Before Lentune
Before using Lentune, the HEB Construction and Downer New Zealand joint venture was struggling with the amount of tedious work required in their Accounts Payable process. With an entirely manual workflow, they were having to:
- Manually read invoices
- Record those invoices in Excel spreadsheets
- Manually match the invoices to open purchase orders
- And obtain approvals via lengthy email chains
It wasn’t just a time-sucking process but also heavily prone to human error and often led to short-paying suppliers. As the Finance Manager, Andrea Compton explains,
“Prior to Lentune, often I’d go to pay people, and if a transaction date had been entered incorrectly, such as putting the date of receipt instead of the date of invoice, then it would show as they’re not due for payment. So, in fact, I was actually short-paying people based on those errors.”
As you’d imagine, this led to hours of manually rechecking invoices, doubling up on payment runs and ultimately frustrating suppliers.
With the volume of invoices expected to increase beyond 2000+ per month for their project, they foresaw the need for a more efficient and scalable solution.
That’s where the Lentune transformation begins.
The Lentune solution
Already using Jobpac as a core piece in their project cost management workflow, the HEB and Downer joint venture onboarded with the Lentune Foundation Package.
This meant they could utilise our invoice automation module to streamline their accounts payable process while also enjoying seamless data sync between the two systems.
The results
Andrea tells us, “I’m 100% recommending the Lentune product. It has definitely lived up to our expectations. In fact, probably exceeded them.”
Here’s why implementing Lentune has been such a game-changer for their project:
1. AP staff have more time for value-add activities
When you switch to automation, you’ll notice a remarkable reduction in administrative workload. Most of our customers are saving up to 70% of their admin time, and this is true for Andrea, who states,
“Lentune has freed up our accounts payable team to actually do value-add activities; we’re not just manually inputting data anymore.”
This shift from manual data entry to automated processes has not only saved time but also boosted confidence in data accuracy. As Andrea adds,
“I’m much more reliant on the data integrity now. I trust the data, so I’m not having to second-guess when I’m running payments; I know I’m paying the right people in the right month. So, it doesn’t really get any better.”
With the burden of manual tasks lifted, the AP team can redirect their efforts towards budget management, identifying cost-savings and improving overall financial processes.
It’s a win not just for the efficiency of the back office, but it’s also significantly impacting the bottom line. Says Andrea,
“The cost-benefit ratio of Lentune is extraordinary, for the drop in the ocean that I would have been paying for the product, I could have saved at least $100,000 a year, in either a salary or regaining my lost time.”
2. Site-based staff have real-time visibility of costs
Lentune’s impact goes beyond the finance team; it has created a ripple effect across the entire project. Andrea tells us,
“Since implementing Lentune, our site-based teams have gained a lot more control over their costs. With real-time spend visibility, they’re now much more disciplined around their costs and owning them.”
We like to call this “hawk eyes across every dollar and cent, live.” With immediate access to cost data, site-based teams can monitor expenses in real-time, track spending against budgets and spot budget creep before it blows out.
It’s a game-changer for maximising margins and ensuring project profitability!
3. High-quality implementation and support
Andrea hasn’t just loved working with the Lentune product but also praised the exceptional implementation process and ongoing support provided by the Lentune team.
“The implementation process was excellent from the start. I felt like the support we got was very hands-on. We always had someone to turn to for help, and that made it an enjoyable user experience.”
This personalised and attentive support played a crucial role in maximising the benefits of Lentune for the HEB and Downer NZ joint venture. Andrea concludes,
“I just want to say how pleased I am that we decided to go with Lentune. It’s always nice to support New Zealand businesses but the product itself has also lived up to expectations and exceeded them. The amount of time and money it has saved for our project is incredible.”
