How the Canadian Bible Society Took Control of Their Finances with SAP Concur

When you think about what keeps a charity running smoothly, financial management probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. But for organizations like the Canadian Bible Society (CBS), having tight, transparent financial controls isn't just a responsibility to their organization. It's a responsibility to every single donor who trusts them with their money.

With 70–75 employees spread across Canada and a lean finance team managing it all from Toronto, CBS needed a smarter way to handle expenses and invoices. Here's how they made it happen.

The Problem with Manual Financial Processes

Before implementing SAP Concur solutions, CBS was doing things the old-fashioned way and it was costing them time, accuracy, and peace of mind.

Here's what their day-to-day looked like:

• Piles of paper documents being physically mailed to Toronto from across the country
• Missing signatures that weren't caught until deep into the approval process
• Inconsistent coding and misplaced documents causing delays
• Audit stress from disorganized, hard-to-locate documentation

For a charity that's accountable to both auditors and donors, these weren't just mere inconveniences. They were real risks.

As Lead Accountant Heather Johnson put it:

"One of the many pain points included the volume of paper and support documentation not being fully vetted… we would miss signatures that weren't caught at the beginning stages of the pre-audit approval process."

Something had to change.

The Solution: One Platform to Handle It All

After evaluating their options, CBS chose Concur solutions, specifically Concur Expense and Concur Invoice, because it offered a complete, integrated solution rather than a patchwork of separate tools.

With nearly every staff member carrying a corporate credit card, they needed a system that could:

• Handle high transaction volumes
• Enforce compliance automatically
• Give visibility across a nationally distributed team

Some of the standout features that made a real difference:

• Invoice Capture & OCR technology: Automatically extracts data from invoices, reducing manual entry and human error
• Automated approval workflows: Multi-level authorization that ensures nothing slips through the cracks
• Three-way matching: Automatically matches invoice numbers, amounts, and budget codes without anyone having to do it by hand

Heather was sold on the comprehensiveness of the platform:

"SAP Concur does have a very robust system… not just an invoicing system. It is also an expense system. Other software solutions are not as complete."

The Results: Real Change, Real Fast

The impact wasn't subtle. Once CBS had Concur solutions up and running, the difference was felt across the entire organization.

• Faster, smoother processes: The automated workflows essentially act like a funnel. Information gets entered correctly at the front end, and everything flows through approvals without the usual bottlenecks.
• Audit season? No sweat: One of the biggest wins has been how painless audits have become. All documentation is captured upfront, organized, and immediately accessible when auditors come knocking.
• Better accountability across departments: CBS decentralized their AP process, empowering staff to code and submit their own invoices directly. This created a real sense of ownership over budgets and made financial reporting cleaner across the board.
• Visibility coast to coast: Because Concur is cloud-based, anyone at CBS, no matter where they are in Canada, can log in and see what's happening in real time.
• Time back for what actually matters: With manual data entry and paper chasing off their plates, the finance team can now focus on higher-value work like financial planning and strategic oversight.

A Word of Advice for Other Not-for-Profits

Heather's message to other charities considering a similar move is straightforward. Don't wait.

“As a charity… auditing is extremely important. SAP Concur has added so much value… transparency, controls, proper documentation.”

If your organization is still relying on paper-based processes, manual approvals, or disconnected systems, you're likely spending more time managing admin than managing your mission.

What's Next for CBS?

The Canadian Bible Society isn't stopping here. They're looking ahead to:

• Deeper reporting and analytics to inform financial decision-making
• Additional automation features to further cut down on manual work
• Improved vendor management workflows for better supplier relationships

Their journey is a great reminder that digital transformation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Even a small team at a not-for-profit can make massive strides with the right tools in place.

To learn more about not-for-profit organizations and SAP Concur, visit https://www.concur.ca/industries/non-profit-organizations.