How Office Central Saved 50+ Hours and Eliminated Manual Reimbursements for 100+ Employees

Company: Office Central

Interviewee: Steve Katz, Co-Owner

Location: Canada

About Office Central

Office Central is one of Canada’s largest independent distributors of office products, educational supplies, office furniture, and educational furniture. Founded in 1987, the company operates out of a 100,000 square foot warehouse in Richmond Hill, Ontario, with hubs across the province and across Canada. The team of 100+ employees supplies more than 20,000 businesses across Canada. As co-owner, Steve Katz oversees an operation that processes purchasing activity constantly. With a team regularly making purchases on behalf of the business, managing expenses and keeping procurement running without interruption is central to how Office Central operates.

The Problem

Banking fees and manual reimbursements were eating into every procurement cycle

Office Central had operated with one of the major Canadian financial institutions for decades. In the early days, the experience worked: branch staff were available, service was fast, and the process was straightforward. Over time, that changed. Wait times grew, branch service disappeared, and fees climbed steadily until they became a regular source of frustration for Steve.

“In 1980 it worked. Things changed, just like a lot of other banks. I would typically run in there, give a deposit, and run out, and it happened fast. Nowadays, there’s no one to greet you, there’s no one to talk to, you wait in line, and the most important thing, the fees are, like, through the roof.”
— Steve Katz, Co-Owner, Office Central

On top of the fee problem, Office Central’s procurement process depended on manual reimbursements. Team members used their own personal cards for purchases and submitted for reimbursement afterward. With no single source of truth for corporate spending, the finance team was spending 5 to 10 hours every other week manually reviewing charges and tracking down receipts. For a business managing over 50,000 SKUs and constant purchasing activity, that overhead accumulated fast.

The Solution

One platform that handles team spending and removes the reimbursement process entirely

After a conversation with the Venn team about what he was looking for, Steve made the switch. Instead of employees using personal cards and waiting for reimbursement, all purchasing now runs through Venn. Steve monitors all spending through the platform, keeping the entire procurement process visible without manual tracking

Here is what changed once Office Central switched to Venn:

- Corporate cards for the team, eliminating personal card reimbursements entirely

- Real-time transaction visibility across all team spending in one dashboard

- Lower fees compared to their previous financial institution

- Simple online account management for making transactions and monitoring spending

On top of eliminating the reimbursement process, Office Central earns 1% cashback on every purchase the team makes through Venn. For a business running constant procurement activity across 50,000 SKUs, that adds up meaningfully over time.

Since switching, Office Central has saved over 50 hours that previously went toward reimbursement tracking and manual expense review.

“Not only do my employees now feel empowered with their own cards, but our cashback benefits as a company have gone through the roof!”
— Steve Katz, Co-Owner, Office Central

Why Venn

Steve describes the Venn experience the same way he described what he was looking for when he first reached out: easy. Easy to monitor the account, easy to make transactions, and no longer dependent on branch visits or manual reimbursements to keep procurement running.

For a co-owner managing a warehouse operation at the scale of Office Central, easy means not having to think about it. Cards are available when the team needs them, spending is visible whenever Steve needs to check it, and the monthly overhead that used to fall on the finance team is no longer part of the cycle. Banking runs in the background the way it should.

Being Canadian-built also mattered to Steve. Office Central is a Canadian-owned company that has prioritized working with Canadian vendors since it was founded in 1987, and Venn fit that requirement directly.

Who Venn Is For

Canadian distributors and procurement-heavy operations that need to eliminate manual reimbursements and reduce financial overhead

Venn works best for Canadian businesses that process high volumes of purchasing activity and need a way to give employees access to spend without creating a reimbursement queue for the owner or operations team. For businesses like Office Central, where procurement happens constantly across tens of thousands of SKUs, manual reimbursements are a recurring time cost that accumulates across every cycle. Venn fits teams that want to centralize spending, reduce fees, and keep full visibility over all activity in one place, without the service limitations of a traditional financial institution.

Join the companies that use Venn to manage team spending, reduce costs, and operate with confidence. Try Venn today!

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

How quickly can teams get set up on Venn?

Getting started with Venn doesn't require a branch visit or a lengthy approval process. Everything is handled online, and teams can be up and running with corporate cards before their next procurement cycle.

Can businesses issue cards to multiple employees through Venn?

‍Yes. Venn lets businesses issue corporate cards across the team so every employee making purchases has access to spend directly, without using personal cards or waiting for reimbursement.

How does Venn handle visibility across team spending?

‍All transactions appear in one dashboard in real time. Owners and operators can see exactly what's being spent, by whom, and when, without chasing receipts or waiting for end-of-month statements.

Is Venn only for businesses in certain industries?

‍No. Venn is built for Canadian businesses that run high volumes of purchasing activity and want to cut the overhead that comes with traditional banking. Distribution, retail, services: if your team is spending regularly and you're managing it manually, Venn is built for that.

This publication is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or other professional advice from Venn Software Inc., its subsidiaries, or its affiliates, and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional. All comparisons and competitor information reflect publicly available information believed accurate as of May 20, 2026; features, pricing, rates, and terms referenced are subject to change and may differ at the time you read this. All product names, logos, and brands referenced are the property of their respective owners; their mention does not imply affiliation with or endorsement by Venn. Any comparative statements reflect Venn's views and are provided to help readers evaluate options. We make no representations, warranties, or guarantees, express or implied, that the content is accurate, complete, or up to date.