Objectives
The ultimate objective was to take control of its procurement processes, costs and risks. A project was set up, called ‘In control’. The aim of the project was to identify the best way of standardising and digitising the entire purchasing process, including invoice processing with integration with the incumbent financial system.
Through the project team, a.s.r identified that one integrated platform to support central purchasing and finance functions, and which captures all contracts and commitments, would be the perfect option. Proactis’ Source-to-Pay functionality was selected.
How Proactis helps
Proactis provided access to key figures and commitments administration that was not previously available. The Procurement team is now in complete control and implementation was smooth, in time and in budget. The new working methods ensure that a.s.r employees can now place orders whenever they need to, from authorised catalogues, via order forms or smart forms. Additionally, hiring temporary staff is streamlined and straightforward through the platform, allowing reversed billing to be implemented.
The company manages the full range of procurement processes, from sourcing, to contract management, to accounts payable, through the platform. The solution ensures full visibility of its spend. Data is available via dashboards that provide transparency for management and staff. Financial reports at month end used to take several days to create, these are now available in a few clicks. This transparency ensures full compliance with current national and regional laws, regulations and corporate governance rules.
Benefits
The Procurement department now provides a vital contribution to a.s.r's business goals. The Proactis platform helps ensure that procurement projects are conducted in a transparent and measurable way, all while increasing efficiency. For example, online auctions are used to purchase items such as office furniture or paper, but also specialist help such as independent experts to assess damages and claims. This visibility helps the company as whole make more strategic purchasing decisions.
The company has full control of its purchasing and contracts. The number of invoices has dropped year-on-year due to the streamlining of approved suppliers and contracts. Invoice processing is now visible and the process has been vastly improved due to approvals often being given earlier in the process. This has saved the Accounts Payable department a substantial amount of administration work. The processing costs of purchase order invoices have been reduced by 90% as a result of using Proactis, providing substantial savings in indirect costs. Also, this means staff can concentrate on more strategic tasks.