How Valin Corporation Automated 81% of Its PO Invoice Matching
Key Results:
- ~37,900 invoices processed in the most recent 12-month period
- 81% AutoVouch™ match rate, ranking Valin among the top performers across all DataServ clients
- 100% SLA compliance in 11 of 12 months; 0.00% capture error rate sustained across the full review period
- PO invoices completed in an average of approximately 3 days from receipt to close
- One of DataServ’s longest-tenured clients, with a comprehensive solution active since 2008
Key Stats:
- Client since 2008
- Graybar is parent company
- Headquartered in San Jose, California
- Industry: Distribution (industrial technology and process control)
- ERP: Prophet 21
Executive Summary
Valin Corporation is a leading technical solutions distributor serving the technology, energy, life sciences, natural resources, and transportation industries. A subsidiary of Graybar, Valin represents hundreds of brand-name manufacturers and manages a vendor network that is broad, technically complex, and operationally demanding.
The company has been a DataServ client since 2008, making it one of the longest-tenured partnerships in DataServ’s portfolio. That relationship has produced consistently strong results: Valin ranks among the top AutoVouch™ performers across DataServ’s entire client base, processes tens of thousands of invoices annually with near-zero error rates, and has built an AP operation that runs with the kind of precision a high-volume distributor depends on.
Outcomes
Sustained High-Volume Processing with Reliable Accuracy: Valin’s business swings between 37,000 and 67,000 documents annually, depending on market demand across their industrial verticals. Rather than adding AP staff during peak seasons or risking error rates as volume climbs, Valin’s operation runs with consistent accuracy and cycle time year-round. In the most recent review year, Valin processed 37,904 documents, with a capture error rate of 0.00% in 11 of 12 months and a single month reaching just 0.07%. The Invoice Processing Machine™ averaged a turnaround of 20 hours and 24 minutes. Whether volume spikes or contracts, Valin processes every invoice with the same reliability.
Top-Tier AutoVouch™ Performance: Of Valin’s roughly 30,000 PO invoices annually, 81% match and close without manual intervention. That’s 24,000 invoices the AP team doesn’t have to touch. It frees them to focus entirely on exceptions, supplier resolution, and process improvements that reduce future exceptions. AutoVouch™ also provides Valin’s AP team with a clear, data-driven picture of where supplier alignment and purchasing process improvements can further reduce exceptions over time.
Fast PO Cycle Times and Workflow Efficiency: PO invoices close in approximately three days from receipt, fast enough for Valin to capture early payment discounts and maintain strong supplier relationships without risking credit holds that could disrupt inventory flow. Non-PO invoices complete in an average of one to four days. The large majority of PO invoices move through the system with zero or one touch, meaning nearly all routine invoice processing happens without manual intervention.
A Comprehensive Solution Built for Distribution Complexity: Valin manages hundreds of suppliers across multiple geographies and product categories, from major manufacturers sending EDI transactions to local service providers emailing single invoices. Rather than forcing standardization that strains vendor relationships, DataServ’s multi-channel approach handles the reality of how Valin’s vendors actually want to transact. Valin’s DataServ deployment spans the full AP lifecycle, including AutoVouch™ for touchless matching, EDI integration for high-volume supplier submissions, Global Approval Matrix for cross-functional routing, Direct/Drop Ship processing, Payment Request, the Vendor Inquiry Portal, and Single Sign-On.
A Long-Term Partnership Built on Performance: Since 2008, Valin has renewed with DataServ through multiple platform evolutions, ERP migrations, and business transitions, including its acquisition by Graybar. That sustained commitment reflects something deeper than performance. It reflects confidence that DataServ adapts when Valin’s business changes, rather than forcing Valin to adapt to the software.
Business Impact
Efficiency: AutoVouch™ matching and automated routing have reduced manual touchpoints to a minimum. With 81% of AutoVouch™ candidates matching without intervention, the AP team focuses its time on exceptions, supplier resolution, and process improvement rather than routine invoice handling.
Visibility: Real-time dashboards give Valin’s finance leadership and AP team current insight into invoice status, exception categories, cycle times, and system performance, supporting both day-to-day operations and strategic decision-making.
Control: Exception analysis by category (price, quantity, item number, and missing receipts) gives Valin a precise view of where discrepancies originate, enabling targeted supplier outreach and purchasing process refinements that strengthen financial controls over time.
Thoughts from Valin Corporation
“DataServ has been our partner for a long time because they deliver. The visibility we get into our processes, the reliability of the platform, and the team that actually responds when we need help—that’s what keeps us here.”
Thomas Soe, Manager, Accounts Payable, Valin Corporation