• 24/7 SOLUTION AVAILABILITY that’s not location dependent is guaranteed to support all customers, suppliers & partners remotely — all that’s needed is a web browser!
• MOBILE CAPABILITIES enable users to access the solution & continue working at any time — whether doing P2P or O2C activities — even when not at their desks.
• WEB PORTALS allow users to actively engage with customers & suppliers. From acknowledging new orders to dispute resolution to invoice follow-up, collaboration can be achieved via a customisable dashboard.
• PLATFORM SECURITY is ensured through continuous security validations & certifications, including ISO 27001, SOC 1® Type 2 (SSAE 18 & ISAE 3402), HIPAA & HITECH, etc.
• CONTINUOUS UPDATES are made to the solution (e.g., new features & enhancements) with no allocated time or resources required.
• MAIL SERVICES enable users to mail documents directly from the cloud with the touch of a button & 100% compatibility from wherever or whenever they’re working

Worried about remote implementation? Don’t be. Best in class automation solution providers use agile methodologies combined with constant communication to allow remote implementation to be pursued seamlessly from beginning to end.

THE BENEFITS OF AUTOMATION

The advantages of automation are clear:

• IMPROVED EFFICIENCY & COLLABORATION
  Automation breaks down the traditional P2P and O2C silos affecting supply chain efficiency through greater speed, accuracy, and information sharing and collaboration.

• INCREASED WORKING CAPITAL
  The cumulative effect of increased savings, productivity, visibility and collaboration within the supply chain all add up to what matters most — optimised working capital and cash flow.

• STAFF EMPOWERMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY
  Fewer manual tasks means team members have greater autonomy over their daily activities and more time to focus on issues that impact customers, suppliers and the organisation.

• IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS
  When payments are made quickly, orders are delivered on time and cash collection is painless, the result is improved relationships with your most strategic customers and suppliers.

• “FUTURE-PROOF” GROWTH
  Automation serves as a digital foundation for companies to prosper in any economic environment thanks to end-to-end connectivity, fewer technological restraints, and strengthened global security and compliance.

• GREATER VISIBILITY & OVERSIGHT
  Cash flow can always be top of mind thanks to instant access into any order, invoice, etc., customisable KPIs for P2P and O2C reporting, and a complete audit trail recorded.

• COST SAVINGS
  From “hard” savings on supplies, equipment and processing costs to “soft” savings resulting from increased productivity, higher staff retention and lower customer churn, automation equals significant savings.

• SIMPLIFIED IT ENVIRONMENT
  Thanks to continuous software upgrades and system consolidation, businesses need fewer resources to govern their IT environment.

ESKER CAN HELP

If you’d like to read more, download our eBook today, or visit our website for more information.

Esker can help your organisation to automate end-to-end supply chain processes and optimise cash flow. Transformative advantages to make your organisation stand out from the crowd.

Talk to us today, we’d love to hear from you.

Amy Rees

As Digital Marketing Administrator at Esker Northern Europe, Amy spends her time working on the website, writing and publishing blogs and social media content, and publishing collateral. She has been part of the Esker family since 2014.

Read more insights from Amy Rees

According to Gartner, digital optimisation is “the process of using digital technology to improve existing operating processes and business models”.

Its popularity has surged over the past few years, due in part, to its ability to help supply chain leaders increase efficiency and better navigate modern challenges. The elimination of low-value tasks and the streamlining of front-end order management has a positive impact on the supply chain, and apart from boosting the bottom line, means more time for:

• Supporting new opportunities
• Building enhanced relationships
• Maximising the customer experience

Challenges in Order Management
Supply chain excellence requires a continuous supply chain. Serious challenges which prevent this from being a reality include:

• Errors
• High costs
• Poor communication
• No visibility
• Low customer satisfaction
• Customer & employee churn

In this day and age, problems such as these are just not acceptable, and are certainly not conducive to providing a smooth supply chain and a fantastic customer experience. Any of these challenges will directly affect the company’s bottom line in a negative way, and in an increasingly competitive business environment this is simply not supportable.

Automating Order Management
Transforming the supply chain with automated order management can remove all of these challenges:

• Order reception: all submitted orders regardless of type or format (e.g. email, fax, EDI, portal, etc.) are entered into the appropriate queue for electronic processing.
• Data extraction: AI-driven technology like machine learning extracts relevant data from image files and even recognises orders and other documents for faster, more accurate processing.
• ERP integration: data and workflows are connected to existing ERP systems either on site or on demand, supporting seamless integration.
• E-archiving: orders are automatically archived and linked back to the ERP/business system for as long as specified.
• Analytics: Real-time metrics are displayed on dashboards customisable for each user, enabling full visibility from beginning to end on important KPIs, like order backlog.

Benefits of Automated Order Management – don’t just take it from us…
INCREASED SPEED
“We have reduced the number of order entry errors due to manual handling and sped up our processing times. As a result, we have been able to invest more time on higher-value tasks, which has led to an increase in customer satisfaction.” HEINEKEN

BOOSTED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
“A specific feature that has been well received by our customer service team is the ability to quickly and effortlessly retrieve archived orders. This not only saves time, but it also provides a higher level of service to our customers by being more flexible and responsive.” GE HEALTHCARE

IMPROVED BOTTOM LINE
“Automation of documents in our order-to-cash cycle such as sales orders and invoices will reduce errors, lessen the load on our own staff and speed payment cycles – and when you’re talking about more than a million documents a year, that adds up to a significant impact on the bottom line”. WHIRLPOOL

Supply Chain Excellence Shouldn’t be Complicated
Digital optimisation needs to be embraced in order to excel in today’s competitive business world.
Supply chains cannot thrive using outdated manual methods of order management.

You can read more about this in our guidebook:

If you would like more information about how Esker’s solutions can transform your business, get in touch, we’d love to help you.

¹GT Nexus & Capgemini Consulting (2016). The Current and Future State of Digital Supply Chain Transformation. Retrieved from: https://www.capgemini.com/consulting/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2017/07/digital_transformation_report_capgeminiconsulting_0.pdf

Amy Rees

As Digital Marketing Administrator at Esker Northern Europe, Amy spends her time working on the website, writing and publishing blogs and social media content, and publishing collateral. She has been part of the Esker family since 2014.

Read more insights from Amy Rees

Food Logistics is a publication dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global food supply chain. The annual FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers serves as a resource guide of software and technology providers whose products and services are critical for companies in the global food and beverage supply chain.

Companies on the 2019 FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list will be profiled in the November/December 2019 issue of Food Logistics, as well as online at www.foodlogistics.com.

Read full press release here.

Esker UK

Unlocking Positive-Sum Growth with AI-Driven Business Solutions for P2P & O2C Cycles

Read more insights from Esker UK

Spring always seems a bit easier doesn’t it? – no more scraping the car or extra blankets and putting on 57 layers before you can leave the house.

Then there’s the problems that snow and ice can bring – they seem to slow things down, cause delays and generally stop things from working as well. One problem can have a knock on effect on another. Trains stop running, planes are grounded and this has a knock on effect preventing people from getting to the right place at the right time and getting things done.

It’s a bit like the supply chain. Companies simply cannot afford to have continuous supply chain problems. A problem in one area can have a serious effect on another area, causing serious consequences further down the line.

Some of the biggest challenges manual customer fulfillment teams face are inevitable human errors resulting in order repossessing and unhappy customers, poor communication between teams and departments with no central platform of communication, low customer satisfaction due to lack of transparency, no visibility for order management to be carried out effectively resulting in missed SLAs, increased costs and higher customer and employee churn.

Automated order management can solve these problems by bringing benefits such as increased speed, greater accuracy, enhanced visibility and collaboration, boosted customer satisfaction and an improved bottom line.

You can read more about this by downloading Esker’s new eBook – Digital Optimisation’s Value to the Supply Chain: The Future of Order Management.

Or alternatively, give Esker a call – we have the solutions to transform your supply chain.

In the meantime, keep warm and safe, and here’s to the arrival of warmer, sunny Spring days.

Amy Rees

As Digital Marketing Administrator at Esker Northern Europe, Amy spends her time working on the website, writing and publishing blogs and social media content, and publishing collateral. She has been part of the Esker family since 2014.

Read more insights from Amy Rees