Markenheem has ultra-fast invoice processing thanks to Elari

Markenheem is a healthcare organization that provides nursing home care, day programs, and community nursing services to seniors. In early 2023, they began setting up their invoice processing workflow in Elari. In October 2023, they attended a webinar on optimizing invoice processing and requested an Elari Scan. That scan revealed that Markenheem was utilizing only 45% of the recommended features.

Since then, in just half a year, Markenheem has increased that 45% to 65%. How did they achieve this? What are the benefits of this massive optimization effort? You can read all about it in this success story.

From 45% to 65% Elari setup

Administrator Chantal explains: “Before we started using Elari, our invoice processing was practically prehistoric. The goal of optimization is to process invoices faster and make the system work for us. I think that 45% utilization of the software’s features is really too low. For example, we used to work with a lot of PDF invoices, and we started converting them to XML invoices to improve the invoice processing workflow.”

“If you’re only using 45% of all the available features, you’re robbing yourself.”

Chantal, Administrator at Markenheem

Markenheem has now achieved a 20% improvement in their invoice processing, resulting in a total Elari score of 65%. This also includes, for example, application management, which they’ve set up 100% correctly, and the configuration of smart payment cards. Reason enough, then, for an interview.

A manageable optimization process for digital invoice processing

Customized optimization

“Invoice processing is, after all, one of our most important expense management processes,” Chantal notes. “If there’s significant potential for improvement here, it’s definitely worth exploring. A 100% properly configured process isn’t feasible for Markenheem. This is because we can’t meet all the objectives that Elari has in mind in an ideal scenario. 80% is a good target for us. That way, we get the most out of it. That’s why we’ve started an optimization project with Elari’s support. Working with Geert-Jan has been great. I don’t have time to do everything on my own, and with a program like this and the right tools, it remains manageable.”

“In addition, a process like this is also helpful for understanding where you stand. For example, it helped us gain insight into our use of templates and identify whether we were missing important features in our process. One of those missing features was Autosuggest, an advanced technology that uses artificial intelligence to provide posting suggestions based on historical data. This eliminates the need for manual entry of various fields. This addition has helped us process invoices faster. Our invoice processing is now significantly smoother and faster than it was a year ago, before we started optimizing.”

The first steps

“After attending the webinar, we checked Elari’s ‘Invoice Type’ overview to see which vendors were sending us the most PDF invoices. We immediately contacted those vendors, requesting that they send XML invoices from now on,” says Chantal. “During the optimization process, Elari also provided us with an additional list of suppliers who offered XML or were already sending invoices via the PEPPOL network. The request to switch to XML invoices was generally well received, with some organizations even doing so on their own initiative. That was very encouraging. However, it’s important to note that we only ask this of large organizations and not of small business owners. I also recommend attaching an embedded PDF preview to the request.”

What does Markenheem’s invoice processing workflow look like now?

And what are the plans for the future?

“Currently, the invoice is received at a high level,” Chantal continues. “It is then approved by two people. My role is limited to verifying that everything is correctly posted to the appropriate general ledger account and that the correct cost center is used to prevent any errors in our accounting software.”

“Gradually, I’ve been able to perform spot checks, since everyone is now used to the new process. That saves me a lot of work,” Chantal emphasizes. “I no longer need to review recurring invoices that always go through without a hitch. KPN, Huuskes, and Bidfood, for example. This is an important step toward automated processing and exporting, which we’re aiming for in the near future. That way, we can focus on what really requires manual attention. We’re also exploring options to integrate our invoice processing with our procurement and contract management processes. Then we’ll have the entire Purchase to Pay process properly set up. That’s our next major step in optimization.”

The benefits of digital invoice processing with XML

What do benchmarks do for your process?

Elari recommends receiving and processing at least 5% of your invoices as XML. The benchmark for the difference between received and processed XML invoices is also a maximum of 5%. Markenheem now meets both benchmarks, with a maximum difference of just 0.5%, and that’s certainly noticeable. The difference between 45% and 65% utilization of the invoice processing options in half a year is impressive.

Chantal shares: “The 20% improvement in the invoice processing workflow has truly had a noticeable impact. It has already brought us many benefits. Processing XML invoices often goes smoothly. If something does go wrong, I report it right away. That way, together with the Elari Consultants, we can continue to improve the process for us and other organizations that use the software.”

“Invoice processing is much faster now with XML and Autosuggest than it used to be.”

Loes, Colleague of Chantal at Markenheem

Colleague Loes adds: “Invoice recognition works very well, too. It just doesn’t work for handwritten invoices, like the ones we receive from independent contractors, but that makes sense. We now process recurring invoices in a flash, which saves a lot of time. They can be coded with just a few steps because Autosuggest learns from my actions. Then you can send such an invoice, so to speak, with just two clicks. Other invoices might not be processed quite that fast, but they’re still much faster than before.”

“No matter how smart the software is, you have to use it smartly yourself”

“Personally, I think that once you’ve purchased something, you should perform some maintenance on it at least once a year,” says Chantal. “For example, by running an Elari Scan to see if there’s room for optimization. But you should also attend the monthly webinars to brush up on your own knowledge. That’s how you discover new possibilities.”

“After our optimization process of just five one-hour sessions, we’re set for another year,” says Chantal. Be critical about what percentage of the features you actually use. Otherwise, you’ll end up with just as much workload as you had before purchasing the software. Ultimately, you make such a purchase to take work off your hands and make the process smarter. You also have to invest time in that. No matter how smart the software is, you have to use it smartly yourself. Otherwise, it’s a waste of money. And if you don’t set aside time to maintain your processes, it will only cost you more money in the long run.

“Ultimately, you make a purchase like this to take work off your hands and make the process more efficient. So you have to invest time in it. Otherwise, it’s a waste of money.”

Chantal, Administrator at Markenheem

Convinced of the power of digital invoice processing with Elari?

Is working with XML invoice processing still a step too far for your organization? No problem. Why not just start by digitizing and automating? We’ll optimize at your own pace. We’d love to talk with you. Contact us whenever it’s convenient for you, or request a free demo right away. We look forward to hearing from you.