Thursday 12 July, 2012

For many companies, automating the invoicing process means scanning and emailing documents. Probe CAMS Systems Pty Ltd took this as a first step toward improving time and cost-intensive manual processes that were hampering its operations. But the company soon realised it needed a better solution.

“We had a huge backlog on a significant amount of invoices where no action was taking place,” said Nicolas Glossoti, Managing Director, Probe CAMS.

So the company turned to Ariba and its Quadrem Network for help. Used by buyers and suppliers across industries in more than 40 countries on six continents, the Quadrem Network allows companies to electronically connect and manage procurement activities—from RFQ reception and response, order confirmation, and invoice submission—more efficiently and effectively than ever before.

Probe CAMS initially tapped into the Quadrem Network and the cloud-based invoicing solutions delivered within it to electronically receive invoices. But the company has since leveraged the platform to:

•    Gain greater visibility into full order history, from purchase through payment
•    Enhance data accuracy across transactions
•    Eliminate duplicative work
•    Reduce processing costs
•    Speed cycle times
•    Strengthen audit trail and controls
•    Improve forecasting

“There was a lot of unreliability with our previous system of emailing documents,” Glossoti said. “With electronic invoicing, we have been able to consolidate our process and better manage and control it across our organisation.”

Probe CAMS joins a growing number of buying and selling organisations in the Southern Hemisphere that are leveraging Ariba’s network and cloud-based solutions to improve their performance and profits, including: Alcoa, Ambatha Clothing, Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Nestlé, Robbies Electrical, Rio Tinto and Vale, among others.

 “In today’s business world, who you know and how you connect with them will ultimately determine your success,” said Deon Mocke, Regional Vice President, Quadrem Africa. “To gain competitive advantage, companies must look beyond the four walls to connect and collaborate more efficiently with their customers and suppliers. And as innovative organisations like Probe CAMS have found, Ariba’s Quadrem Network is an ideal platform to do just this.”