Postillion Hotels reviews purchase invoices in just a few clicks. “A breeze!”

The hospitality industry didn’t have it easy in 2021. Postillion Hotels had to make do with half its finance staff, and they succeeded. Elari Procurement helps Postillion save time and money across all seven locations. Accounts payable can be handled by a single person in just 24 hours per week.

Postillion Hotels has been working with Elari since 2014. They started with digital invoice processing and have since expanded to using the procurement module as well. Richard Bosman, Finance Manager at Postillion, didn’t experience the transition firsthand, but with 20 years in the hospitality industry, he has a clear point of comparison: “The difference between stamping invoices and suddenly processing them automatically is enormous!”

From stamping invoices to “that’s actually working out pretty well!”

“The implementation of Elari Procurement took a while because the software had to be rolled out across various locations. You also sense some resistance from employees when a change takes place. All of this slowed the process down a bit, and just as we were ready to really push forward, COVID-19 hit. That’s when we made a conscious decision to take our time with the rollout,” says Richard.

“I’m very enthusiastic about Elari. Staff turnover is common in the hospitality industry, so you need to be able to effectively involve your staff in processes, with clear and consistent guidelines. Elari is user-friendly and intuitive enough that new employees can get to work quickly.” From stamping invoices to “that’s actually working out pretty well”: management now has a better handle on the digital purchasing process as well.

“We used to call all suppliers to place orders, so that took a lot of time and was prone to errors. Now everything is in Elari. All correspondence is always traceable, so it’s much easier for management to maintain control. It’s no coincidence that we have about six main suppliers, so naturally, the procurement policy must be followed. Elari gives us that assurance, and the procurement process becomes a lot simpler.”

Invoice processing handled within 24 hours per week

“With half the finance staff, we had to get the same work done, and from home, no less. So it was a great opportunity to further digitize our processes and make that workload manageable. Invoice processing can now be handled by a single person within 24 hours per week for all seven Postillion Hotels locations.”

“We’ve also restructured our processes: responsibility for orders now lies, in part, with the chefs themselves. Things can get pretty hectic in the kitchen, so you don’t want to spend ten minutes on an order. It needs to be handled with just a few clicks, and Elari makes that possible. The OCI webshop integrations are a real lifesaver here.”

Less time at the computer, more time in the kitchen

Postillion is also actively working on digitization, automation, and optimization in other areas, with the goal of operating office-free locations. Examples include virtual tours as an alternative to hiring someone to give an on-site tour, or software that automatically generates customized quotes based on a request email. “With this technology, we can provide customers with a quote within twenty minutes, instead of it taking several days for complex requests. Otherwise, potential customers would have time to go to the competition. It might sound strange, but this automation actually allows us to be more customer-friendly.”

The same goes for Elari: less time at the computer means more time at the counter or in the kitchen. In addition, Elari makes it possible for office staff to work from home.

Staying flexible with OCI integrations

Purchasing for various kitchens remains a unique process with a great deal of variation. “Sometimes a gram more or less of flour, meal, or bananas gets delivered. It took a while to get this properly recorded in Elari, but the integration with Bidfood works perfectly now. So Elari Procurement can handle these kinds of deviations and variations as well.”

“I’d like to strictly enforce the use of the OCI integrations and order exclusively from our six main suppliers. Still, working with multiple locations requires flexibility: on the one hand, you want to save on the costs and hassle of a proliferation of suppliers; on the other hand, you also want to be able to take advantage of local discounts and promotions. Elari can offer that as well.”

“Are we going to work more closely with a new supplier? Great, but then we’ll want to see if an OCI integration is possible. Work smarter, not harder, because especially in our industry, things move at a breakneck pace.”

Richard Bosman, Finance Manager at Postillion Hotels

Control over costs upfront

The biggest advantage of Elari Procurement for Richard? The guarantee that employees adhere to the procurement policy. “It’s very nice that we can assess costs in advance rather than afterward, when we’ve already paid. Location managers have the freedom and responsibility to make their own decisions, including regarding purchasing for their own location, but it’s nice to be able to estimate certain costs in advance.”

“In the past, orders were simply placed, and we’d see the invoice afterward. With Elari, we have more control over this and can factor in seasonal costs.”

“With Elari, reviewing an invoice is a breeze. It’s done in just a few clicks.”

Richard Bosman, Finance Manager at Postillion Hotels

Next step: Contract Management and analysis features

Postillion didn’t have time to optimize with the analysis features in Elari in 2021, but it does have the ambition to analyze, compare, and improve. In addition to Procurement and Invoice Processing, they’ll also be implementing Contract Management as the next step toward a fully touchless Purchase to Pay process.

“The way we work varies by manager, by location, and by contract type. We really want more consistency in that area, and with the insights from Contract Management, we can, for example, look into volume discounts. We want to be able to manage contracts digitally, both centrally and on-site, in a standardized way.”

Curious to see if Elari Purchase to Pay would work for your organization too?

You can find more information on the Purchase to Pay page. We’d also be happy to show you the power of Elari live during an online demo. To schedule one, please contact us or request a free, no-obligation demo right away.