Douglas Perfumery: 99% of documents automatically and significantly fewer overdue invoices

When processing incoming invoices became one of the most demanding internal processes, the company was no longer looking for just a tool to transcribe documents. Parfumerie Douglas was looking for a solution that would cover invoice processing as a whole and maintain the continuity of the entire process. The result is 99% of documents processed automatically, a tenfold decrease in document inquiries, and 75% fewer overdue invoices.

Processing incoming invoices is not only challenging in companies because of their number. The situation is much more complicated when a document passes through several people, approval is broken down into several steps, and the finance department loses a quick overview of what is already ready for payment. In the case of the Douglas perfumery story, it is easy to see how processing incoming invoices can become a company-wide problem.

According to Douglas ' own analysis , processing received invoices was one of the most laborious internal processes . A great demand arose when acquiring data from invoices into the accounting system and during the actual circulation of documents across the company. As soon as a reminder for an unpaid invoice arrived, it was difficult to quickly find out what the status of the obligation was. At the same time, about four dozen employees were involved in communication about documents.

In such a situation, the quality of data extraction was no longer the deciding factor in the selection. What was important was whether the solution would keep the entire flow of documents together, from receipt through approval and checks to transfer to the accounting or ERP system. Only then would the company gain not only faster invoice transcription, but also stronger supervision of where the document is located, who is responsible for it and what is happening with the outstanding liabilities. This was exactly the direction Douglas went in, and he ultimately chose iNVOiCE FLOW. The main motive for the selection was to cover invoice processing as a whole with the entire process chain.

And today? After implementing iNVOICE FLOW, Douglas processes 99% of invoices automatically , the number of inquiries about documents has decreased tenfold, and the number of invoices paid after maturity is 75% lower . At the same time, approval has become faster and more accurate, and the posting of documents to the accounting system has been simplified.

For companies that are currently in the process of selecting a new solution, there is one important thing about this experience. The point is to look for a solution that not only digitizes document entry, but also maintains the continuity of the entire process. This is where the decision is usually made as to whether the number of manual interventions and searches will actually be reduced, or whether the problem will simply be moved to the next step.

If you're looking to set up a more systematic way to process incoming invoices, check out the full Douglas Perfumery case study . And if you'd like to discuss how a similar model could work in your company, fill out the contact form here and we'll show you a demo of the entire process.