Forest Products Distributors Transforms AP Operations with OpenEnvoy

Forest Products Distributors (FPD), a 40-year-old full-service lumber wholesaler and manufacturer, faced significant inefficiencies in their all manual AP processes. With complex operations spanning manufacturing, remanufacturing, and wholesale, their paper-based approval workflows resulted in delays, errors, and limited visibility. By partnering with OpenEnvoy, FPD embraced AI-powered automation to streamline approvals, enhance visibility, and improve supplier relationships.

Some of the challenges that Forest Products was experiencing:

• Manual Processes: AP approvals required physical paper shuffling between offices 10 miles apart, leading to delays, lost documents, and bottlenecks.
• Lack of Visibility: Difficulty accessing spend data hindered decision-making.
• Complex Operations: Multi-entity, multi-project operations complicated invoice processing.
• Traditional Industry: The lumber industry’s manual workflows lagged in technology adoption.

Solution

Forest Products Distributors partnered with OpenEnvoy to implement AI-driven automation, addressing key issues:

• Fast Implementation: Delivered value within 3 months.
• Faster Approvals: Reduced approval times from one week to two days.
• Improved Visibility: Dashboards provided real-time spend transparency.
• Flexible Tracking: Tags centralized multi-entity and project costs.
• Smooth Adoption: Clear communication ensured a seamless onboarding experience.

Results

1. Payback: 1X ROI achieved in 2.5 months
2. Efficiency Gains: Approval time cut by 70%, improving cash flow and freeing AP staff for strategic tasks.
3. Improved Visibility: Dashboards and labels centralized spend tracking and sparked actionable insights.
4. Stronger Vendor Relationships: Faster payments built trust with suppliers.
5. Scalability: Flexible workflows handled complex invoices and prepared for ERP integration.

Unexpected benefits

• Leadership Empowerment: Real-time data improved decision-making and reduced dependency on accounting staff.
• Increased Productivity: Freed AP staff contributed to more strategic, higher-value projects.
• Reliable Support: OpenEnvoy’s quick issue resolution boosted stakeholder confidence.‍
  

OpenEnvoy has transformed the way we manage AP. From faster approvals to real-time visibility, the benefits are clear. Our team has more time to focus on strategic initiatives, and our suppliers are happier. The support from OpenEnvoy has been exceptional—it's been a true partnership.

– Konstantin Posherstnik, Director of Finance, Forest Products Distributors