A documented cost and benefit study of a mid-size distributor: 2,975 orders a month, every recurring task measured across a full year. Instant access, no charge.
Cost and benefit study, scenario 3 of 5
12,555 hours a year of manual order-to-cash work, and what changes when the buyer places the order.
Section 1
This is a documented study, not an estimate. Every recurring task in the order-to-cash cycle was measured across a full year, then re-costed against a platform where the customer places the order.
| Activity | Food distribution with direct store delivery |
| Industry | B2B food distribution |
| Customer service agents | 3 |
| Delivery drivers | 14 |
| B2B customer orders | 2,975 per month |
| Estimated annual revenue | $26,775,000 (at a $750 average order value) |
| Accounting or ERP system | Business Central |
This study covers order capture, delivery adjustments, invoicing, payments and accounts receivable. It assumes 75% of order capture moves onto the platform. Payments are automated at 85% (60% online plus 25% collected on the doorstep by the driver). Remaining processes are covered by the mobile tools and the accounting integration, at 80% effort optimisation, leaving 20% for exception handling.
The net saving and return on investment below describe steady state, once setup and progressive rollout are complete. Only the payback period reflects the real year-one path, including 3 months of setup and 4 months of progressive rollout.
Section 2
Section 3
With 2,975 orders a month, customers order mainly by phone and email, and the administrative team keys every one of them into Business Central by hand. On delivery, the 14 drivers take returns and total the final delivery manually, then the invoice is created from their notes on their return.
Manual entry into Business Central, and hand-written delivery notes, multiply transcription errors and omissions.
The full cycle from order to delivery to invoice to payment depends on drivers returning and on the administrative team being available.
Without a central system there is no live view of order, delivery and payment status.
Ordering by phone or email costs the buyer time. They have to reach someone, list every item from memory or their own notes, then wait for confirmation. Invoices arrive late and the balance is opaque.
| Activity | Time per order |
|---|---|
| Order creation | 8 min |
| Delivery adjustments | 3 min |
| Invoice creation | 3 min |
| Payment processing | 3 min |
| Accounts receivable | 4 min |
| Total per order | 21 min |
| Section | Hours / month | Hours / year |
|---|---|---|
| Customer orders | 396.7 | 4,760 h |
| Consolidated supplier orders | 5 | 60 h |
| Delivery adjustments | 148.8 | 1,785 h |
| Invoicing | 148.8 | 1,785 h |
| Payments | 148.8 | 1,785 h |
| Accounts receivable | 198.3 | 2,380 h |
| Total | 1,046.4 | 12,555 h |
That load is the equivalent of 7.47 full-time positions (12,555 hours divided by 1,680 hours per position), costing $440,920 a year.
Section 4
Annual effort falls from 12,555 hours to 3,373.8 hours. The spine of the change is that the customer places the order, on the branded ordering platform, instead of a person re-keying it.
Before. 4,760 hours a year.
After. 75% of orders are placed by the customer, online or from an order template generated for their delivery day. Customer service agents use WEGOSell to enter the remaining 25% for customers not yet ordering themselves.
Before. 60 hours a year.
After. The 12 monthly consolidated supplier orders are generated automatically by WEGODeliver.
Before. 1,785 hours a year.
After. WEGODeliver captures adjustments and returns at the customer site. The final invoice is produced on the spot, so what is delivered and what is billed always match.
Before. 1,785 hours a year.
After. Invoices are generated on the spot and synchronised instantly with Business Central, with no re-keying.
Before. 1,785 hours a year.
After. WEGOPay automates 85% of payments (60% online plus 25% collected on the doorstep by the driver), and applies each payment to its invoice automatically. Reminders and statements go out on their own.
Before. 2,380 hours a year.
After. Payment reminders and monthly statements are automated on the platform, cutting the manual chase on overdue accounts.
| Dimension | Before | After WEGOTRADE |
|---|---|---|
| Error risk | High. Manual transcription into Business Central, hand-written returns and omissions. | Near zero. Data is entered at source by the customer or the driver. |
| Payment delay | Extended by manual collection and late invoice updates. | Shortened by immediate online payment and mobile collection at delivery. |
| Invoice delivery | Manual and deferred, after drivers physically return. | Automatic and instant, by platform and email. |
| Payment status | Long manual entry to apply each payment to its invoice in Business Central. | Applied automatically for 85% of payments through the two-way Business Central integration. |
| Customer satisfaction | Disputes from entry errors on returns and payments. | Transparency and real-time access to invoices. |
| Team productivity | Administrative capacity consumed by repetitive entry. | Room to grow volume without adding administrative headcount. |
Section 5
| Item | Before | After | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative cost | $440,920 | $118,483 | $322,437 |
| Full-time equivalents | 7.47 | 2.01 | 5.47 released |
| Section | Before | After | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer orders | 4,760 h | 1,904 h | 2,856 h |
| Consolidated supplier orders | 60 h | 12 h | 48 h |
| Delivery adjustments | 1,785 h | 357 h | 1,428 h |
| Invoicing | 1,785 h | 357 h | 1,428 h |
| Payments | 1,785 h | 267.8 h | 1,517.2 h |
| Accounts receivable | 2,380 h | 476 h | 1,904 h |
| Total | 12,555 h | 3,373.8 h | 9,181.2 h |
Section 6
Today this operation spends $440,920 a year on administrative work that produces no margin and no customer value. Automating it releases 9,181.2 hours, which is 5.47 full-time equivalents, for a net $228,299 a year and a 243% return. Payback lands at 4.8 months once 3 months of setup and 4 months of progressive rollout is accounted for.
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