How InterMetro Achieved 70% Touchless AP with DataServ
Key Results:
- Seamless integration with Oracle ERP
- 72.6% AutoVouch success rate (2024 average)
- Paper-heavy AP transformed into touchless automation
- Global-ready infrastructure with advanced workflows and controls
- Preparing to take automation international with Canada
Key Stats:
- 500+ employees
- 30,000+ invoices processed annually since 2008
- Industry: Durable Goods Manufacturing (foodservices, healthcare, industrial, lab, grocery)
- ERP: Oracle
Executive Summary
InterMetro is a leading manufacturer of storage and productivity solutions. In 2008, InterMetro’s AP team was drowning in paper invoices, manual keying, and slow approval routing. Fast forward to today, and their AP process is a model of efficiency, with over 70% of invoices processed touchlessly and a global-ready automation environment poised for international expansion. How did they get here? By partnering with DataServ to modernize their AP process with tailored automation solutions.
By outsourcing invoice capture, routing, and workflow management to DataServ, InterMetro was able to avoid the long learning curve and heavy infrastructure costs of an in-house system. Results came quickly, with mail processing, conversion, and network delivery of AP documents standardized within weeks.
What began as a need to digitize paper invoices has since grown into a global-ready automation environment that includes Invoice Processing Machine™, AutoVouch™, Automated Workflow, and Single Sign-On (SSO). Today, InterMetro is preparing to take the next step by expanding their automation internationally, starting with Canadian vendors and invoices.
Outcomes
- From paper to digital: In 2008, InterMetro’s AP process was buried under mountains of paper. DataServ digitized their workflow, eliminating manual keying, slashing routing times, and giving their team instant electronic access to all AP documents.
- Automation gains: With AutoVouch™, InterMetro now processes over 70% of invoices touchlessly, dramatically cutting manual effort and speeding up cycle times.
- Financial controls strengthened: Automated workflows enforce approval integrity and compliance, reducing risks and ensuring exceptions are handled efficiently.
- Scalable growth: As InterMetro’s business grew, DataServ scaled alongside them, seamlessly integrating with Oracle ERP, handling drop ship invoices, and enhancing reporting and analytics.
- International expansion: In 2025, InterMetro is taking automation global, starting with Canadian vendors. With DataServ’s Global Approval Matrix, foreign currency conversion, and multi-language invoice handling, they’re ready to expand confidently.
Business Impact
- Efficiency: By eliminating paper handling, InterMetro’s AP staff saved countless hours, allowing them to focus on strategic tasks.
- Visibility: Real-time dashboards and executive reporting put critical invoice data and accruals at leadership’s fingertips, enabling faster, more informed decisions.
- Scalability: As InterMetro expanded, they maintained efficiency by leveraging automation instead of increasing headcount—demonstrating that growth doesn’t have to come with higher costs. When business slowed during the pandemic, they faced uncertainty, but DataServ’s flexible, usage-based pricing automatically reduced their expenses, easing the burden during challenging times.
- Future-ready: With Canada on the horizon, InterMetro is extending the same high standards of efficiency and compliance globally, setting the stage for continued success.
Thoughts from InterMetro
“DataServ put integrity into the AP process!”
— Shaun Cwikla, Manager, General Accounting at InterMetro