JGR Construction, a prominent commercial and residential concrete construction company with a substantial workforce, faced significant challenges in its manual invoice-matching and purchase order (PO) reconciliation processes. Financial Controller Vivian Jimenez explains how SubBase has revolutionized their operations, saving time and making efficiencies across the organization.
Before SubBase, JGR Construction struggled with a cumbersome manual workflow. The team had to manually match invoices to purchase orders and delivery tickets, which was time-consuming and prone to errors.
“Our workflow process involved a great deal of manual matching,” says Jimenez. “We would create a purchase order in the system, but when an invoice came in by email, we would have to print it out and then physically match it to a purchase order sheet.”
One of the major pain points was the absence of a clear record of the agreed-upon purchase price in the purchase order system. This created confusion and necessitated constant cross-referencing, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
“The process of matching an invoice to the agreed purchase price was the most challenging,” says Jimenez. “This meant we had to look for answers and constantly check for errors.”
“One of the most challenging parts of this process was matching the invoice to the purchase agreed- upon price and confirming the accuracy of the build.”
Recognizing the need for a seamless solution that bridged the gap between purchasing and invoicing, JGR Construction turned to SubBase.
The platform offered a central procurement and invoice reconciliation location, simplifying their processes significantly. Vivian Jimenez, JGR Construction’s Financial Controller, describes SubBase as a game-changer for their accounting operations, emphasizing the time and effort it saves.
“In terms of accounting, we think SubBase is the best thing since sliced bread,” says Jimenez. “The amount of time SubBase saves in matching invoices to projects is a huge win for us. It’s everything we wanted.”
JGR Construction embarked on a pilot program with SubBase, selecting a project engineer as a ‘champion’ of the system. As new projects came on board, SubBase was gradually rolled out across the organization.
“SubBase has been phenomenal regarding implementation and support,” says Jimenez. “The implementation across accounts and administration has been seamless.”
Despite some initial resistance to automation, SubBase’s support team was pivotal in facilitating the transition. Their generous assistance and commitment ensured a smooth implementation process.
SubBase’s implementation brought about transformative results for JGR Construction.
“SubBase has streamlined invoice-matching,” says Jimenez. “It’s easy to compare the invoice with the purchase order. You can see the delivery tickets, confirm the amounts, and everything matches in one system.”
Automated invoice matching not only saved time but also improved accuracy, reducing errors in the process. This efficiency has allowed the accounting team to focus on more strategic projects and ensures timely monthly closes with fewer revisions.
“Our invoice matching process was tedious and slow. Thanks to SubBase, our accounts payable cycle is shorter, and we can process our monthly closes more efficiently and on time with fewer revisions,” says Jimenez. “We can focus on our overall accountability, make more timely analysis, and evaluate our budgets.”
Moreover, SubBase has enhanced the purchasing process for field staff by providing access to a materials catalogue, simplifying order placement, and budget compliance. Team members can access information from anywhere, facilitating quicker decision-making.
“The team is starting to see the real benefit of having information and data available. They can look back at records and make decisions quickly,” says Jimenez. “When approving invoices, it’s already assigned to a job. They have access to the information anywhere, even from their phones.”
SubBase’s benefits extend beyond JGR Construction’s internal operations.
Jimenez noted that suppliers embracing SubBase made the procurement process smoother, offering instant order confirmations and increasing transaction confidence. The platform has simplified the approval process and significantly reduced errors during cost code matching.
“There are a lot of suppliers embracing SubBase. It makes it so much easier for us to buy from them,” says Jimenez. “When suppliers are using it, you can get instant feedback.”
SubBase has proven to be a valuable asset for JGR Construction, benefiting their accounting teams, project managers, and suppliers. Its efficiency, accuracy, and ease of use have made it a valuable addition to their operations.
“SubBase makes it easy. We’re strong advocates and supporters of the product. Whether it’s accounting teams, project managers, or suppliers, it benefits everybody.”
