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“We have a constant flow of implementations of our ERP [Enterprise Resource Planning software] globally,” reports Krissy Delarmente, Solberg’s lead Controller. Delarmente oversees accounting while helping steer the company’s ongoing technology modernization efforts – work that requires efficient systems for purchasing, travel, and cash flow management.
“My role spans accounting, finance, and IT, with a strong focus on ensuring our global systems and financial processes operate in a controlled and scalable way,” she says.
Part of that remit includes how Solberg manages spending and vendor payments. Central to those efforts has been the American Express® Corporate Program – especially its American Express® Corporate Card1 offerings and the flexibility and control it provides.
“Standardizing our approach to corporate spending created greater visibility and control across the organization,” Delarmente says.
Supporting business spending with clarity and control
When Delarmente joined the company seven years ago, the relationship with American Express was already well established. American Express® Corporate Cards were already being used across purchasing and sales functions – helping employees manage supplier payments and travel expenses more efficiently.
Today, Solberg uses the American Express® Corporate Card Program in several ways. Purchasing teams rely on Corporate Cards with vendors that accept card payments without fees, she says, while sales teams use the Cards extensively during business travel.
Delarmente adds that the Corporate Cards have become their main card for business spending. “The program gives us flexibility to manage working capital more effectively, while still allowing us to take advantage of supplier discounts where it makes sense.”
That flexibility helps Solberg preserve working capital while still taking advantage of supplier discounts.
Streamlining business expenses with Corporate Cards
The American Express® Corporate Card Program also gives employees greater flexibility in the field. Salespeople traveling to meet customers, visit vendors, or attend trade shows can manage expenses directly rather than routing every purchase through finance.
“We’ve structured the program to enable teams to move quickly while maintaining appropriate oversight and controls,” Delarmente explains. “Our goal is to avoid unnecessary bottlenecks while still maintaining strong governance over spending.”
At the same time, she says the company maintains appropriate oversight through spending limits and expense management integrations. “We establish standardized controls, including predefined spending limits, to ensure consistency across the organization,” she says.
Travel perks for employees on the road
Membership Rewards® points2 have also become a meaningful employee perk, especially for Solberg’s frequent travelers. Delarmente says some sales employees are on the road as much as three weeks out of four, visiting customers and attending trade shows. Supply chain employees also travel regularly to meet with vendors domestically and internationally.
Solberg has enrolled in the Corporate Membership Rewards® Program2, structuring it, “so employees can earn points on eligible business travel, giving frequently mobile teams an added incentive.”
At the corporate level, points earned through purchasing activity and vendor spending get put back into the business in practical ways. The company often redeems points to help book owner travel, as Solberg’s owner visits locations around the world. It also uses points for employee recognition, including gift cards tied to major ERP implementation projects and other intensive initiatives.
Still, the value of the Corporate Program extends beyond payments and rewards3. Just as important is having direct access to support whenever issues arise.
Business support they can count on
For Delarmente, the value of the American Express® Corporate Program extends beyond payments and rewards. Equally vital is having access to support when issues arise.
“Account support is critical for us. When issues arise, having access to customer service allows us to resolve them quickly and keep operations moving.”
And for a finance leader balancing accounting, IT, and global systems work, that kind of support is a major gain. When Solberg needed help updating its merchant services setup, for instance, Delarmente says her American Express representative helped connect her with the right resources quickly.
And when smaller issues come up, like how a payment was applied, she knows exactly where to turn. “I’ll email certain issues over to Julie,” she says of the American Express Specialist she was assigned, “and she’ll take care of working with the team and get it corrected.”
In many ways, the support offered by American Express mirrors the work Solberg Manufacturing does itself: helping to keep essential systems moving by filtering out whatever gets in the way.
Terms & Conditions
1 The American Express® Corporate Card Program is subject to application and approval. Terms and fees apply. To learn more, call an American Express® Specialist at 855-531-3491 or visit americanexpress.com/corporate.
2 Corporate Membership Rewards® Program
Enrollment in the Corporate Membership Rewards program is required. Only the American Express® Corporate Green Card, American Express® Corporate Gold Card, and American Express Corporate Platinum Card® are eligible to enroll in the Corporate Membership Rewards program. The Program Administrator is charged a $90 annual enrollment fee for each enrolled Corporate Green Card. A program fee is not applied for the Corporate Gold Card and Corporate Platinum Card®. Get one Corporate Membership Rewards point for every dollar of eligible purchases charged on enrolled American Express® Corporate Cards. Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. If the Corporate Card Member is transferring from an existing Membership Rewards program to the Corporate Membership Rewards program, the Card Member will have 30 days to use any existing Membership Rewards points before they are forfeited.
The redemption value of Corporate Membership Rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them.
For the full terms and conditions for the Corporate Membership Rewards® program please visit americanexpress.com/corporatemrterms for more information. Participating Corporate Membership Rewards partners, available rewards, and point levels are subject to change without notice.
3 Not all Cards are eligible to get rewards. Terms and limitations vary by Card type.
