The Ladhar group of companies is a diversified Social Care and Leisure / Hospitality provider, which due to the workload involved and the reliability issues of the existing process, felt the need for a more robust and user-friendly method for digital invoice processing. The company sought a solution to streamline the receipt and processing of invoices and to track the process throughout, moving away from disjointed methods like emailing and using ‘dropboxes’.
With headquarters in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and operating across England, the Group Social Care and Leisure/Hospitality business unit is composed of Crown Care (Residential Care and Respite), Flexible Support Options and ID Support (Specialist Behaviour and Mental Health Support Provider). The Group also has a strong presence in the Leisure and Hospitality sector with the following companies: Easteye Ltd., Crafted Projects Ltd., and Sir John Fitzgerald Ltd.
This case study highlights the successful implementation and benefits of PaperLess software in streamlining Sage Accounts Payable and invoice processing whilst improving overall efficiency within the group of companies.
My job would drive me crazy without it.
A colleague from Sir John Fitzgerald Ltd at the Ladhar group of companies
Main Objectives:
- Reduce workload.
- Unify document processing into one reliable system.
- Track responses from authorising parties.
- Assist in the accrual of queried invoices.
Distinctive Factors:
PaperLess was chosen for its ability to suit a multi-faceted business model, accommodating a wide range of companies and users with various duties. It also allowed the company to run the back end on existing hardware and infrastructure.
Implementation Process:
The implementation began with smaller companies within the group, with training provided to all users. This phased approach allowed the company to proceed at a comfortable pace. Once confident, the implementation was expanded company-wide. Within a few months, all suppliers were issuing invoices to PaperLess Company Inbox, with automation rules and invoice recognition in progress.
A successful implementation that turned PaperLess into the sole method used for invoice processing for the majority of the companies in the business group.
“It makes it quick and easy to figure out who and what is causing holdups in the authorisation process, I can easily see how long users have had documents so there are no excuses like ‘mistaken/lost emails’ or technical errors and we can follow up with resolutions”, says a colleague from Sir John Fitzgerald Ltd in the Accounts Department. A statement that clearly shows the client’s satisfaction with the results achieved so far and that justify the decision to expand the use of PaperLess to the vast majority of companies in the group.
According to the company’s representative, PaperLess support and implementation were always very helpful, addressing specific issues promptly and, even during the upgrade to the latest version of the software which had some challenges, critical issues were resolved timely, with polite and effective support.
Benefits of Implementing PaperLess
The time savings introduced by PaperLess through the Sage Accounts Payable Automation enabled the company to save time and move staff from some positions in simple data entry to more diverse duties, shuffling duties down the chain from more senior positions, relieving pressure performing repetitive tasks, better utilizing the skills of the employees, improving efficiency and enabling greater staff development.
With the implementation of PaperLess, the Ladhar group of companies considers that the work within the accounts department is largely streamlined. The company’s representative also stresses that following some time spent on implementing automation rules and invoice recognition, currently many invoices where suppliers can provide a suitable invoice, require minimal input to adjust and then direct to authorising parties.
I have no idea how we managed before it.
A colleague from Sir John Fitzgerald at the Ladhar Group of companies
Another important time saving introduced by PaperLess is the possibility for the Ladhar group of companies to have any relevant staff member easily find documents for review when needed, such as when queries are raised or under routine audit.
- Streamlined user work.
- Minimal input is required for many invoices due to automation and recognition.
- Easy access to documents for review during queries or audits.
Even though specific savings could not be provided, the company’s representative reported that processing/inputting invoices alone has turned from a 2-3 person near full-time duty and a couple of hours every day for a further 1-2 across the group, to a substantially lesser majority of the working hours for 2-3 persons, and a once or twice a week task for others.
For the Ladhar Group of Companies, the centralised management and tracking of documents is arguably one of the most important features of PaperLess since it is easy to see when a document is received, processed, sent to be authorised, etc.
With PaperLess, users can easily chase for authorisation and refer queries to relevant users whilst still holding the transaction in a query on a ledger, aiding with accounts reconciliation. Furthermore, PaperLess gives the company control and accountability over the process, timelines, deadlines and reports on documents overdue for attention.
Competitive Advantages:
- Centralised management and tracking of documents.
- Easy tracking of document status and authorisation process.
- Control and accountability over the process, timelines and deadlines.
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Click here or click here to learn more about the Ladhar group of companies
