P&O Ferrymasters improves cash flow and reduces invoice processing costs by over 35%

Challenge 

P&O Ferrymasters was formed in 1953 and has grown into one of Europe's leading providers of tailor-made transportation and logistics services, designing and delivering innovative and flexible supply chain solutions across the continent. In a highly competitive logistics environment, providing the highest quality service at the lowest operational cost is paramount. 

The company was receiving an ever-increasing number of purchase invoices across multiple sites. Process inefficiencies and growing labour costs meant more staff were required to keep pace with volumes. Critically, the need to evidence signed Proof of Delivery (POD) documents was integral to avoiding delays in receiving customer payments - with slow document processing directly impacting cash flow and debtor days. 

P&O Ferrymasters needed to centralise its accounts payable function, automate invoice processing, and handle POD documentation more efficiently - all whilst reducing costs and establishing a sustainable, scalable approach to spend management. 

Solution 

Proactis supported the centralisation of the AP function and the optimisation of the invoice process by establishing automated AP best practices and controls. A single solution now handles all incoming document formats - paper, PDF, fax, email, and XML - streamlining the receipt of information into the business from all sources. 

Advanced intelligent invoice data capture technology automatically extracts invoice information at the point of scanning, reducing the need for manual data entry. Seamless integration with Unit4 Financials ensures processed invoices are automatically transferred into the finance system accurately and efficiently. The same technology is applied to POD documents, providing instant visibility of proof-of-delivery information throughout the business and accelerating the customer payment cycle.