SONIC Drive-In cruises to success with Basware Invoice Automation

SONIC DRIVE-IN CRUISES TO SUCCESS WITH BASWARE INVOICE AUTOMATION SONIC Drive-In, a fast-paced, service-oriented Customer company, needed an invoice automation solution that would support these values and provide greater Name efficiencies and control. Basware Invoice Automation SONIC Drive-In has helped the company save substantial time, cost Sector Restaurant Services and effort as well as improve supplier satisfaction. Location United States SONIC®, America’s Drive-In®, the in its restaurant operations. (headquarters in Oklahoma City) largest chain of drive-in restaurants The company’s previous manual in the U.S. with more than 3,500 AP processes were arduous and company-owned and franchise time-consuming. Each of the 458 locations from coast to coast, is company-owned restaurants across known for its quick and personal the U.S individually received invoices Challenge Carhop service and made-to-order from suppliers. Twice monthly, these fast food. In its accounts payable (AP) restaurants sent a batch of invoices Gain visibility over department, however, SONIC’s manual to headquarters in Oklahoma City via invoices. invoice processing operations were UPS (United Parcel Service). The A/P Reduce time, effort and cost in processing less efficient than desired, and the department then manually keyed in invoices. company recognized there was great each invoice. Streamline workflow and improve efficiencies. “Our process wasn’t working Reduce the number of efficiently,” said Karen Higdon, director missing and late invoices and out-of-period of accounts payable for SONIC. “We payments. frequently didn’t receive invoices from Improve invoice tracking the field in a timely manner, and some and auditability. were missing or lost. We also handled a number of calls from suppliers checking on the status of late or out- of-period invoices.” Adding to these problems was the difficult task of trying to manually handle 450,000 invoices each year. “It was time-consuming to key in approximately 40,000 invoices every month,” said Higdon. “Once need for improvement. To address the invoices were entered, they were this, SONIC set its sights on achieving forwarded to another person for the same degree of excellence and review and accuracy. This made the efficiency in AP as it has accomplished process even longer.” The Right Solution The journey Higdon and her team knew they needed an automated system to Phase 1 handle AP processes. They conducted Greater visibility a thorough selection process, sending and control over RFIs (request for information) to 15 accounts payable companies, and then narrowed the and the 450,000 field down to three for more extensive invoices processed review. From this process, SONIC How the Process Works Now annually chose Basware Invoice Automation. Seamless integration To effectively address its invoice between the Infinium “There were several factors behind ERP and the automated automation goals, SONIC implemented processing solution now SONIC’s decision, including the high- Basware Invoice Automation, a cutting- enables the company to level of functionality and ease of use edge electronic invoice processing close its books faster and more accurately, as well as to that Basware offers. One of the solution that eliminates the need to conduct more accurate and biggest selling points of Basware manually process invoices. faster audits. Invoice Automation was that it offered robust functionality right out of the This solution supports electronic Phase 2 box. The fact that we were able to hit workflow, revision, cost allocation and Significantly the ground running with the breadth approval of invoices as well as transfer reduced invoice and depth of the functionality that we to the organization’s ERP or financial processing costs needed was important to us,” says system. With its versatile reporting, and increased Karen Higdon. the solution provides complete access process efficiency and display for all invoice information, The company headquarters SONIC set several goals for its as well as a spend analysis. SONIC handles invoices for 458 company-owned restaurants automated system: The company also implemented automated scanning nationally and the automated wanted to reduce the time and effort to accurately capture invoices solution has delivered annual savings of $160,000— involved in processing invoices, gain electronically. through a 25% clerical staff efficiencies, improve control over reduction and the elimination invoices and decrease out-of-period of lost invoices and late Today, all invoices are received through payment penalties. It also payments. SONIC’s third-party scanning company, greatly reduces the A/P and approximately 97% of the administrative burden by enabling organization-wide The implementation process went very invoices are processed electronically. self-service processing by smoothly. “We are very pleased with Once the invoices are in the system, 1,000 end-users. Basware and have created a true Basware Invoice Automation’s partnership with them. They have autoflow capabilities routes them Phase 3 been great about communicating with to the appropriate approvers and Reduced paper us frequently and are always reviewers in the company. To ensure handling by availableto be on-site, as needed,” that invoices are processed in a timely enabling 97% says Higdon. manner, the Basware system sends of invoices to out reminders, and escalates approval “We are very pleased with be processed to the next level if someone does not electronically. Basware and have created a true respond within a certain timeframe. The electronic processing of partnership with them.