CASE STUDY
Streamlining Supplier Onboarding to Reduce Delays and Risk
Team Canopy
3 min read
“It used to take weeks to get a supplier into the ERP and ready to trade. Now, it takes minutes!”
Procurement Lead, Atlas Edge
Introduction
Slow, manual supplier onboarding causes more than just admin frustration, it can delay projects, block payments and in worst cases, expose the business to significant risk.
This case study looks at how two organisations, a fast-growing data centre operator and the logistics division of a global equipment manufacturer, used Canopy to streamline supplier onboarding, reduce liability and get new vendors approved in minutes, not weeks.
The Companies
Fortune 100 Heavy Equipment Manufacturer – Transport Division
- Part of the world’s largest construction machinery company
- Fortune 100 Enterprise
- Operates a dedicated transport division to move heavy equipment
- Manages over 13,000 suppliers, including thousands of subcontractors
AtlasEdge Data Centres
- Fast-growing European data centre operator
- Joint venture between Liberty Global and DigitalBridge
- Frequently expands through acquisition
- Needs rapid supplier onboarding to activate new locations
Both companies were dealing with a common challenge: onboarding delays were blocking critical work, causing unnecessary admin load and introducing hidden compliance risks that traditional processes failed to catch.
The Challenge
Procurement teams were:
- Missing expired documents and compliance gaps
- Collecting supplier data and documents by email
- Manually entering records into ERP systems
- Waiting days or weeks before a PO could be issued
In one case, a previously onboarded third-party haulier was used to transport a large piece of machinery. Their insurance had expired, and no one was aware. During transit, the equipment fell from the trailer and seriously injured a bystander.
The haulier wasn’t covered so the full liability, a seven-figure settlement, fell to the company.
…the full liability, a seven-figure settlement, fell to the company…
The Solution
Canopy became the single onboarding system for both businesses, making supplier approval faster, clearer and safer.
Procurement teams can send suppliers an invite in seconds. The supplier completes their own profile and uploads required documents directly.
Once approved, supplier records are pushed straight into the ERP – no manual data entry, no delays.
Suppliers are responsible for their own onboarding. If required documents aren’t submitted or have expired, they can’t be approved or paid.
Canopy tracks key expiry dates like insurance or certifications. Teams are notified in advance and suppliers are flagged if anything is missing or outdated.
Suppliers can’t be approved until all required data and documents are in place, preventing workarounds and ensuring compliance upfront.
The Results
By implementing Canopy, both companies:
“That supplier would never have been used if we had Canopy. Their expired insurance would have been flagged before the job even started.”
Risk & Compliance Manager, Global Transport Division
Summary
When onboarding is slow or incomplete, teams work around it, and that’s when things go wrong.
With Canopy, these organisations created a faster, safer onboarding process that gave control back to procurement, removed delays and reduced serious risk.
Whether you manage hundreds or thousands of suppliers, Canopy ensures everyone follows the same, simple process, so that nothing gets missed.
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