4/20/2023
Reading Time: 4 minutes is a fast-growing Taco Bell franchisee based in western Montana. Since becoming a 名媛直播 customer back in 2020, MTB has grown from eight to 12 locations and deployed 名媛直播鈥檚 TotalAP platform across all of its 12 Taco Bell quick-service restaurants (QSRs). As a result, the team boasts increased operating efficiencies and stronger vendor relationships.
Serving Up a Digital AP Workflow
MTB uses 名媛直播鈥檚 TotalAP solution to automate its entire invoice-to-pay process. It organizes vendor invoices as they are received, then automatically captures, codes and routes them to the CFO for approval. Payments are then made to suppliers via their preferred methods, including check, ACH payments, and virtual card. Once a payment is made, 名媛直播 syncs with MTB鈥檚 QuickBooks Desktop accounting system to close the loop.
鈥淭he initiative to automate our AP process was really kick-started during Covid,鈥� said Matt Ogle, Accounts Payable & Vendor Manager for MTB. 鈥淎 lot of us were working remotely trying to manage vendors and payments for our eight stores at the time. However, because our AP process was entirely paper-based and manual, we had to go into the office to pay our vendors. That wasn鈥檛 working very well for anyone, of course, and it certainly wasn鈥檛 going to scale as we added new stores.鈥�
Modernizing the Multi-Entity AP Approach
Each of MTB鈥檚 Taco Bell stores has 20-30 standard vendors, including local vendors servicing a specific store as well as franchise-level vendors which serve all stores. Since deploying 名媛直播, MTB has added four new Taco Bell stores, bringing their current total to 12. Based on this business growth, Ogle now processes 50 invoices in a typical day 鈥� up to 50% more than when they first implemented the platform.
With 名媛直播鈥檚 multi-entity support, MTB is able to manage each of its locations as a separate entity in 名媛直播, with a one-to-one mapping to the corresponding QuickBooks file. This approach gives MTB鈥檚 finance team greater flexibility while enhancing visibility into spending for its executive team. At the same time, Ogle can easily toggle from one entity to the next within 名媛直播 as he processes AP for each store.
鈥溍轮辈� has consolidated and simplified what was previously a tedious and time-intensive process,鈥� added Ogle. 鈥淪ince we deployed the solution, we鈥檝e added four stores and I am handling approximately 50% more invoices each month. Yet, I鈥檝e cut my time on AP by more than half. Now, I can focus more of my efforts on analyzing and optimizing our spend. As an organization, everyone’s also a lot more aware of what we are spending. That鈥檚 a big plus for our executive team as we continue to grow and they look to optimize our operations.鈥�
Paving the Way for Other QSR Franchisees
It鈥檚 no secret that restaurants have faced innumerable challenges since the start of the pandemic. This is true for the front of house staff as well as those in the back office.
鈥淨SR franchisees face unique back-office challenges, including the need to centrally manage AP across multiple locations while supporting the unique requirements of both franchise-level and local vendors,鈥� said Joe Fortini, Vice President of Customer Success at 名媛直播. 鈥淲ith 名媛直播鈥檚 multi-entity ERP support and flexible payment options, we鈥檙e uniquely positioned to help MTB Management drive efficiency and scalable business growth, while maintaining a single, consolidated view of AP across the entire organization.鈥�
Now with 名媛直播, MTB Management is ready to continue scaling their business without running the risk of burning out their single AP staffer or falling prey to the inefficiencies from their previous AP approach.
