Go Auto AP Challenges and the Yooz Solution Fit
The sheer volume of inventory and all of the parts and services that go along with it resulted in a payable process that was daunting and simply unmanageable. The accounts payable (AP) group of 12 processes more than 17,000 documents/month, and that volume is growing exponentially across the group. “We had a wildfire accounting process,” lamented Shelley Duggins, accounts payable manager for Go Auto. “Most of our work came from Parts and Service and we had no efficient way of providing managers reports that made sense, were current, or were even accurate.”
In 2016 the company began researching a solution to automate its AP workflow with the goal of “getting a divorce from paper.” Go Auto realized very early on that Yooz was the only cloud-based solution that offered:
- Seamless integration with CDK
- Complete and transparent visibility into the invoice approval process
- Was customizable and scaled as the business grew
- Was easy to learn and use whether the AP staff member was new or experienced
“Closing the month used to take five days, and in a business like ours that relies on immediate information, it was five days too long. Now our month-end takes a half day, we’re meeting our targets, the information is correct, and we can move right into the accruals stage.”
– Shelley Duggins, Accounts Payable Manager
Main Points
- Lack of visibility
- Missing invoices
- Missed payments
- Time spend handling e-mails
- Coding errors
- Too much paper
Implementation of Yooz for Go Auto
Key to success, the Go Auto accounting and finance leaders gained buy-in and support from the executive team right from the start. Sherry Wang, Go Auto’s group controller reflects,“We’re fortunate to have a very forward-thinking and progressive executive team. From the group controller level, we are able to easily present ideas to our CFO and make strategic decisions quickly.”
Duggins anticipated some resistance to the change. “The AP staff quickly changed their outlook from ‘Why do we have to convert to Yooz?’ to ‘ We LOVE Yooz!’” she said..
“We were very fortunate to have readily available support from Yooz. The dedicated support team was integral in a smooth and seamless conversion process. Together with our internal team and executive leadership we had all pistons firing in the same direction, which was why we were able to roll out Yooz to our group with such success.”
– Sherry Wang, Group Controller
Calibrating for a Successful Integration
To ensure a smooth transition to AP automation, the company emphasized the importance of first understanding and documenting its workflow to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement. Strong executive support was also crucial, with leadership providing clear communication and guidance throughout the process. By starting digital data analysis early and defining concrete goals, the team laid the foundation for a successful transformation. Embracing Yooz brought greater transparency across the system, a shift that was mirrored in their management style. Finally, maintaining open communication with staff, managers, and suppliers proved essential in fostering collaboration and securing long-term success.
Word of Wisdom from Go Auto
- Understand and document your AP workflow; look for inefficiencies and areas of improvement
- Make sure the executive team is on board; they must provide communication and support throughout the entire transition
- Start the digital data analysis process early on and determine your goals for the transition to AP automation
- The system makes everything more transparent, and so should be your management style
- Keep lines of communication open with staff, managers, and suppliers
