Case Studies

UC San Diego Automates AP with Transcepta, Reducing Resources by 90%

Written by Transcepta | Mar 24, 2025 6:17:19 PM

About UC San Diego

UC San Diego is a top-10 public university in the U.S. and a global leader in research and innovation. The university is dedicated to educating future leaders, fostering a culture of collaboration, and driving economic and societal impact. 

 

The Challenge

UC San Diego’s Accounts Payable (AP) team struggled with a highly manual, inefficient invoice process that resulted in: 

  • 27,000 invoices per month manually processed – requiring excessive staff resources 
  •  Invoices arriving via postal mail – causing long processing times 
  •  Manual data entry & approvals – slowing payment cycles 
  •  Unmet supplier payment terms – delaying payments beyond the required 10-day window 
  •  Lost cost-saving opportunities – inability to pay by virtual card 
  •  AP team overwhelmed by supplier inquiries – due to lack of payment status visibility 

With extra staff needed in the mailroom, multiple FTEs for processing, and inefficient email-based approvals, the university was unable to keep up with supplier demands. They needed a scalable AP automation solution to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enable a seamless ERP migration to Oracle Cloud. 

 

The Solution

  • After a comprehensive vendor search, UC San Diego selected Transcepta to automate and streamline their AP processes. 
  • Seamless Supplier Onboarding – Transcepta digitally connected all suppliers, eliminating paper-based invoicing. 
  •  AI-Powered Exception Handling – Automating invoice approvals and routing to the correct stakeholders. 

The Impact

  • Reduced AP approval time from 30 days to hours – enabling on-time supplier payments 
  •  90% reduction in required AP staff – freeing resources for strategic initiatives 
  •  97% decrease in outstanding credit memos – identifying and resolving inefficiencies 

UC San Diego transformed its AP department from a manual, paper-driven operation to a fully automated, digital-first system—saving time, money, and resources. 

 

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