Jan Yperman Hospital streamlines supplier invoicing using invoice management solutions and achieves annual savings of 20%
The Jan Yperman Hospital in Ieper is a modern facility focussed on improving the efficiency of their services at all levels. The analysis of their supplier invoicing system brought several problems to the fore; those were turned into opportunities by applying a modern and personalized invoice management solution.
A JUMBLED MOUNTAIN OF PAPERS
Working exclusively with paper invoices does not make life easy. Besides the difficulty of trying to locate a particular invoice once it is somewhere in the approval process, some also get lost and with 35.000 documents per year that need to be kept for 10 years, storage is also problematic.
Not to mention the fact that there is no metadata and no possibility to manage document status. Automatizing the work processes was not an option. Due to the hospital’s success this means that besides the 1,5 man-equivalent an extra 1 is required solely to manage the process.
WHAT NEEDED TO CHANGE?
Project targets were set in 2010: legal electronic archiving, streamlining the purchase and approval processes and consistently claiming the related suppliers’ discount. Easier said than done and how to get started?
ANALYSIS, SOLUTION, IMPLEMENTATION
Olivier Rys, head of administration: “We turned to the specialist in such matters. Docbyte can refer to years of experience not only in cross-channel ECM solutions but also specifically in the world of healthcare. They helped us to analyse the complex situation and with the help of Captiva software devised a tailor-made solution that fits like a glove. It was most definitely a rewarding process in which all concerned could join in the thought process, provide input and also see it being implemented.”
USING PROFESSIONALS AS PROFESSIONALS
Whereas the old system required at least 2 hours work by an accountant in order to validate 130 invoices per day by sorting, copying and circulating internally, this new automated system can easily be taught to someone else. This means that the time gained can be used for the job for which the highly trained professionals were employed. Although it may seem a paradox but the direct effect of the acute digitizing at Yperman has led to an increase in employee satisfaction as their jobs have been upgraded.
BUDGET ECONOMY
Targets were also set at the organization’s level and we all know that efficient budget management is one of the core elements in order to run a business successfully.
Besides the positive impact through time saving in locating documents, the digitizing of the work processes, the improved access to information and the heightened security, the decrease in risk of loss, printing and of remote work, the invoice management system has brought Yperman an added bonus. In one year of using the new system only for the incoming invoices, the hospital has made a savings of 20% of the budget. Not bad.
NEXT STEPS
“Without a doubt, if we look at the impact of this exercise on our hospital it becomes apparent that there are many more ways in which we can improve our work methods. The accounting and invoicing in general need to be revised, we can for sure become more efficient and economic in those areas. Looking at the amount of paper generated by a hospital admission we urgently need to analyse how we can best digitize in that area. If we continue to implement this type of solution then we will not only save time and money but ultimately the access to information and care will in general become easier. Something which will most definitely benefit our patients. And that remains the most important task of a hospital.”: thus concludes Olivier Rys
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