How Smarter Sorting Streamlined AR Across 4,000 Customers with Invoice Butler
With Invoice Butler, Smarter Sorting replaced a highly manual, fragmented collections process with a focused, AI-powered workflow. While juggling 2,000–4,000 invoices, their lean finance team freed up strategic time, reduced friction, and scaled without adding headcount.
Key Outcomes
2k-4k
invoices managed
1FTE
hours saved per week
0
manual AR follow-ups
0
new hires
“Peace of mind - can you put ROI on that?”
— Megan Nufer, VP of Finance, Smarter Sorting
— Megan Nufer, VP of Finance, Smarter Sorting
About Smarter Sorting
Smarter Sorting helps retailers and consumer brands make smarter decisions using AI and product data. The company works with thousands of CPG brands, from global enterprises to smaller independent manufacturers, helping them navigate complex retail environments.
The Challenge: 4000 Customers With Complex Collection Workflows
Smarter Sorting’s AR complexity was about volume plus variability.
At any given time, the team managed between 2,000 and 4,000 customers. Each one comes with different systems, processes, and requirements. Some use SAP, some use Ariba, some require POs, and some don’t.
Their lean team was stuck with:
- Follow-ups buried in spreadsheets
- Contacts lost to constant attrition
- Endless manual outreach
Collections quickly became one of the most frustrating parts of finance.
“It sounds so simple, but there are 15 things that, if one goes wrong, you’re waiting and waiting for that money.”
Why AR Automation Was the Right Fit
Megan initially ignored the Invoice Butler outreach.
Like most finance leaders at lean startups, she receives dozens of vendor emails daily. But one email that stood out directly tackled all her problems:
- Manual follow-ups
- Growing AR balances
- Disconnected systems
- No responses from AP contacts
Rather than pitching a full financial overhaul, Invoice Butler addressed one narrow but high-friction workflow: collections and AR follow-up.
“Invoice Butler works because it focuses on solving one specific problem and doesn’t try to fix everything.”
Implementation: Seamless Integration With Minimal Effort
Instead of hiring or managing additional collections staff or deploying an intern to chase invoices, Smarter Sorting handed off the AR headache to Invoice Butler.
Invoice Butler integrated directly with:
- Accounting systems
- Banking systems
- Existing workflows
“It’s really great that we just hand over the credentials, you hook everything up, and it runs.”
The Turning Point: Manual Follow-ups Eliminated
The “aha” moment for Megan was relief from manual collections.
“This is the most manual process - and now we’re able to pass it off.”
Collections went from constant inbox monitoring and repetitive reminder emails to:
- Structured workflows
- Guardrailed AI messaging
- Clear visibility into payments
- Responsive product iteration based on feedback
The partnership element stood out most.
“They’re listening to us. If we want something, they’re molding the product to be the best collections and AR tool we could have.”
The Results: 1 Full Time Hire’s Work Hours Freed Up for Strategic Focus
1. Freed Finance Capacity
With only one full-time finance team member plus a fractional controller, Invoice Butler allowed the team to focus on:
- Forecasting
- Cash planning
- Contract review
- Strategic modeling
- Vendor negotiations
2. Reduced Cognitive Load Around Cash
For a startup CFO/VP of Finance, cash anxiety is constant. Knowing AR follow-ups were handled consistently reduced:
- Worry about delayed payments
- Reactive cash scrambling
- Manual check-ins
“It’s one of those headaches, to which I can say, okay, IB has it covered.”
3. Better Cash Intelligence
Beyond collections, Invoice Butler provides data visibility:
- Payment behavior trends
- Credit card vs. ACH patterns
- Metrics useful for forward modeling
For a lean Series A company planning future budgets, even small optimizations matter.
Overcoming AI Skepticism in Finance
Many finance leaders hesitate to adopt AI due to concerns around control and accuracy.
Megan’s perspective:
- Change is hard.
- Guardrails matter.
- Clear workflows reduce risk.
“If you know what it’s doing and you build controls around it, you can manage it - just like any accounting process.”
Rather than replacing judgment, Invoice Butler augments the team - handling repetitive tasks while finance retains oversight where needed.
Why Megan Recommends Invoice Butler
For finance leaders who are:
- Relying on spreadsheets
- Overextending small teams
- Skeptical but curious about AI
- Still manually chasing payments
Her advice is simple:
“If you’re complacent, you’re going to lose. You always have to ask - can we be better? Can we be faster?”