Global roll-out of automated invoice processing at Elekta
From 50,000 to 120,000 supplier invoices with no extra staff. After launching in 2011, the European rollout of AP invoice automation is a success story at Elekta.
Summary
- Elekta handles 120,000 supplier invoices per year
- MediusFlow integrated with Elekta’s ERP system Infor M3
- A Shared Services Center in Crawley, UK
- 22 Elekta companies with 2,300 users in 17 countries use MediusFlow
Drivers for change
- Internal control
- Automated purchase-to-pay process
- Process quality and higher efficiency
- Digital access to invoices for everyone, everywhere, 24/7/365
Results
- Successful global rollout and ability to increase the number of processed invoices from 50,000 to 120,000 annually with same number of staff
- Cost reduction and increased control that comes with a digital and standardized purchase-to-pay process
- Future proof process and digital access to all invoices
- Shared Service Center established in Europe. North America and Asia to follow.
Elekta is a global human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. With 6000 customers and 32companies in 28 countries, Elekta is constantly improving administrative processes to ensure it taps the full potential of its resources.
In 2011, Elekta made a quantum leap from manual handling of supplier invoices to a fully automated accounts payable process with MediusFlow. The main driver for this shift was to improve internal control. A Shared Services Center was launched at Elekta’s UK office in Crawley. It ended up becoming a center of excellence for the entire Elekta group. A success model for a global rollout.
From a purchasing perspective, Elekta’s most extensive activities are in the UK. Therefore, there was a great need for a clearer and more organized invoicing system with line-level matching and a simpler user interface. Four years later we consider this project to be a true example of best practices in using smart technology to strengthen our company globally.
Andrew Ainsworth, Finance Manager Elekta UK
Successful European roll out
After deciding to start a Shared Services Center in the UK, the European rollout started in 2012. The strategy was to scan supplier invoices in local Elekta companies throughout Europe and then use MediusFlow to process and issue payments from Crawley, UK. Elekta’s companies in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands were the first to roll out electronic invoice processing. Success followed and the rollout accelerated in Europe and even South Africa.
We started out with a staff of three that handled 50,000 invoices in a manual process. Today the same staff handles 120,000 invoices for ten Elekta companies in Europe and South Africa. It’s really a fantastic example of how modern technology can improve companies such as ours, says Andrew, project manager for the global rollout.
In addition to the large volume of supplier invoices from Elekta’s UK business, the Shared Services Center in Crawley processes all supplier invoices from Elekta’s operations in France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, the Netherlands, South Africa and, starting in November 2015, Poland. And more countries are in the pipeline to benefit from MediusFlow’s line-level invoice matching and clever workflow for easy approval.
With no extra staff, we can add the volumes of supplier invoices from Elekta in Greece, Belgium and the Czech Republic as soon as they switch to our ERP-system, Andrew Ainsworth comments.
Less administration and better control with MediusFlow
In short, the launch saves on resources in administration. Clever scanning, line-level matching and a convenient approval workflow creates a smooth purchase to pay process that improves control and saves money. In other words, a whole new level of efficiency!
We could all stay home and let the system do its magic. Jokes aside, I believe this is a real treat for everyone involved. The accounts payable staff, our managers and all employees safely approve invoices on their smartphones while on the road. There is of course always room for improvement and we constantly strive to grow every step along the way. For instance, we encourage more and more suppliers to send electronic invoices rather than paper ones.
Andrew Ainsworth, Finance Manager Elekta UK
Today around 60 percent of the 120,000 supplier invoices arrive via email in formats such as XML and PDF. The pattern is clear. The southern Europe still prefers paper invoices while northern Europe prefers electronic invoices. In the UK, only 20 percent of invoices are paper based.
Europe a role model for global rollout
Following the successful launch in Europe, the Elekta group has made MediusFlow its global choice. The same technology is now used in North America, Africa, Oceania and Asia. Altogether 22 companies and 2300 users in 17 countries use MediusFlow to improve their accounts payable processes. Next in line is South Korea, Japan and China in the fall of 2015. The plan is to follow the UK example and create Shared Services Centers that handle North America and Asia.
Medius is truly a global solution provider and has proved over and over again that it can support international rollouts, whatever the market requirements. Combining the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) engine and the invoice to purchase order matching gives you a world class solution for accounts payable. I really see no better alternative anywhere else.
Andrew Ainsworth, Finance Manager Elekta UK
About Elekta
Elekta is a global medical technology company headquartered in Sweden. They pioneer in groundbreaking innovations and clinical solutions for the treatment of cancer and brain disorders, such as the Leksell Gamma Knife, that is used to treat tumours. www.elekta.com
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