RPA and OCR

An Atlanta-based pulp and paper company and one of the largest manufacturers of forestry goods in the world, employing more than 35,000 people at more than 180 locations​, needed a reliable system to streamline the lumber-weight verification process and mitigate fraudulent payments. 

Challenge

The client relied on truckers to deliver loads to lumber mills each day. However, with a manual and disconnected process, there was no reliable way to cross-verify the reported load weights. Headquarters depended on truckers to report accurate values on invoices, while logistics were managed through phone calls, emails, and Excel spreadsheets.

Most mill locations had limited or no mobile connectivity, making it impossible to validate quotes or invoices in real time. Combined with the high volume of deliveries, this created a critical gap in the process. There was no formal verification of load weight before payments were issued, increasing the risk of errors and overpayment.

Our solution

Celsior worked with the client to implement a tailored solution that automated load verification and streamlined invoice validation. It combined a mobile application with RPA and OCR technology to ensure accurate tracking of deliveries and cross-checking of invoices. Key benefits included:

• The mobile application mandated the scanning of weight receipts during truck check-in and check-out.
• The delivery was marked complete only after uploading both weight receipts from the mill’s vehicle scale.
• OCR extracted the weight values and calculated the net load by taking the difference between the in and out measurements.
• The system automatically flagged invoice discrepancies for finance review and action.

Key features of the mobile application:

• Offline capability
• Automatic synchronization when internet connectivity became available
• Bluetooth link with scale devices on toll gates
• OCR capability for receipt/barcode scanning
• GPS live tracking to determine truck location and provide live re-routing of trucks to less-congested lumber mills

Business outcomes

The solution helped the client eliminate guesswork, ensured invoice accuracy, and significantly reduced the risk of overpayments due to incorrect load reporting. It resulted in the elimination of fraudulent payouts, which directly increased profitability. Moreover, the client gained a reliable way to validate truck deliveries and ensure accurate payments, improving confidence in the supply chain process.