The J Hansen HVAC Group

A purchase order in under two minutes. Right from the field.

J Hansen uses LayerNext to connect field purchasing, receiving, and accounts payable in FieldServio, helping technicians get their parts while reducing manual work in the office.

Industry
HVAC and field services
ERP
FieldServio
Focus
Purchasing, receiving, and AP
<2 min
From a technician’s request to a PO number on their phone
1 photo
To submit a packing slip for automated receiving
3 workflows
Purchasing, receiving, and payables connected in FieldServio
* Routine PO requests run through the app without a call or text to the office. Unclear documents and mismatches go to a person for review; payment release remains with finance.
The challenge

Every parts purchase created work in two places

J Hansen’s technicians purchase parts for HVAC, plumbing, heating, and refrigeration jobs across Manitoba. A purchase starts in the field, but the paperwork carries through receiving, job costing, and accounts payable.

Previously, a technician called or texted the office for a purchase order number. Office staff found the job in FieldServio, created the PO, and sent the number back. Once the parts were collected, the packing slip returned to the office for line-by-line entry. Supplier invoices then needed to be matched against the purchase and receiving records.

The goal was to give technicians a faster way to buy parts and reduce repeated data entry in the office, while keeping each purchase connected to the right job in FieldServio.
The solution

From a mobile request to a matched vendor bill

LayerNext connects three workflows around the same purchase. Technicians use the mobile app to request POs and submit packing slips. AI agents complete the processing steps in FieldServio, while office staff handle items that need review.
Request the PO
The technician identifies the job in the app. LayerNext creates the purchase order against that job in FieldServio and returns the PO number to the technician’s phone in under two minutes.
Capture the packing slip
At the supplier counter, the technician photographs the slip in the app. The document enters the receiving workflow, with reminders to help follow up on missing slips.
Record what arrived
The agent reads the line items, matches item codes, and records the receipt. Outstanding quantities remain open for later deliveries against the same purchase order.
Three-way match the invoice
Supplier invoices are checked against the purchase order and receiving record, line by line. Matching invoices become vendor bills; discrepancies and unclear information go to the office with supporting documents.
For this implementation, LayerNext’s computer-use agents work through the FieldServio screens to create POs, record receipts, and enter vendor bills. The workflow uses job, vendor, and item records from FieldServio to connect each step to the correct business record, without relying on API write access.
Technicians request the PO and photograph the slip. The workflow carries the information through receiving and payables, with people handling exceptions.

The AI capabilities help reduce manual data entry, improve the handling of invoices and supporting documents, and make the overall AP workflow faster and more efficient.

Ivan Cruz

VP of Finance

As a finance executive overseeing multiple operating companies, one of our key priorities has been creating greater consistency, visibility, and control across our purchasing and accounts payable processes.Layer Next has been an excellent partner in helping us achieve that. Their PO and AP automation solution has allowed us to standardize workflows across multiple companies, improve approval controls, increase visibility into outstanding commitments, and reduce the administrative burden on our finance teams.

One of the areas we have found particularly valuable is how Layer Next uses AI to support the automation process. The AI capabilities help reduce manual data entry, improve the handling of invoices and supporting documents, and make the overall AP workflow faster and more efficient. This has allowed our accounting teams to spend less time on repetitive processing and more time focusing on review, analysis, and higher-value finance activities.

The platform has improved both efficiency and financial control across our organization. Just as importantly, the Layer Next team has taken the time to understand how our businesses operate and has been responsive and supportive throughout the implementation and ongoing relationship. I would highly recommend Layer Next to any growing organization, particularly multi-entity businesses looking to use automation and AI to modernize their purchasing and accounts payable functions. per invoice by 89% with LayerNext, bringing invoice processing, approvals, and posting together within its existing Epicor Eagle environment.

Three-way matching

Check what was ordered, received, and billed

Before a supplier invoice becomes a vendor bill, LayerNext compares it with the purchase order and receiving record in FieldServio. The check works at the line-item level, connecting the parts on the invoice to the purchase and the delivery.

Record

What it establishes

Purchase order

The supplier, job, and purchase details against which the invoice is checked.

Packing slip and receipt

The items and quantities received, including partial deliveries and quantities still outstanding.

Supplier invoice

The items, quantities, and charges billed, compared with the corresponding PO and receipt.

The workflow also checks vendor identity and potential duplicate invoice numbers, and applies configured GST and PST rules. Statements and other non-invoice documents are filtered out at intake.
When the records match
The agent enters the vendor bill in FieldServio, carrying the validated information into the system finance already uses. Payment release remains with the customer.
When something needs review
A discrepancy or unclear document goes to the office with the source document, attempted match, and reason it stopped, so a person can resolve the issue with context.
Trade-specific detail

Built for the way parts actually arrive

Field purchasing includes split shipments, supplier-specific item codes, and equipment records. The implementation carries these details through receiving and payables.
Partial deliveries and backorders
Only delivered quantities are received. The balance stays open on the original PO, and later packing slips record subsequent deliveries against that same order.
Exact item-code matching
Supplier item codes are matched against FieldServio’s item master. Where no exact match exists, the workflow creates a new item record rather than selecting a similar-looking code.
Split invoices and duplicates
The workflow handles supplier invoices that split an order across several documents, including suffixed invoice numbers, while flagging repeated invoice numbers as possible duplicates.
Equipment and tax details
Equipment serial numbers are captured at receiving to support service history. Configured tax rules account for the intended use of the parts at the line-item level.
Built for the team

Job-level traceability, with human oversight

Purchase orders are tied to open jobs and named requesters. Each purchase has a record of who requested it and which job it belongs to, so self-service purchasing retains accountability.

Documents can arrive through the technician app, AP inbox, web portal, or desktop client and enter the same workflow. The office can review exceptions without reconstructing the purchase from separate messages.

Unknown vendors and unreadable documents are brought to a person. The office receives the source document and the reason attention is needed. Vendor creation and payment release remain with the customer’s team.
The return

Less waiting in the field. Less rekeying in the office.

The return spans the full purchase: getting the PO, recording the delivery, and preparing the supplier invoice for payment.
PO numbers in under two minutes
Technicians can request a PO directly from their phones, reducing reliance on office availability while they are buying parts for a job.
One photo starts the receiving workflow
Packing-slip details move into automated processing, reducing line-by-line entry and keeping partial deliveries connected to the original order.
Three connected workflows reduce handoffs
Purchasing, receiving, and payables share the same transaction context. The office can focus on exceptions, while finance has the records it needs to manage payment timing and available early-payment discounts.
J Hansen brings field purchasing and finance into a connected process within FieldServio, with faster PO access and less manual handling along the way.

Connect field purchasing to finance.

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