Procurement Automation Delivers $200,000 in Annual Cost Savings

The Company Profile

This global organization addresses some of the world’s most complex and mission-critical challenges, supporting thriving cities and resilient environments through operational excellence, scientific innovation, and advanced manufacturing capabilities. With a workforce of more than 52,000 professionals, the company delivers a comprehensive portfolio of services, including consulting, technical expertise, scientific research, engineering, and project delivery for both government and private-sector clients.

Among its core service offerings is Facilities Maintenance and Construction, where the organization manages large-scale, high-value programs requiring strict compliance, operational precision, and financial oversight. The scope and scale of these engagements demand robust systems capable of supporting complex procurement, vendor management, and financial workflows.

The Challenges

The company relied on Quickbase to manage its Facilities Maintenance and Construction operations across client sites. The platform supported the end-to-end process, including supplier onboarding, document collection, purchase order (PO) issuance, invoice processing, and payment management.

The scale of operations was substantial; the system managed more than:

• 5,000 purchase orders

• Over 40,000 invoices annually

• Representing a total value exceeding $200 million per year.

Despite the platform’s central role, inefficiencies within the workflow created significant financial and operational strain.

Prior to engaging Quandary Consulting Group, the program’s average invoice turnaround time exceeded 60 days from receipt to payment.

In addition, approximately 20–30% of invoices were paid late, exposing the organization to recurring penalties and supplier dissatisfaction. These delays resulted in more than $200,000 annually in late invoice fees, directly impacting program profitability and vendor relationships.

The organization required a streamlined, automated solution capable of reducing invoice cycle times, improving payment accuracy, and eliminating costly late fees—without disrupting the scale and complexity of its existing operations.

The Solutions

Quandary Consulting Group conducted a comprehensive discovery and workflow analysis to identify the root causes of invoice delays, procurement inefficiencies, and reporting gaps. By mapping the client’s existing procurement and accounting workflows, our team pinpointed structural bottlenecks and automation opportunities that were limiting operational performance.

The first phase of the engagement focused on designing and implementing a custom procurement and accounting system within Quickbase. This enhanced platform introduced a more scalable application architecture, improved data structure, and robust reporting capabilities. The new system streamlined purchase order management, invoice processing, approval workflows, and financial oversight, significantly increasing operational transparency and control.

Beyond modernizing the primary application, Quandary expanded the organization’s Quickbase ecosystem by developing additional, purpose-built applications to support:

• Contract management and revenue tracking

• Time tracking and billing automation

• Email-driven workflow automation

• Cross-functional process integration and reporting

The newly developed contract management application delivered enhanced visibility into active agreements and billing milestones, enabling the organization to identify and capture more than $75,000 in previously unrealized revenue opportunities.

Collectively, these integrated applications reduced manual intervention, improved reporting accuracy, and minimized human error across procurement and financial operations. The automation of key processes generated meaningful time and cost savings, even as the client navigated internal staffing reductions.

The result was a scalable, resilient Quickbase environment capable of supporting high-volume procurement operations, accelerating invoice processing, and strengthening financial performance without increasing administrative overhead.

The Results

$200,000 in Annual Savings and Faster Invoice Processing

The custom procurement and accounting platform delivered measurable financial and operational improvements across the organization’s Facilities Maintenance and Construction program. By centralizing procurement data, strengthening financial controls, and automating critical workflows, the solution reduced costs, accelerated invoice processing, and improved visibility across the operation.

Key Outcomes

• More than $200,000 in annual cost savings, primarily from eliminating late-payment fees

• Invoice processing time reduced from over 60 days to approximately 20 days

• Late invoice payments decreased from 20–30% to less than 1%

• More than 95% of previous late-payment exposure eliminated within the first year

• Faster invoice turnaround and more predictable cash flow

• Improved reporting, financial controls, and revenue capture

• Greater visibility into contracts, procurement activity, and revenue opportunities

• Stronger supplier relationships through more reliable, timely payments

• Scalable infrastructure capable of supporting high-volume procurement operations

Most notably, the average invoice cycle fell from more than 60 days to approximately 20 days from receipt to payment. During the same period, the percentage of invoices paid late dropped below 1%, virtually eliminating the organization’s previous late-payment exposure.

These improvements protected program profitability, strengthened supplier relationships, and gave leadership more accurate, timely insight into procurement and financial performance.

The organization now has a resilient digital foundation capable of supporting continued growth and increasingly complex operations.