Salt & Sage Restaurant Group, operating four premium dining establishments, was overwhelmed by paper invoice processing that consumed excessive administrative time, incurred late payment fees, and strained supplier relationships during peak seasons.
The Challenge: Manual AP Processes Creating Financial Friction
With each restaurant receiving 150+ supplier invoices monthly, the group's manual accounts payable process was collapsing under the volume. Paper invoices arrived at four different locations, requiring physical transport to head office for processing, creating delays, errors, and missed early payment discounts.nnThe core operational issues were:
The Solution: Automated Invoice Capture and Approval Workflow
Edderton Scott implemented a comprehensive invoice automation solution featuring digital capture, automated data extraction, and streamlined approval workflows across all restaurant locations.nnEnd-to-end automation from invoice receipt to payment authorisation, eliminating manual handling and data entry.nnWe began by mapping the complete accounts payable journey and engaging key suppliers to transition from paper to electronic invoicing where possible, while implementing digital capture for remaining paper invoices.nnWe deployed an invoice automation platform with optical character recognition (OCR), automated coding, and configurable approval workflows integrated with their accounting system.
End-to-end automation from invoice receipt to payment authorisation, eliminating manual handling and data entry.
"The invoice automation has transformed our back-office operations. We've eliminated late fees, improved cash flow management, and our finance team now focuses on analysis rather than data entry. Supplier relationships have improved dramatically with timely, accurate payments."
— Sarah Mitchell, Finance Director at Salt & Sage Restaurant GroupThe Result
The automated invoice processing system reduced processing costs by 40%, decreasing the cost per invoice from £12 to £2. Late payment fees were eliminated entirely, saving approximately £8,000 annually. Early payment discount capture increased by 300%, generating £15,000 in additional savings. Processing time reduced from 10 days to 2 days, improving cash flow forecasting accuracy by 75%. Supplier satisfaction scores increased significantly, with several key suppliers offering improved payment terms in recognition of the group's efficient payment practices.