Shortening invoice circulation by 3 days in a warehouse
We introduced a simple scanning system that replaced running between floors. Warehouse workers learned to operate it in 2 hours.
At the Metal-Spec warehouse, invoices circulated between the ramp and the office for too long. Documents often lay on desks, waiting to be moved to another floor. We implemented a system that closes this process in a few minutes.
The challenge
The warehouse serves 43 regular suppliers and hundreds of smaller monthly orders. For years, documents were manually moved from the warehouse to the main office upstairs. A purchase invoice could sit with the storekeeper for 2 days before someone entered it into the system. This caused payment delays and errors in stock levels. In July 2024, 12 documents were lost, resulting in a financial penalty of 2,800 PLN.
Our approach
We started by talking to 4 warehouse workers to understand why they weren't using the old computers. It turned out the equipment was too slow and stood too far from the unloading area. Instead of a revolution, we opted for 2 simple tablets and one industrial scanner right at the door. The Corporate Innovation Embassy applied the principle of process diplomacy here – we didn't change the habit of signing paper, we just added one quick hand movement at the end.
The solution
We built a digital inbox connected to the client's current warehouse program. We didn't throw out what had worked for 11 years, we just added a new feature. The system automatically recognizes the supplier's Tax ID and assigns the scan to the delivery. The storekeeper sees a green message and knows the job is done. The accountant gets a notification 4 seconds after the scan and can immediately approve the transfer.
Results
The time from receiving goods to booking the invoice fell from an average of 74 hours to 4.2 hours. Warehouse workers no longer have to run up the stairs 15 times a day, and the company stopped paying penalties for overdue invoices.
Timeline
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August 2024Observation of work on the ramp and interviews with the warehouse crew
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September 2024Scanner installation and configuration of 2 industrial tablets
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October 2024Training of 6 people and full system launch
"Initially, I thought it was just another gadget that would only make work harder for my people. It turned out scanning takes 3 seconds, and I have peace of mind with the paperwork. Finally, accounting isn't calling me with complaints about lost receipts."