How VE International Reclaimed a Full Workday Each Week by Automating AR
VE International automated AR follow-ups across hundreds of school partners, collecting cash faster while freeing up nearly a full day per week for each team member. Instead of chasing invoices, the team shifted focus to higher-impact work.
Key Outcomes
500+
active invoices collected
0
Procurement delays reduced to 0
8+
hours reclaimed per team member
0
new hires
“It didn’t feel like outsourcing. It felt like our finance team got their time back.”
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
About VE International
Virtual Enterprises (VE) International is a national nonprofit delivering workforce development programs to middle and high school students through partnerships with schools across the United States.
The Challenge: Draining AR Collection for a Lean Team
VE’s finance team is intentionally lean with 3 team members, including the CFO / Head of Operations, Controller, and Finance & Operations Associate.
However, the AR volume was anything but small.
At any given time, VE managed 500+ invoices, all at different stages of billing, accrual, and collection. Each school partner had its own procurement rules, timelines, and approval chains.
This meant:
- Inconsistent collection cycles
- Follow-ups scattered across the week
- Strategic work constantly deprioritized
“AR management kept interrupting everything else.”
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
Why AI-Powered AR Made Sense
VE didn’t want a collections agency and couldn’t even risk one.
They needed a system that could:
- Respect school payment processes
- Preserve long-term relationships
- Communicate in VE’s voice
- Operate inside existing workflows
Invoice Butler’s AI-powered AR was the best solution for:
- Consistent follow-ups at high volumes
- Repetitive but context-sensitive communication
- Preserving client relationships for the long term
“Gone are the days of payment closeout and analysis taking multiple weeks.”
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
Implementation: Seamless Integration. Not Outsourced.
Eddie’s biggest hesitation was risk.
“You’re outsourcing the livelihood of the organization. If the money doesn’t come in, nothing else works.”
What changed the equation was Invoice Butler’s approach:
- Deep upfront understanding of VE’s operations
- AR workflows aligned to real payment cycles
- Check-ins that ran like internal finance meetings
- Outreach written as if it came directly from VE
“We didn’t have to change how we work. Invoice Butler met us where we were.”
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
The Turning Point: AR Stopped Interrupting Everything Else
Before Invoice Butler, AR work was fragmented, and small interruptions spread across every day.
After automation, the team saved a full workday per team member.
“When we totaled the time spent on AR follow-ups, it came out to almost a full day per person per week. That day came back.”
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
Internally, the team joked about an Asana project called “If and When We Have Time.”
Now, they’re actively pulling projects out of it.
The Results: 8+ Hours Freed Per Team Member For Strategic Work
1. Faster & More Consistent AR
Invoice Butler standardized follow-ups across hundreds of partners while respecting individual procurement processes.
"We collected cash faster, and our team saved hours on AR collections."
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
2. A Full Day Saved Every Week
Time once lost to AR interruptions was reclaimed and employed in other mission-critical areas.
3. Strategic Work Finally Moved Forward
Long-delayed initiatives were completed instead of being perpetually postponed.
4. Capacity Increased Without Hiring
VE scaled finance operations without adding headcount.
Built for Lean, Mission-Driven Organizations
For VE International, Invoice Butler proved to be:
- More scalable than hiring
- More reliable than manual follow-ups
- Less risky than traditional outsourcing
“Clean AR changes what your organization is capable of.”
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
Eddie’s Advice to Finance Leaders
“Don’t evaluate this as outsourcing AR. Think about what your organization looks like on the other side of it.”
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager
— Eduardo Beltre - Chief Finance and Operations Manager