BlockEnergy is the world’s first utility-focused, residential autonomous community energy system, using advanced microgrid distributed controls to provide renewable power to residential communities. The organization engages experts, research organizations, and technology leaders to help further their mission of contributing to a more environmentally-friendly earth – with a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The challenges
Prior to partnering with Procurify, BlockEnergy’s procurement function relied on cumbersome technology that made it difficult for executives to actively engage in the procurement process. As the organization scaled, process inefficiencies were becoming unmanageable and hindering their growth potential.
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Inefficient procurement processes: Manual processes (which involved printing documents and chasing after signatures) were cumbersome, with approvals taking up to two weeks.
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Lack of spend visibility: A duplicative and complex SAP system was proving difficult to master without extensive training – making it difficult for executives to gain oversight into organizational spend.
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Lack of tools for a distributed workforce: Field employees, scattered across multiple locations, were not empowered to make timely purchases.
The solution
BlockEnergy needed a spend management solution that would help them streamline approval workflows, and enable a distributed workforce to actively participate in the procurement process. After a seamless onboarding experience, BlockEnergy quickly saw efficiency improvements and gained greater visibility into spend to enable better decision-making.
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Streamlined approval process: Procurify’s configurable workflows drastically reduced the time spent on manual processes; their approval process, which previously took two weeks, was streamlined to just one day.
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Ease of adoption: Jeanie explains, “We were initially attracted to Procurify for its ease of use and intuitive design.” Procurify’s user-friendly interface eliminated the need for extensive training, empowering executives to effortlessly navigate and use the platform.
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Manage spend on the go: Key features such as Spending Cards and the Procurify mobile app now empower field employees and executives to take part in procurement and spend management on the go.
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Seamless integration with existing systems: Procurify integrated with BlockEnergy’s existing Netsuite system, enhancing spend visibility and centralizing financial data to guide better decision-making.
Takeaways
Today, streamlined approval workflows and increased spend visibility enable BlockEnergy to focus on their inspiring mission of contributing to a more environmentally-friendly earth.
“Prior to adopting Procurify, our approval process took approximately two weeks. With Procurify, we have streamlined it to just one day, saving us valuable time and resources.”
Jeanie Chmelir, Director Of Accounting And Finance
What’s more, team members at BlockEnergy have become superusers of the Procurify Spending Card. As Jeanie puts it, “In particular, we’ve noticed that Spending Cards are bringing us substantial benefits.”
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Ability to issue one-time credit card numbers for random or one-off purchases.
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Management of multiple cards for different subscriptions, ensuring better control and organization.
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Enhanced visibility and control over expenses, leading to improved financial management.
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Simplified expense management, especially during month-end close.
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Receipts are never lost as the Procurify mobile app prompts users to take pictures and upload receipts immediately after each purchase, saving time and effort.
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Substantial cashback earnings of $17,000.
