Executive summary

Toshiba, a leading multinational electronics manufacturer, uses fileAI to address inefficiencies in processing procurement files. Previously, manual handling averaged 92 minutes per file. By embedding fileAI APIs, Toshiba automated the workflow for multilingual (English, Mandarin, Thai, etc), printed, and handwritten invoices, packing lists, and bills of lading. As a result, file processing time was reduced by 82% to just 17 minutes. This substantial improvement allowed Toshiba to significantly cut operational costs, reallocate personnel to high-priority tasks, and scale document processing capacity by 20x.

Customer profile

• Industry: Electronics Manufacturing
• Revenue: US$24.8B (2023)
• Employees: 95,109
• File Types: Invoices, packing lists, bills of lading
• Languages: multilingual

Business challenge

Toshiba faced significant inefficiencies with manual processing of procurement files. Each file required extensive manual entry, validation, and processing, leading to slow turnaround times, high labor costs, and limitations in operational scalability.

Objectives

• Reduce the average file processing time significantly.
• Improve accuracy and reliability in file handling.
• Scale processing capacity to meet increased operational demands.
• Reallocate manpower to higher-value business activities.

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Solution architecture
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API endpoints and middleware components
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Implementation stats

• Phases: Testing, Implementation, Go-live
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Key activities:
  
  • Integration of fileAI API
  • Testing and validation
  • Training and change management

Key features leveraged

• fileAI AI OCR 
• fileAI AI Classification
• fileAI AI Validation
• Secure REST API infrastructure

Results
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“The implementation of fileAI reduced file processing time from 92 minutes to 17 minutes, achieving an 82% efficiency improvement. This allows users to reallocate saved time to higher-priority tasks.”

— Auntra Matchima, Import Officer, Toshiba

Key takeaways

‍Early engagement with stakeholders was crucial to simplify integration efforts and accelerate adoption across Toshiba's operations. Comprehensive testing, particularly focused on multilingual and handwritten file processing, substantially reduced potential issues post-implementation. Additionally, ongoing monitoring and analysis have been key to sustaining continuous improvement and effectively adapting to evolving business requirements.

Next steps with fileAI

‍Looking ahead, Toshiba plans to broaden the adoption of fileAI technology to handle additional document types and business processes. Continuous optimization of the existing APIs is also underway to achieve even greater efficiency and accuracy. Moreover, Toshiba will explore deeper integration capabilities, aiming to leverage AI-driven analytics to unlock further insights and enhance procurement decision-making.

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