$17,140
Duplicates ← entry flags and backlog sweep
Exact match on vendor + invoice number; fuzzy flag on vendor + amount within a 10-day window. One-time sweep of 6 months of history. A human decides every flag.
Implementation Engagement · 60-Day Catch Log
$40,000 caught in 60 days, itemized
The catch log is the engagement's scoreboard. Every dollar below ties to a specific mechanism in the system built: entry flags, a backlog sweep, expiry alerts, window reminders, and rate-sheet matching. Four categories, nine weeks, one running total.
The headline
One total, four categories, every dollar itemized
$40,000
Total caught: recovered, credited, or captured. Illustrative worked figures for this constructed example.
60 days
Weeks 1-2 build and shadow. Live at week 3. Steady run-rate by week 9.
4 categories
Duplicates, credits and claims, early-pay discounts, freight and rate errors.
$17,140
Duplicate payments
Identified and recovered or credited. Entry flags plus a one-time sweep of 6 months of history.
$11,860
Credits and claims
Expired-but-recoverable vendor credits and shortage claims pursued. Backlog worked in weeks 3-5.
$6,240
Early-pay discounts
Captured once windows became visible. 14 vendors with standing terms.
$4,760
Freight and rate errors
Double billing and rate mismatches caught at entry against PO and rate sheet.
The ramp
Week by week: small in shadow, a spike when the backlog is worked, then steady state
| Week | Caught | Cumulative | Weekly volume | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,180 | $1,180 | Build and shadow mode; first entry flags | |
| 2 | $2,660 | $3,840 | Shadow mode; backlog sweep begins | |
| 3 | $7,940 | $11,780 | Live. Duplicate backlog peak | |
| 4 | $6,720 | $18,500 | Credit/claim backlog worked | |
| 5 | $6,180 | $24,680 | Backlog tail; first full discount cycle | |
| 6 | $4,340 | $29,020 | Steady state emerging | |
| 7 | $4,120 | $33,140 | Discounts + entry catches | |
| 8 | $3,660 | $36,800 | Entry catches; two disputes resolved | |
| 9 | $3,200 | $40,000 | Steady run-rate |
The shape is the point. Weeks 1-2 run in shadow while the system is built. Week 3 goes live and the duplicate backlog sweep peaks. Weeks 4-5 work down the credit and claim backlog. Weeks 6-9 settle into the steady run-rate the system holds after handoff.
The detail
What a catch looks like, line by line
| Week | Category | Vendor (generic) | Amount | How caught | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Duplicate | Produce vendor B | $2,340 | Exact match flag on backlog sweep | Credit applied to next order |
| 3 | Duplicate | Freight carrier A | $1,875 | Fuzzy flag: same amount, 8 days apart | Refund received |
| 4 | Credit/claim | Packaging vendor C | $3,150 | Expiry alert on shortage claim from March | Claim honored |
| 4 | Duplicate | Facilities vendor F | $980 | Exact match at entry | Invoice voided |
| 5 | Credit/claim | Produce vendor D | $1,690 | Damaged-goods credit found in thread review | Credit reissued |
| 6 | Discount | Dry-goods vendor E | $740 | Window reminder, paid day 8 of 10 | 2% captured |
| 7 | Rate error | Freight carrier A | $1,210 | Rate-sheet mismatch at entry | Corrected invoice |
| 8 | Rate error | Freight carrier B | $640 | Double fuel surcharge flagged | Credited |
Representative line items, illustrative; the full log runs longer.
The mechanism
Every category traces to a specific part of the build
$11,860
Credits ← credit/claim log with expiry alerts
Every credit and shortage claim gets a tracker row with an expiry date. Alerts fire 7 days before expiry. Nothing dies in an email thread again.
$6,240
Discounts ← window reminders
Discount windows recorded at entry. Reminders fire 3 business days before a window closes. 14 vendors with standing terms, captured by default.
$4,760
Rate errors ← rate-sheet match at entry
Every freight and service invoice checked against PO and rate sheet at entry. Mismatches flag before payment, not after reconciliation.
After the 60 days
The steady state the system holds after handoff
100%
Of arriving invoices logged same day. Held for two consecutive weeks before handoff.
0
Duplicates paid since week 3.
$700-900
Monthly discount run-rate, captured by default.
12 → ~3 hrs
Office manager's weekly invoice work: archaeology down to review and approvals.
0 weekends
Owner reconciliation weekends. Replaced by the Monday one-page AP position.