Forest Lawn Builds an Integrated Procure-to-Pay Backbone by Connecting Vroozi, NetSuite, and Shopify

Procurement is increasingly moving beyond cost control to become a core operational function—one that connects inventory, finance, and customer-facing systems in real time. Forest Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries, one of Southern California’s largest funeral service providers, offers a compelling example of this shift by building a fully integrated procure-to-pay operation spanning Vroozi, NetSuite ERP, and Shopify.

The initiative has enabled Forest Lawn to manage everything from indirect spend and inventory replenishment to highly specialized services—such as Dove Release ceremonies—through a single, orchestrated platform.

From Manual Procurement to a Digital Marketplace

Forest Lawn first adopted Vroozi’s procurement platform in 2018, replacing manual, paper-based purchasing processes with a digital procurement environment internally known as the “Forest Lawn Marketplace.” Over time, the organization expanded its use of the platform to manage spend across more than 1,000 suppliers, covering both indirect procurement and direct materials.

In 2023, Forest Lawn added accounts payable automation, moving to a full procure-to-pay (P2P) model. This expansion coincided with a broader ERP transformation, including a transition to NetSuite, during which Vroozi supported multiple migration phases—including temporary integrations with systems such as Bill.com.

Procurement Embedded into Daily Operations

What distinguishes Forest Lawn’s approach is how deeply procurement is now embedded into operational workflows.

“Our goal was to bring all spend under management for visibility and compliance,” said Gretchen Vance, Vice President of Procurement at Forest Lawn. “What we’ve achieved goes beyond that—procurement is no longer a separate function, it’s woven into how we operate every day.”

Through tight integration between Vroozi, NetSuite, and Shopify, procurement actions are now triggered automatically by real operational events rather than manual intervention.

Inventory Management Driven by ERP Signals

Using NetSuite as the system of record for inventory, Forest Lawn has automated replenishment workflows through Vroozi. When inventory levels in NetSuite reach predefined reorder points, purchase orders are automatically generated in Vroozi and sent to suppliers. As goods are ordered and received, inventory levels are updated across systems in real time.

This closed-loop integration improves accuracy, reduces stockouts, and minimizes manual effort—particularly important for an organization managing diverse inventory categories across multiple locations.

Shopify-Driven Fulfillment Meets Procurement

Forest Lawn has also connected Shopify into its procure-to-pay ecosystem, linking customer-facing transactions directly with procurement workflows. For example, when flower shop orders are fulfilled via Shopify, API-based integration routes fulfillment through Vroozi, ensuring that procurement, inventory, and sales operations remain synchronized.

The result is a unified operational flow where sales activity can directly trigger procurement actions, reducing delays and improving service consistency.

Managing Specialized Services Through the Same Platform

Beyond goods and inventory, Forest Lawn uses Vroozi to manage a wide range of service-based procurement, including musicians, ministers, interpreters, and Dove Release services for ceremonies.

Bringing both goods and services under the same procure-to-pay umbrella gives Forest Lawn greater visibility, compliance, and control—while simplifying processes for internal teams.

Procurement as Operational Infrastructure

From Vroozi’s perspective, Forest Lawn illustrates how procurement platforms can evolve into operational backbones, not just transactional tools.

“When a sale triggers an inventory need that creates a purchase order and updates multiple systems in real time, that’s when procurement becomes genuinely strategic,” said Shaz Khan, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Vroozi.

Since the initial deployment in 2018, Forest Lawn has continuously expanded its use of the platform—moving from digitization to orchestration across ERP, eCommerce, inventory, and financial systems.

A Blueprint for ERP-Centric, Integrated Operations

Forest Lawn’s implementation highlights a broader trend in enterprise systems: value increasingly comes from connecting platforms, not replacing them. By positioning Vroozi as the central procure-to-pay layer and integrating it tightly with NetSuite and Shopify, Forest Lawn has created a scalable, resilient foundation that supports operational efficiency, visibility, and growth.

For ERP leaders, procurement teams, and CIOs, the project demonstrates how procurement automation, ERP integration, and real-time orchestration can converge to transform day-to-day operations—even in highly specialized and service-driven industries.