Transforming Order-to-Cash for a Global Logistics Leader, Delivering $150M in Improved Cash Flow

Industry: Travel, Transportation, Hospitality & Logistics | Services: Digital Operations, Data & Analytics, Intelligent Automation,

Client Overview

The client is the world’s largest package delivery and logistics company with over $97 billion in annual revenue and a global workforce of nearly 500,000. The sheer scale of its integrated network—spanning shipping, freight, and supply chain services—places it in highly complex, regulated and competitive environments. That said, operational precision and working capital efficiency are not merely goals, but fundamental drivers of its profitability and market leadership.

The Challenge

Legacy Systems and Fragmented Operations Limiting Cash Flow and Scalability

The client’s Order-to-Cash (O2C) function across its EMEA footprint was hampered by significant systemic inefficiencies. At the core of the issue was a reliance on a patchwork of legacy systems that supported fragmented, manual, and country-specific operations. This technological and procedural fragmentation severely inhibited scalability, denied the business real-time visibility, and fundamentally undermined effective working capital management.

Key Challenges:

• Disparate systems and processes across multiple European markets
• High operational costs driven by manual effort
• Inefficient collections resulting in delayed cash realization and poor delinquency predictability
• Limited scalability to support business growth across languages and geographies
• Fragmented customer interactions impacting First Call Resolution (FCR) and experience
• Lack of a centralized, scalable hub for shared services delivery

The client needed to consolidate operations, improve productivity and increase cash flow while ensuring a seamless transition with minimal change resistance.

Sutherland Solution

Digitally Reimagining Order-to-Cash with Automation, Analytics and GBS Expansion

Sutherland deployed a multi-pronged transformation strategy designed to deliver scale, agility, and financial outcomes:

1. Operating Model Design & GBS Setup: Established a Global Business Services (GBS) hub in Alexandria, Egypt, with 150+ FTEs, later scaled to cover ~200 FTEs across EMEA, supporting five languages.
2. Intelligent Automation Enablement: Reconfigured the Automation Center of Excellence (CoE) using Sutherland Robility®, enabling rapid automation of manual processes within Collections and beyond.
3. Advanced Collections with Collect AI℠: Deployed predictive analytics and delinquency models to improve collection prioritization, reduce roll-forward rates and enhance cash flow visibility.
4. Process Re-Design Beyond Scope: Extended value by redesigning upstream and downstream processes across Pricing, Billing, Collections and Cash Application to drive better alignment and outcomes.
5. CX360 Deployment: Enabled customer-level insights to improve First Call Resolution, lower Average Handle Time and elevate service experience.

The Outcome

Significant Working Capital Gains and Scalable O2C Excellence

Sutherland’s comprehensive end-to-end Order-to-Cash (O2C) transformation unlocked significant working capital gains and established a scalable foundation for operational excellence.

Through the use of predictive delinquency modeling and advanced analytics, the engagement delivered over $150 million in improved cash flow, while a 1.5% reduction in Roll Forward Rate accelerated revenue realization. Automation across finance and accounting functions drove a 40% improvement in productivity, enhancing process efficiency and throughput.

As part of a global strategy, a multi-lingual Global Business Services (GBS) hub was established in a new EMEA market, enabling scalable support for regional growth. Simultaneously, the customer experience was elevated through higher first contact resolution (FCR) and reduced average handle time (AHT). Ultimately, this comprehensive transformation not only optimized the client’s working capital but also established the groundwork for long-term, GBS-led growth across Europe, creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

That’s digital outcomes delivered!
Sutherland’s success in delivering a digitally powered O2C transformation led to long-term strategic alignment with the client and further GBS expansion opportunities.