How SAMGI saved time, reduced fraud, and improved employee experience with Ramp

Kathleen Cole, Corporate Controller and SAMGI’s longest-tenured corporate employee, recalls the frustrations of outdated processes. “Over the years, we’ve switched between three different banks, which came with growing pains,” she says. SAMGI’s legacy card system used traditional bank cards with rigid processes that discouraged use. “Many employees avoided the corporate cards because it was easier to use personal credit cards and submit expense reports,” Kathleen explains.

The manual expense management system not only added workload but also increased the risk of fraud and policy exceptions. “Duplicate expense submissions—often unintentional—were a concern,” says Kathleen. “Policies were harder to enforce under a manual system, especially with a growing number of transactions.”

As SAMGI expanded rapidly, adding more than 200 employees over the past few years, the administrative burden became overwhelming. Kathleen emphasizes that every moment spent managing cards took attention away from the company’s primary mission: supporting providers and improving patient care. “Every process we implement needs to support—not hinder—our ability to assist our providers,” she says.

SAMGI partnered with Ramp to modernize its outdated credit card program and streamline operations. “It has been a game-changer to assign virtual corporate cards directly to individuals who manage specific expenses,” Kathleen explains. “Each virtual card comes with built-in budgets or merchant restrictions, and the transactions are pre-coded making it easy to use and easy to manage.”

The implementation of Ramp was seamless, despite tight timelines. “We had just two weeks before most of our previous bank cards expired,” recalls Kathleen. “We not only had to replace cards for employees but also update payment information across multiple vendor platforms.” The flexibility of virtual cards proved invaluable. “We transitioned to Ramp without a hitch—our vendors didn’t even notice. Plus, we were able to switch to suppliers with better pricing, thanks to Ramp’s automated receipts and controlled budgets.”

Although SAMGI initially adopted Ramp for corporate card management, Kathleen is already expanding its use. “We are piloting Ramp’s Bill Pay and Expense Reporting tools with a select group of vendors and employees,” she says. “The success we’ve had with the card program gives us confidence to explore more of Ramp’s offerings. It’s not just about accounting efficiencies—Ramp adds meaningful business controls while improving the end-user experience.”

Since adopting Ramp, SAMGI’s employees have embraced the new system wholeheartedly. “They no longer need to log in or manually code transactions,” Kathleen says. “They can simply take a photo of their receipt, add a note, and submit it through their phone. Even employees who previously avoided corporate cards—like our COO who is one of our highest volume users due to his travel schedule—are now enthusiastic users.”

For SAMGI’s leadership, the impact of Ramp goes beyond convenience. “The built-in budget controls, automated coding, and merchant-specific tracking reduce the chance of fraud and simplify management,” Kathleen explains. “Ramp even flags potential duplicate receipts, saving us time and preventing errors.”

The streamlined review process is a major win for the accounting team. “Now, our Accounting Specialist can rely on Ramp’s green check mark system, which confirms that receipts match transactions,” says Kathleen. “This eliminates the need to manually verify every line item—a huge time saver.”

Ultimately, the efficiencies gained through Ramp allow SAMGI to focus more on what matters most: delivering exceptional patient care. “With Ramp handling the backend, we can redirect our energy toward supporting our providers and fulfilling our mission,” Kathleen concludes.