ECOGAS Boosts Vendor Collaboration with Esker's Cloud-Based AP Automation Solution
Esker,
a worldwide leader in document
process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud
computing, today announced it is working with ECOGAS, the second
largest natural gas distributor in Argentina, to automate its accounts
payable (AP) invoices and populate them into the company’s SAP®
software system.
Servicing roughly 400 active vendors with 40,000 annual invoices, ECOGAS
turned to Esker's cloud-based Accounts
Payable automation solution to improve their processes by reducing
time spent on manual tasks and increasing control and visibility over
the entire workflow.
Regulated by its government, ECOGAS needed an online invoice validation
against the Administración
Federal de Ingresos Públicos (AFIP) -- similar to the United States
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Esker's cloud-based solution helped the
company overcome this challenge by allowing its vendors to upload
invoices within a portal where invoice data is automatically captured
and checked against AFIP -- revolutionizing communication in ECOGAS' AP
department.
A customer of SAP for the past 15 years, ECOGAS initially searched the
market for a traditional SAP data capture solution but ultimately
decided on Esker's cloud-based solution for several reasons. "The
solution we were searching for needed to be robust," stated Gonzalo
Cohen, Finance Leader at ECOGAS. "At the foundation, it needed to
integrate with our existing SAP system, leverage OCR technology, allow
for vendor collaboration and have a significant set of features
specifically tailored to the Argentina market. Luckily, we found Esker,
who was able to give us all that and more."
Enhanced Collaboration
To ECOGAS, one of the most important facets of the solution was the
ability to collaborate with vendors. Esker's online portal provides a
self-service solution to vendors which allows the company to:
-
Save time and money previously spent responding to invoice status calls
-
Reduce repetitive tasks associated with managing receiving and
dispatching invoices
-
Increase process visibility with real-time tracking of all invoices
The portal feature also benefits its vendors, who are able to utilize it
for:
-
Immediate access to invoice status
-
Self-service access to payment information
-
Instant communication to quickly clear up discrepancies
-
Quicker payment and improved cash flow (continued)
Heightened Control & Visibility
Esker's customizable dashboards provide ECOGAS with the visibility and
control it needs to better manage its AP department. Now, it can measure
the department’s efficiency through metrics and Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) such as: invoices pending approval, budget control and
forecasts, and Days Payable Outstanding (DPO).
About ECOGAS
For over 20 years ECOGAS has been present in six provinces in Western
Argentina (Córdoba, Mendoza, La Rioja, San Luis, San Juan and Catamarca)
distributing natural gas to homes and businesses. A privately owned
company regulated by the government, ECOGAS provides services to over
1,250,000 customers within 254 markets through over 18,000 miles of
infrastructure networks and pipelines.
About Esker
Esker is a worldwide leader in cloud-based document process automation
software. Organizations of all sizes use its shared platform of
solutions, offered on-demand or on-premises, to automate accounts
payable, order processing, accounts receivable, purchasing and more.
Esker’s solutions are compatible with all geographic, regulatory and
technology environments, helping over 11,000 companies around the world
in their efforts to Quit Paper™.
Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe
and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France and U.S.
headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. Last year Esker generated 58.5
million euros in total sales revenue.
For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com.
Follow Esker on Twitter at twitter.com/eskerinc and join the
conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com.
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