Automating 200+ Contractors & $40MM
How to automate over $40 million in deliverables
Picture this: a large grants program worth over $40 million, hundreds of qualified contractors eagerly awaiting their funds, and a labyrinthine process involving mountains of paperwork, lost checks, and bottlenecks galore. It was the epitome of unsustainability, and it was crying out for a hero. Since our involvement the program has grown to over $118 million and 450 Contractors across 56 counties.
Enter the CFO with a vision—a vision of a streamlined, efficient future. Armed with determination, they set out to revolutionize the entire operation. They called in the cavalry (yup, that's us), and together, we hatched a brilliant plan together.
The game-changer? A cutting-edge grant and contractor portal, designed to bring order to chaos. It wasn't just any portal; it was a digital command center. With roles for admin, accounting, finance managers, and auditors, everyone could now work seamlessly through a single system.
But here's the magic: the portal didn't just stop at roles and permissions. It was true magic, auto-generating contractor accounts based on contract data, eliminating tedious manual entry. Contractors received personalized links to secure their accounts. What about contract execution? Say hello to DocuSign, flawlessly integrated into the portal.
No more lost contracts, no more paper nightmares. Both contractors and the client could sign contracts from anywhere, anytime. It was a paperless revolution. Including it being uploaded automatically to the portal for easy review after full execution.
Then came deliverables and audits. Contractors uploaded documents, specifying which deliverables each related to, and the system, being the genius it was (pulled the info from their contract data), knew exactly how much each deliverable was worth. When deliverables were completed, the client's admin staff swooped in to approve them, and the auditing team performed random checks, ensuring top-notch accuracy.
But the best part? The accounting and finance team, with a single click, could send payments directly to contractors. Wire transfers for the tech-savvy, and paper checks for the traditionalists—no fuss, no hassle.
The whole system was like a well-oiled machine, seamlessly integrated with the client's accounting system for a reporting paradise. And the best part? It ran on Microsoft Azure's cloud, making infrastructure management a breeze. No need for a dedicated IT team, no ongoing costs. It was pure efficiency.
But perhaps the real beauty of it all lay in the art of integration. From third-party APIs for payment processing to DocuSign and document storage, the system brought everything together, simplifying complex workflows. It was a symphony of efficiency, cutting down on manual data entry and making life easier for the entire team.
In the end, this story is a testament to the power of innovation and teamwork. Recognizing the unsustainable and boldly embracing change, this client transformed chaos into harmony, inefficiency into excellence. It's a tale of doing more with less and making everyone's lives a whole lot easier. Kudos to those who made it happen!
That's because the payment processor we integrated with would send out the paper checks on the client's behalf.
Summary of automation
Accept/Review applications
Generate contracts with deliverables
Fully Execute and track those contracts
Distribute initial funds to contractors
Allow contractors to submit deliverables
Review deliverables
Pay out additional amounts based on successful deliverable completion
Provide an audit path for internal review
Have all transactions reviewed by and submitted to the accounting/finance team