Customer story:
How a retailer reduced invoice processing time by 92% with SAP automation
Applegreen implemented Kefron AP to deliver SAP automation across 193 retail sites in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The result was faster invoice processing, paperless invoice processing at scale, and a centralised, searchable invoice repository.
Product:
Invoice Automation
Industry:
Retail
erp:
SAP
Region:
Ireland, UK & US
Outlets:
193 roadside outlets
Invoice volume:
18,000 monthly
Read Time: 5 minutes
Searchable, centralised invoice repository
92% reduction in invoice processing time
100% paperless workflow
CASE STUDIES:
What Finance Leaders in Retail Are Saying
For Applegreen, Kefron AP delivered SAP automation across 193 retail sites, speeding up invoice processing, enabling paperless accounts payable, and improving visibility over every invoice.
THE CHALLENGE:
Scaling Invoice Processing Across 193 Sites
As Applegreen expanded across Ireland, the UK, and the US, the AP team faced growing pressure on invoice processing across 193 retail sites.
Key challenges included:
- Invoices arriving from 193 locations with inconsistent or missing coding
- High volumes (18,000 per month) overwhelming AP staff
- Duplicate or invalid invoices slowing approvals
- No centralised, searchable invoice repository
- Manual workflows causing delays and errors
The priority was to introduce a scalable solution that could support SAP Automation as the business grew.
THE SOLUTION:
SAP Invoice Automation for Multi-Site Retail AP
Applegreen deployed Kefron AP to deliver retail accounts payable automation through a single, digital platform.
The solution included:
- A central portal for invoices from email, scans, and supplier uploads
- Automated data extraction for supplier, PO, currency, and amounts
- Duplicate invoice detection and validation workflows
- Exceptions routed automatically for AP review
- Secure document storage for audit and fast retrieval
This approach enabled consistent SAP process automation across all sites while removing manual effort.
THE RESULTS:
SAP Automation Enables Paperless Invoice Processing
Since going, Applegreen achieved measurable outcomes through SAP automation:
- 92% reduction in invoice processing time
- Fully paperless workflow within six months
- Searchable, centralised invoice repository for all sites
- Reduced manual handling and improved accuracy
- Scalable automation supporting multi-country operations
- AP teams freed to focus on higher-value work
Applegreen now runs a highly efficient, paperless AP process built for continued growth.
Why This Case Matters for Multi-Site Retailers
This case study shows how SAP automation supports scalable retail accounts payable automation by helping teams:
Handle high invoice volumes across multiple sites
Eliminate manual processes and reduce errors
Centralise invoice storage and retrieval
Achieve paperless invoice processing in weeks, not months
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Invoice Automation That Works Seamlessly
Join multi-site retailers who have streamlined accounts payable with Kefron AP, achieving paperless, efficient, and scalable invoice processing.
Frequently asked questions:
What is SAP automation in accounts payable?
SAP automation in accounts payable is the use of software to capture, validate, and post invoices directly into SAP with minimal manual data entry. It streamlines invoice processing, enforces approval workflows, and improves control over spend for finance teams using SAP.
How does SAP automation improve invoice processing?
SAP automation improves invoice processing by extracting invoice data automatically, matching it to POs and GRNs, and routing it for approval in a standardised workflow. This reduces errors, shortens cycle times, and gives finance leaders real‑time visibility of invoice status inside SAP.
What is paperless invoice processing in SAP?
Paperless invoice processing in SAP means invoices are received, approved, and stored digitally rather than printed or filed in paper folders. All documents and approvals are kept in a central, searchable repository linked to SAP transactions, making audits and queries much faster.
How can SAP automation help retail accounts payable teams?
SAP automation helps retail accounts payable teams handle high invoice volumes from multiple sites without adding headcount. It standardises coding and approvals, reduces manual keying, and gives central finance full visibility into store‑level spend and invoice status across all locations.
What are the benefits of SAP invoice automation for multi‑site retailers?
SAP invoice automation helps multi‑site retailers process invoices consistently across all stores, petrol stations, or outlets. It cuts processing time, reduces duplicate or missing invoices, and supports a paperless workflow that scales as new locations are added.
How does SAP process automation reduce AP errors?
SAP process automation applies rules for validation, duplicate checking, and approval routing before invoices are posted. By removing manual rekeying and enforcing consistent workflows, it reduces coding mistakes, missed approvals, and the risk of duplicate or incorrect payments.
How quickly can invoice processing times improve with SAP automation?
Yes, SAP automation can support a fully paperless accounts payable process by digitising incoming invoices, automating approvals, and storing all documents electronically. Finance teams can search, retrieve, and audit invoices directly from a central digital archive linked to SAP.
How quickly can invoice processing times improve with SAP automation?
Invoice processing times can improve significantly once SAP automation is live, often dropping from weeks to days or even hours. The largest gains come from eliminating manual data entry, automating approvals, and removing delays caused by paper invoices circulating between sites.