The Challenge
Jetro Cash & Carry and Restaurant Depot, both owned by Jetro Holdings LLC, are wholesale suppliers for the grocery, catering and restaurant industries. Across 150 store locations around the US as well as multiple corporate offices, Jetro had to process a number of sales-related documents and maintain relationships with over 5,000 vendors. However, they realized that paper-based processes would stall growth and increase their need for additional staff. That’s when they turned to OnBase by Hyland.
The Solution
Working with Naviant, an authorized OnBase solution provider, Jetro first implemented an OnBase capture solution for grocery invoice processing. OnBase automatically pulls fields from scanned invoices and indexes the invoice using the extracted information within their document archiving system. Because of the process efficiency improvements that resulted from this solution, as accounting employees leave the company, Jetro does not need to find replacements.
Initial Success Leads to Capture Solutions for Multiple Processes
Based on its success with invoice processing, Jetro expanded its solution. Now, not only does OnBase capture needed information from grocery invoices, it also performs a 3-way match across its systems to validate the lifted data, capturing both paper and emailed invoices. The validated data then automatically indexes the invoice images and updates their accounting system.
Jetro also extended its OnBase capture solution to each of its 118 stores as well as two satellite corporate locations, empowering staff anywhere to immediately capture documents wherever they receive them. The stores now capture documents like G&A expense invoices, credit memos, liquor and cigarette licenses, and vendor insurance certificates so corporate has immediate access for processing and to ensure those documents are on file for regular audits.
The ability for stores to immediately capture documents onsite has also simplified complex operations involving vendors that aid in delivery of goods to stores. For example, one such vendor has also worked with Naviant to implement a similar capture solution, enabling an easy exchange of information between the two partners digitally instead of via paper.
Tackles the Complexities of Tax Regulations
Since Jetro sells primarily for resale, they are not required to collect sales tax. However, each sale requires a resale certificate or the company can get fined the amount of sales tax missing from the associated receipts. And to make it even more complex, sales tax laws vary by state, requiring different forms for different stores across the country.
Jetro needed a solution that would ensure it could consistently prove compliance with these regulations. Staff scan resale certificates in the stores and OnBase captures and validates the data. Because of the unique information on each form, Jetro’s capture solution includes different validation rules for each form type, which the solution can intelligently identify as they are captured. As a result, Jetro can be confident that all the required documentation will be easily retrievable – digitally – during any audit.
“I can’t put a dollar value on it, but I would certainly say OnBase is worth a substantial amount of money to us,” said Lora White, the Director of Accounts Payable at Jetro. “The resales alone – having those documents during an audit is obviously a tremendous benefit.”
The Difference
Speeds Up Processing Time
As each retail location receives forms and documents, staff can immediately capture them onsite into a system where corporate departments like purchasing and accounting can continue processing them.
Minimizes Risks
With documents on hand and stored digitally, Jetro no longer needs to worry about consequences from audits. They run reports on the systems regularly so management has a clear view of what paperwork they’ve received and what is still missing.
Reduces Costs
“It’s our primary vehicle to exchange paperwork,” White said, adding that instead of dealing with the time and cost associated with mailing paper between locations, everything is captured exactly where it is received. “We use this mostly for communications with our stores so any paperwork requirements that they have we let them use the capture solution so [you have a digital record and] it’s always retrievable.”
