Younique Eliminates Manual Invoice Processing with Automation

HQ Lehi, UT
Customer Since 2019

Industry Retail

• Automated invoice processing with 3-way PO matching
• Saved 2,080 hours of AP work and eliminated the need to hire additional headcount
• Streamlined vendor onboarding and supplier management

Shape your future. Younique, a direct-to-consumer beauty company based in Utah, empowers consumers with opportunities to manage a personal online business.

In an increasingly virtual world, Younique’s model allows its partners to sell almost exclusively through social media. Their mission is to build self-esteem worldwide through products that encourage inner and outer beauty while providing growth opportunities.

For Chris Hurst, Director of Accounting at Younique, supporting this critical mission meant reducing internal costs and automating manual processes so that the finance team could operate efficiently and expand internationally.

To accomplish this, Hurst’s primary driver was to improve day-to-day financial processes. Previously, the finance team had numerous billing issues and had trouble paying suppliers in the correct currency and markets.

The finance team was manually processing invoices in NetSuite, expensing reimbursements, and approving work-flows. This process took over 40 hours each month for several finance team members, equating to 2,080 hours of work over a year.

Manually processing invoices was causing a lot of work for our team. We were looking for a solution that could improve day-to-day accounting and the month-end close while increasing visibility and reducing our number of transactions.

To keep up with demand, Hurst needed to hire more headcount or find another solution to manage the added complexity.

We wanted to utilize our knowledge of the numbers to drive down costs. To run as lean as possible, we knew we needed to explore automation.

By implementing Tipalti, Younique saw a complete transformation in its day-to-day operations—most significantly, with the implementation of 3-way PO matching. Before automation, each receipt and invoice was handled manually by a different member of the finance team. Now, purchase orders are processed automatically.

There’s been a dramatic decrease in our number of monthly invoices. With Tipalti’s reports, we can easily identify when we’re paying suppliers to help consolidate invoice count and forecast payment trends.

”Before Tipalti, most foreign payments were made with wires. Now, the team has consolidated payment methods to less costly options like ACH and eCheck, and foreign payments are made on a local subsidiary level without additional bank account setups.

Plus, vendor onboarding and supplier management have greatly improved. When suppliers onboard with Tipalti, they simply submit their bank and tax information. Once in the portal, they can track their payments and reconcile receivables without contacting Younique’s support team. The portal establishes a layer of trust for suppliers with complete visibility into payment status.

For Younique, it’s essential for employees to remain dedicated to meaningful work by eliminating manual tasks. As they continue to gain back valuable time, Hurst can be confident that the company’s message of self-worth will continue to resonate with the finance team.

Our goal is to stay lean, save costs, and provide top-notch customer service—we want to support future products and future international expansion.

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