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A leading global manufacturing company had implemented an accounts payable workflow solution across two separate ERP systems—one for manufacturing (MAPICS) and one for distribution (Mincron). While the MAPICS implementation was successful, the same approach was applied to Mincron without properly accounting for critical differences in how each system handled accounts payable. This oversight led to a broken process, causing invoices to become stuck in the system, resulting in a massive backlog of accounts payable liabilities that were not reflected in financial statements. For three years, the company struggled with this issue, eventually deciding that a full reimplementation was the fastest and most effective way to resolve the problem.
Recognizing the high stakes of this second attempt, the client brought us in to lead the reimplementation effort to ensure that past mistakes would not be repeated. Our deep knowledge of the company’s financial systems and processes, combined with technical advocacy and ERP expertise, allowed us to act as an intermediary between the client and the implementation vendor. We conducted an extensive requirements-gathering session at the vendor’s headquarters, bringing together key stakeholders from accounting, operations and IT to design a solution tailored to Mincron’s specific needs.
Throughout the implementation, we provided hands-on project management, led weekly status meetings and kept the client’s leadership informed. We also played a crucial role in identifying and addressing issues as they arose, including uncovering a previously unknown bug in the AP solution that even the vendor had not encountered. Our oversight ensured that testing was thorough and that all necessary change orders were properly evaluated, preventing unnecessary costs while securing the right improvements.
The new implementation successfully eliminated the invoice backlog and dramatically improved automation, increasing efficiency from just 5% automation to 60%. By taking ownership of the project and acting as the client’s advocate, we provided peace of mind to leadership, allowing them to focus on their core business rather than being entangled in project oversight. This project also underscored how having a knowledgeable advocate can protect an organization’s investment in technology, ensuring that implementation efforts deliver the intended value rather than becoming costly missteps.