Invoicing Services

Ricoh solution delivers 63% efficiency gains

Ricoh’s digital invoice processing solution has helped a utilities supplier take control of its international supply chain. The automated system has streamlined invoice validation and approval and has reduced the time needed to process supplier invoices.

The manual, paper-based systems used by this utilities supplier to process supplier invoices were inefficient and time-consuming. The company needed a more effective invoice processing solution that would automate manual systems, streamline the approval process and ensure that supplier invoices were paid on time without the need to handle paper-based documents.

With a thorough understanding of the customer’s business needs and requirements, Ricoh was able to re-engineer the process. We introduced an intelligent digital solution to automate invoice approval processes and integrate directly with the company’s existing systems, providing accurate real-time financial information.

Invoicing Services saves sportswear manufacturer €3 million a year

Ricoh’s customer, a well-known sportswear manufacturer, was spending €4 million a year distributing paper-based invoices and statements.

The billing process was managed by the company’s centralised billing department and invoices were printed, inserted into envelopes, sorted by country and mailed daily. Other transactional documents, such as statements and order acknowledgements, were prepared monthly.

Recognising that existing processes were inefficient and dependent on a high degree of manual processing, the company asked Ricoh to provide a managed service that would streamline administration and reduce process costs.

The sportswear manufacturer now outsources the billing process to Ricoh. Transactional data, generated by the company’s order management system, is now processed by Ricoh and used to create electronic invoices. According to each end-customer’s preference, the invoices are then either uploaded to a web portal for online viewing, or printed and dispatched by conventional means.

The company is now working towards migrating 80% of its customers to electronic invoicing. The move saves €3 million per year, and aligns internal processes with the company’s green policy.