Streamlining Document Processes: A Case Study on EBP Supply Solutions
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Computer Vision Software
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Applicable Industries
- Buildings
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Last Mile Delivery
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
EBP Supply Solutions is a family-owned company that was founded in 1918. The company provides commercial cleaning and food service supplies to customers in the eastern United States. They operate out of three warehouses and have 50 sales representatives serving the region. EBP has approximately 30,000 customers, each with a different delivery schedule. Some customers receive daily service, some weekly, and some monthly. The company sends out about 50 delivery trucks every day to make deliveries to customers, transporting a total of about 700-800 orders split between them.
The Challenge
EBP Supply Solutions, a commercial cleaning and food service supplies provider, was facing significant challenges with their document management processes. The company, which serves customers in the eastern United States, was struggling with an inefficient reporting process. Reports were printed on green-bar paper and manually delivered to recipients in three different buildings. The company's 50 sales representatives would receive several hundred-page reports from their IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) system, which had to be manually separated and distributed. Additionally, EBP was dealing with a high volume of document printing, with every order requiring a delivery ticket and an invoice. The company was also printing several thousand AR statements per month, all of which had to be printed out individually, resulting in tens of thousands of documents each month. The finance department was also overwhelmed with requests for proofs of delivery (PODs), which required a time-consuming process of printing, scanning, and emailing documents.
The Solution
To address these challenges, EBP implemented the Webdocs document management system. Initially, they used Fortra software to convert spool files to PDFs and email them to recipients, eliminating the need for paper and allowing recipients to view reports on mobile devices. They also used the Webdocs Creation & Delivery report splitter to automatically separate and email spool file reports by sales rep. This made the process faster and eliminated the need for manual separation of reports. To make their document processes more efficient and professional, EBP started using Webdocs in conjunction with a laser printer to create neat, branded invoices, tickets, and statements. They also redesigned their process for handling PODs. Now, when a delivery ticket is created, an invoice is also automatically created. When the signed delivery ticket is scanned as a POD, Webdocs automatically matches it with the invoice and emails it to the customer. EBP also plans to integrate their eCommerce site with Webdocs to allow customers self-service access to their account documents.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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