ABAB’s efficiency drive with Scan Sys

ABAB Accountants and Adviseurs is an all-round accountancy and advisory organization that has over 700 employees spread over 15 offices in the south of the Netherlands. The company, which has been active for more than 75 years, is one of the top 15 accounting firms in the Netherlands and focuses mainly on non-listed companies, institutions in the non-profit sector and private individuals. With a broad range of services, including tax and legal advice and administrative support, ABAB offers clients customized solutions.

The challenge

With an annual volume of 600,000 invoices spread across 3,000 administrations, ABAB faced the challenge of processing these invoices more efficiently. ‘There is commercial pressure in the industry, so you have to make sure you can make the same product with less cost,’ said Peter Bressers, Senior Information Analyst. The move to the invoice system was necessary to make interim financial results available to customers and to automate the invoice processing process.

ABAB needed a solution that could integrate seamlessly with AccountView, was affordable, and enabled efficient invoice processing. After previous less successful tests with SaaS solutions, Scan Sys was finally chosen because of its affordable, fully integrated software.

The process/method

When implementing Scan Sys, ABAB opted for a ‘black-box working method’ in which all invoices are processed fully automatically without human intervention. The entries are then checked by employees and further specified where necessary.

An additional step in the process includes barcode scanning: customers receive sticker sheets with barcodes to stick on their invoices. Because of these barcodes, the invoices are automatically separated and routed to the correct administrations. Bressers explains: “Because of the integration possibilities with AccountView and the flexibility with which the ImageCapture software could be integrated into ABAB’s infrastructure, the choice fell on ImageCapture.

A conscious choice within the process was to use the interface of AccountView, so employees did not have to switch to a new system. ‘We also don’t call it bookings, but booking proposals in AccountView, until it is checked,’ Peter said. ‘This minimizes the learning curve and makes for smoother processing.

What's Next?

ABAB has shown that they are willing to use technology strategically to both increase internal efficiency and better serve customers. The solid foundation they have now established with Scan Sys makes it likely that ABAB will want to automate other administrative tasks in the future. The partnership with Scan Sys gives them the flexibility and technological foundation to continue building a future in which they not only work efficiently, but can also continue to offer innovative custom solutions to their clients.