Automating Media Billing to Drive Cost Savings and Operational Efficiency – Case Study

Executive Summary: 

A UK-based digital advertising group was managing its media billing and new client onboarding through a large manual team, resulting in high operational costs and inefficient processing times. A solution was implemented to automate the invoicing process for advertising bookings, reducing manual intervention and streamlining the billing cycle. As a result, the organization achieved over 97% automation in invoice generation and significantly reduced costs, while enhancing response times and standardizing outputs. 

Client/Organization Overview: 

The client is a major player in the digital advertising and media sector, operating a portfolio of distinct brands tailored to different marketing strategies. The organization primarily operates within the UK. This case study focuses on the finance and back-end operations of the client. 

The Challenge: 

Prior to the implementation of the automated solution, the client relied on a large team—to manually process billing requests submitted via Excel, Media Ocean and email. This approach led to inefficiencies, slower response times, and high contractor costs. The system lacked standardization, making reporting and quality control challenging. 

The Solution: 

A custom automation process was developed to handle media billing, specifically focused on generating and distributing invoices for advertising bookings. This solution replaced the manual workflow, interpreting data inputs and producing invoices at scale with minimal human involvement. The decision to automate was driven by the goal of improving consistency, reducing operational costs, and enabling reallocation of internal resources. 

Implementation: 

The solution was implemented in phases, beginning with key high-volume billing workflows. The development team collaborated closely with internal stakeholders to understand requirements and ensure accuracy. Although some reporting elements remained semi-manual or outside the scope, the bulk of invoice processing was transitioned to automation within the first few months. Minor challenges included adapting to client-specific formats and coordinating with legacy systems. 

Results: 

• 32,000+ invoices generated automatically in the current year. 

• Manual billing handled by the previous team dropped to just 770 invoices. 

• 97.7% of all invoices now processed through the new automation. 

• Significant cost savings realized by reducing reliance on expensive third-party contractors. 

• Improved invoice standardization and response times. 

• Freed internal staff to focus on more strategic tasks or roles. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Standardization and automation are key to scaling back-end processes efficiently. 

• High-volume, repetitive tasks are ideal candidates for automation, offering both cost and time savings. 

• Empowering internal teams to redeploy to higher-value tasks creates broader organizational impact. 

• Reliable automation can serve as a springboard for operational scaling. 

Conclusion: 

By automating its media billing process, the client transformed a resource-heavy, error-prone workflow into a streamlined, cost-effective operation. With over 97% of invoices now handled by Jo, the business has not only cut costs but also laid a solid foundation for future growth.