accelerated processing with OCR automation, minimizing manual entry errors
- Captured and stored supporting documentation automatically, enhancing audit readiness
What’s Next for FCL
After the initial success, the team is moving forward to further automate AP processes. FCL is now working with SCANMAN to implement Voucher Match Automation (VMA) to reduce manual touchpoints even further. The long-term goal? Automate 90% of their supplier invoice volume—and eventually scale SCANMAN AP automation across all 160 Co-ops after the JD Edwards rollout is complete.
Ready to See What You Could Save?
FCL’s story is proof that AP automation doesn’t just improve processes—it directly impacts the bottom line. If you’re still relying on manual workflows, the cost isn’t just time—it’s also money left on the table.
Build a strong business case for AP automation, use our calculator to discover how much you can save with SCANMAN AP Automation.
