Faster invoices, smarter shipping: AI agents transform furniture e-commerce operations
Industry: E‑commerce (residential & commercial furniture)
Challenge: Manual AP invoice processing and shipment tracking across multiple systems and carriers
Solution: HachiAI’s AI agents – Finley and Luna
Discover how a North American e‑commerce leader—renowned for offering innovative residential and commercial furniture—streamlined its finance and logistics operations with HachiAI, reducing manual workload and gaining real‑time visibility.
This e‑commerce furniture company focuses on delivering quality, safety and value to customers, challenging the status quo through innovation and efficiency. As order volumes and supplier networks expanded, the finance and logistics teams were hampered by manual AP invoice processing and shipment tracking. Invoices from manufacturers and carriers arrived via scan and email, requiring manual validation in the Infor Visual ERP system. At the same time, tracking international shipments meant logging into multiple carrier websites to update container arrival dates on a tracking spreadsheet. These disconnected processes created delays, limited visibility and consumed valuable staff time.
- Invoice overload: High volumes of vendor invoices had to be matched with scanned documents, checked against purchase orders in Infor Visual, and coded with correct taxes and vendor information. Discrepancies led to delayed payments and manual email escalations.
- Fragmented shipment tracking: Container numbers were stored in spreadsheets, while status updates were spread across Searates, Amxtrans (container tracking portals) and carrier emails. Manually copying dates and updating sheets risked missed updates and stale data.
- Lack of real‑time visibility: With information spread across systems and emails, stakeholders couldn’t easily see which invoices were approved or when containers would arrive, hampering planning and cash‑flow forecasting.
Before automation, teams followed labour‑intensive steps:
- AP invoice processing: Receive scanned invoices via email; open Infor Visual; search for matching purchase orders; manually validate vendor names, amounts and tax calculations; create the invoice record; apply correct tax codes; save and archive the documents; and, if any discrepancy was found, draft an email to notify the appropriate manager.
- Shipment tracking: Retrieve container numbers from a tracking sheet; log into searates.com and amxtrans to check vessel and rail statuses; copy updated dates into the tracking sheet; monitor the shared email account for status updates from carriers; and email stakeholders with any changes. The process was considered complete only when a manager verified the updated dates.
- Ad‑hoc returns management (not automated): Customer returns were handled manually through email and spreadsheets, requiring teams to generate RMA numbers, create return labels, and issue refunds or credit memos in the ERP.
HachiAI deployed Finley, the finance automation expert, and Luna, the logistics and operations specialist, to automate and unify these workflows:
- Automated AP invoice processing (Finley): Finley receives scanned invoices and uses optical character recognition (OCR) to extract vendor, PO and amount details. It logs into Infor Visual, locates the matching purchase order and verifies quantities, pricing and taxes. If everything matches, Finley posts the invoice, applies the correct tax codes, saves the document and archives the scan. Should any discrepancy arise—such as a price mismatch or missing PO—Finley automatically escalates via email to the finance team for resolution. Once approved, Finley updates the accounts payable ledger and schedules the payment.
- Automated shipment tracking (Luna): Luna retrieves container numbers from a central tracking sheet and logs into carrier portals (searates.com and amxtrans) to obtain the latest vessel, port and rail dates. It updates the tracking sheet in real time and sends an email summary to stakeholders highlighting any changes or delays. Luna also monitors a shared email inbox for automated carrier updates and adjusts the container status accordingly. When containers reach key milestones (e.g., departed port, on rail, arrived at destination), Luna triggers notifications to operations and inventory teams and, once confirmed, marks the tracking record as complete.
Returns & RMA processing: To further streamline operations, Finley and Luna can jointly manage customer returns. Luna receives return requests from the e‑commerce platform, generates RMA numbers and return labels, and schedules carrier pickups. Finley updates the ERP, issuing credit memos or refunds once returned items are inspected, and sends confirmation emails to customers. This closes the loop between logistics and finance, ensuring seamless customer service.
- 80% reduction in manual workload – staff spend far less time on invoice entry and tracking updates.
- 95% faster invoice approvals – invoices are matched, validated and posted in minutes rather than days, improving supplier relationships.
- Real‑time shipment visibility – up‑to‑date container status allows operations teams to plan warehouse and delivery activities more accurately.
- Fewer errors and disputes – automated validation catches discrepancies early and ensures correct tax application.
- Enhanced scalability – the automation easily handles seasonal spikes in orders and returns without additional headcount.
- Multi‑system login and navigation (Infor Visual, carrier portals, shared email).
- OCR and data extraction from scanned invoices.
- Automated validation against purchase orders and tax codes.
- Real‑time shipment tracking and status updates across multiple carriers.
- Automated escalations and notifications via email.
- Optional RMA management with label generation and credit memo processing.
HachiAI’s AI agents integrate seamlessly into existing ERP and logistics platforms, delivering secure, locally hosted automation without the need for expensive custom integrations. By combining Finley’s finance expertise with Luna’s logistics savvy, the company gained end‑to‑end visibility from invoice receipt to container arrival—and freed its teams to focus on customer experience and strategic growth.
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