Intelligent Invoice Processing System
Client
Professional Services
Surface Area
Mid-market enterprise with national presence
Value
50,000+ invoices annually
Category
Finance, Operations, Procurement, Accounts Payable
Streamlining Operations with Advanced WIP Tracking
Executive Summary
A leading enterprise partnered with Xylity to transform their invoice processing system using Microsoft Fabric service. This case study demonstrates how we revolutionized their work-in-progress (WIP) tracking system, eliminating manual processes and creating a real-time, automated solution that significantly improved operational efficiency.
Client name:
Professional Services
Surface Area:
Mid-market enterprise with national presence
Value:
50,000+ invoices annually
Category:
Finance, Operations, Procurement, Accounts Payable
Business Challenges
The client faced multiple critical challenges in their invoice processing system:
Operational Inefficiencies:
- Manual tracking of 4,000+ monthly invoices
- Average processing time of 15-20 days per invoice
- 8+ FTEs dedicated to invoice processing
- Multiple handoffs between departments
- No centralized tracking system
Visibility Issues:
- Lack of real-time status updates
- No clear view of bottlenecks
- Difficulty in priority management
- Limited tracking across departments
- Inconsistent status reporting
Process Management:
- High error rates in manual entry (15-20%)
- Duplicate payments and processing
- Delayed vendor payments
- Poor audit trail maintenance
- Limited performance metrics
Solution Overview
Strategic Approach
Xylity implemented a comprehensive WIP Tracking solution in three phases:
Phase 1: Analysis and Design (6 weeks)
- Documented current process flows
- Identified bottlenecks and pain points
- Designed new workflow architecture
- Established KPIs and success metrics
Phase 2: Development (16 weeks)
- Built Microsoft Fabric infrastructure
- Developed tracking system
- Created automated workflows
- Implemented reporting dashboards
Phase 3: Deployment (8 weeks)
- Conducted user training
- Performed parallel processing
- Refined workflows
- Established monitoring systems
Technology Stack Details
Microsoft Fabric Components:
- OneLake for data storage
- Data Factory for workflows
- Power BI for reporting
- Dataflow for processing
Additional Technologies:
- SQL Server for transactional data
- Power Apps for user interface
- Power Automate for workflows
- Custom APIs for integration
Technical Architecture
Data Layer:
- Centralized data repository in OneLake
- Real-time data processing pipeline
- Automated data validation
- Secure document storage
Processing Layer:
- Automated invoice ingestion
- Smart routing algorithms
- Status tracking system
- Exception handling framework
Presentation Layer:
- Interactive dashboards
- Real-time status updates
- Mobile-friendly interface
- Role-based access control
Implementation Approach
Process Automation:
- Automated invoice capture and routing
- Real-time status tracking
- Intelligent workflow management
- Exception handling system
Tracking Capabilities:
- End-to-end visibility
- Real-time bottleneck identification
- SLA monitoring
- Performance analytics
Integration Features:
- ERP system integration
- Email notification system
- Mobile app access
- Vendor portal integration
Business Impact
Quantitative Results:
- Reduced processing time from 15-20 days to 6 days
- Decreased error rates from 15% to 1.5%
- Improved on-time payments by 85%
- Reduced processing costs by 60%
- Increased throughput by 40%
Qualitative Improvements:
- Enhanced vendor relationships
- Improved team productivity
- Better cash flow management
- Increased process transparency
- Stronger compliance controls
Financial Benefits:
- Annual savings of $500,000+ in processing costs
- Early payment discounts captured: $150,000
- Reduced late payment penalties by 95%
- ROI achieved within 8 months
Future Roadmap
Planned enhancements include:
- AI-powered invoice processing
- Advanced analytics capabilities
- Vendor performance scoring
- Mobile app enhancements
- Predictive analytics integration
Lessons Learned
- Thorough process mapping is essential
- User training is critical for adoption
- Phased rollout reduces disruption
- Regular stakeholder communication is vital
- Continuous monitoring enables optimization
Best Practices Established
- Standardized invoice processing workflows
- Clear escalation procedures
- Regular performance monitoring
- Documented exception handling
- Continuous improvement process