How Concannon Lumber Ditched Paper, Cut Busywork, and Scaled Smarter

CASE STUDY

Quick Snapshot

Concannon Lumber Company, an international lumber distributor with offices across North America and Europe, was struggling with paper-based workflows that slowed everything from audits to daily approvals. With teams spread from California to Germany, fast, reliable document access became mission-critical. WorldView helped Concannon eliminate the paper shuffle, automate processes, and grow operations without hiring more admin staff. 

What Was Broken

• Paper-heavy processes slowed approvals and audits

• Document quality degraded from constant printing, scanning, and emailing 
  

• No reliable way to track documents across offices 
  

• Payable due dates were often buried or delayed 
  

• Staff bogged down organizing, filing, and tracking documents Lost invoices & missed payment discounts

   

What Got Better

• Immediate access to clean, original documents 
  

• Audits became fast and stress-free 
  

• Automated approval workflows with full visibility 
  

• Staff shifted focus from paperwork to business growth 
  

• Faster decision-making with better compliance tracking 
  

• Workflow expanded easily to different locations and teams

The Paper Problem

Concannon’s goal was clear: stop drowning in paper and get their teams on the same page no matter where they worked. 

Before WorldView, accounts payable was a mess of physical mail, scanning, printing, markup, rescanning, and endless emailing. Each round made the document harder to read. Key details like totals and bank information sometimes ended up too blurry to use. 

Audits were just as painful. Each year, the bank asked for full documentation on randomly selected orders. Tracking down every document tied to an order -contracts, approvals, invoices, shipping records - was time-consuming and chaotic. 

“We work with offices in California, Colorado, Texas, Mexico, Germany, North Carolina… keeping that data current and accessible for everyone live was our goal," 

Camille Torres, Concannon Lumber Company

How They Fixed It

WorldView stepped in with a simple digital document management system backed by powerful workflows. Now, documents arrive through email, are uploaded in their original quality, and move through an online approval process without ever being printed. 

Every document is tied to the order from day one. Payable due dates are visible right away instead of getting noticed halfway through the process. Everyone involved knows exactly what’s on their plate because documents live in organized queues instead of cluttered inboxes. 

The Payoff

Audits Without the Headaches 

Annual audits went from dreaded projects to quick tasks. Documents are instantly retrievable. The team can quickly provide complete order documentation, reducing stress and time spent preparing for audits. 

Less Paper, More Focus 

The admin team stopped wasting time scanning, renaming, sorting, and filing. They now focus on more meaningful work like process improvements, customer service, and operational support instead of document management. 

Compliance Without the Guesswork 

Supplier certifications, import records, and product data now stay connected to each order. Instead of hunting for documents every time, the team has instant access to critical information, improving accuracy and response times. 

Growing Without Growing the Team 

Concannon scaled operations to handle more work without adding headcount. The automation freed staff from manual busywork, enabling them to take on more complex tasks and support the company's continued growth. 

Expanding Automation Across the Business 

The success with accounts payable was just the beginning. Concannon started rolling out WorldView’s workflow tools to other teams and locations, including their Hawaii branch. 

What started with document management for payables is now helping unify processes for multiple small business units within Concannon’s larger operation. 

A Real Business Ally, Not Just Another Software 

Camille described WorldView as more than a vendor. It’s a team that listens, collaborates, and adapts the tools to fit their business. 

Concannon values having a say in how the system evolves. The company isn’t just using an off-the-shelf product. They’re helping shape features that benefit not only their business but others like them. 

“It’s almost like we’ve got buddies that have designed the software and we can just tap into that at any time, which is really good and really valuable." 

Camille Torres, Concannon Lumber Company

Final Takeaway

Concannon Lumber traded paper chaos for fast, reliable, digital processes. The shift unlocked faster audits, better compliance, smoother day-to-day operations, and the ability to grow without constantly adding admin staff. 

What used to be time-consuming busywork is now handled automatically, freeing the team to focus on what really matters - serving customers, supporting sales, and growing the business. 

Discover how WorldView can help your business save time, reduce errors, and improve collaboration across locations. Schedule a consult today!