Bureau des Métiers Digitizes Supplier Invoice Management and Approvals with M-Files
M-Files knowledge work automation delivers time savings in the management and approval of 500 monthly supplier invoices
PARIS, France – January 26, 2024— M-Files, the leader in knowledge work automation, today announced that Bureau des Métiers, the employer's center for building contractors in the canton of Valais in Switzerland, has chosen the M-Files knowledge work automation platform to digitize its supplier invoice management and approval processes. After the initial engagement, Bureau des Métiers plans to extend digitization to all of its paper workflows.
Bureau des Métiers handles administrative tasks for approximately 2,000 businesses and 1,000 self-employed workers, professional associations and social security funds. This includes payroll accounting for 17,000 workers, training, and accounting for 80 associations and various institutions.
Managing the accounts of 80 associations entails handling a high volume of 500 invoices per month. Bureau des Métiers' Finance department sought the M-Files platform to modernize the manual processing of these invoices. Under the guidance of OneSolutions, a Swiss company assisting the organization with its digital transformation, Bureau des Métiers chose the M-Files knowledge work automation platform to help them organize documents so they could be easily found and used in the proper business context. The initial tests were successful and Bureau found the M-Files platform, with its innovative metadata-driven architecture, to be both simple and easy to configure.
“We are very pleased to help Bureau des Métiers accelerate its digital transformation journey and dramatically speed invoice management for 80 associations," said Nicholas Child, regional vice president, France, at M-Files. "With M-Files, employees can improve process efficiency and accuracy by automating document-centric workflows across creation, collaboration, and approval."
OneSolutions developed the connector that enables automatic exchanges between the Abacus ERP used for accounting and M-Files. Invoices are automatically transferred to SmartInvoice, a recognition solution that identifies the issuer of the invoice, the month, the amount, the entity concerned and other key information, all recorded as metadata.
Invoices are automatically recorded in M-Files, and a workflow validation process ensures that they are approved by the right people until they reach the accounts department for payment. Only authorized personnel can validate invoices sent to the Abacus creditor module at the click of a button.
The result is an accounting entry in the Abacus ERP, whereas the payment status appears in M-Files.
SMS notifications for association chairmen to validate invoices
With M-Files, a text message alerts association chairman that a document awaits their approval, which they can administer directly from their smartphones. This saves days in comparison to sending invoices by mail, or securing in-person signatures for approvals at presidents' offices.
Easier audits
Auditors can now easily and instantly access up-to-date and high-quality data that is processed automatically, eliminating the risk of human error. Signatures can also be certified with permission-based document management.
"Today, M-Files is the first application I open every morning," said Olivier Arnold, head of finance at Bureau des Métiers. "It allows me to supervise all the payments and it's a real plus for the end-of-year balance sheet. Eventually, I'd like all Bureau des Métiers' paper document flows to be digitised, recorded in M-Files, and managed by workflows. This includes salary statements, association correspondence, supporting documents for allowance recipients and debtor invoices."
"We see M-Files as an information aggregator which we deliver to our customers' ecosystems," said Alexandre Oliveira, head of offering IIM at OneSolutions. "To limit the number of manual transactions, we are developing connectors to infuse the information contained in M-Files into business applications. M-Files makes it possible to centralise information and automate its processing - the perfect combination for a successful digital transformation."
About M-Files:
M-Files is the leading platform for knowledge work automation. With the M-Files platform, knowledge workers can find information faster, work smarter, and achieve more. M-Files features an innovative metadata-driven architecture, embedded workflow engine, and advanced artificial intelligence. This enables customers to eliminate information chaos, improve process efficiency, and automate security and compliance. For more information, visit www.m-files.com.
About Bureau des Métiers:
Created as a permanent secretariat for carpenters and plasterers, Bureau des Métiers is an employers centre that brings together building contractors in the canton of Valais in Switzerland: plasterers, carpenters, electricians, metalworkers, landscapers, cleaners, building technicians, stove and smoke fitters, chimney sweeps, etc. Bureau des Métiers helps and supports about 2,000 businesses and 1,000 self-employed people, as well as professional associations and social security funds, who place their trust in it for all the day-to-day tasks and issues facing craft businesses today. Simplifying administrative constraints is its first mission.
About OneSolutions:
OneSolutions advises and supports companies in their digital transformation, software integration, project management and implementation, as well as providing post-project support.
Its goal: increase their performance through digital transformation by connecting individuals to foster exchanges, collaboration, automate processes and take advantage of mobility.
OneSolutions has been an official M-Files partner since 2017, and has over a hundred M-Files projects to its credit. With an office in Grenoble, OneSolutions is also active with M-Files in France. Its approach is to meet users’ immediate needs and then expand its scope over time.
Contacts:
Kristel Gjata, Team Lead Growth Marketing Europe, M-Files
+33(0)6 60 48 88 35
Ghislaine Lory, B Communication
+33(0)1 46 21 82 03