M. J. van Riel halves its invoice turnaround time with Elari

M. J. van Riel is a major transportation and crane rental company that provides a wide range of services in the field of “hoisting and lifting.” This includes special transport, industrial relocations, and services provided by engineers and supervisors. They are known for their cranes and forklifts: a comprehensive, turnkey solution for industrial movements.

One of M. J. van Riel’s core values is “hands-on work,” and this is also reflected in how they continuously optimize Elari. How does Elari support M. J. van Riel? Find out in this success story.

Why did M. J. van Riel choose Elari?

Janôt Embregts, Controller at M. J. van Riel, oversaw the selection process. He explains: “I had already implemented Elari at a previous employer, together with Elari Partner AAG. The experience was so positive that I recommended the software to my current employer as well. After all, everything was still being done entirely on paper. Invoices were manually entered, distributed, signed, and finalized for payment by the accounts payable department. I immediately thought: there has to be a better way.”

During the selection process, Janôt established a number of criteria: not only optimizing invoice processing but also making progress in the area of procurement, and the software had to be able to integrate with the ERP system. Elari met all the requirements.

“One of the reasons we chose Elari was the option to design the entire Purchase to Pay process.”

Janôt Embregts, Controller at M. J. van Riel

How does M. J. van Riel work with Elari?

“Invoice processing is now fully digitized in Elari, and we operate as paperlessly as possible,” Janôt continues. “We immediately noticed efficiency gains in routing and time savings. First, invoices no longer get lost, and searching for them is much easier. Second, we’ve been able to reduce the turnaround time from two weeks to a maximum of one week. Sometimes an invoice can even be processed within a day. At most, it takes a week.”

“In the past, employees had to wait for each other, and there was uncertainty about exactly where an invoice was in the process. With paper invoices, there was, of course, no easily traceable audit trail. Now, all of that is visible in real time in Elari.”

Is Elari suitable for the transportation industry?

“Elari is certainly suitable for our industry,” concludes Janôt. “I see few differences in digital invoice processing at M. J. van Riel compared to my previous employers in the healthcare sector, for example. The same applies to purchasing on an order basis or a contract basis. Both expenditure processes are fairly straightforward. For Elari, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in healthcare, government, or the private sector. The system just works well.”

The biggest advantage: “the efficiency gains you can achieve”

“You know exactly where every invoice is and why,” says Janôt. “It’s always clear whether and why an invoice is delayed. Plus, invoices no longer get lost, because we work virtually paperless and everything can be found in the system. In short: Elari provides clarity. It offers a level of accuracy that’s truly indispensable.”

“Furthermore, our invoice processing is much less prone to errors thanks to Elari. The text recognition works great, and Autosuggest is also very useful. Autosuggest is self-learning and therefore makes increasingly better suggestions, making invoice processing even more efficient. We’ve been using that feature for a year now, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s time for the next round of optimizations,” Janôt concludes enthusiastically. “We’re also already satisfied with XML, so PEPPOL and integration with Power BI will likely be our next steps. The major construction companies are proactively asking for this, so it’s great that we can meet that need.”

“Invoice processing is less prone to errors and much more transparent thanks to Elari. The system offers a level of accuracy that’s truly indispensable.”

Janôt Embregts, Controller at M. J. van Riel

A user-friendly digital archive for everyone

Janôt continues: “Elari has really been embraced within the organization. Thanks to the positive attitude of our employees, we can keep moving forward. Employees have immediate insight into why invoices haven’t been paid yet, and that’s greatly appreciated. The digital archive is also appreciated because you always have access to the right documentation and can search easily. Everything you need can be found in Elari.”

“Employees don’t want to scroll and click endlessly. They just need to be able to work comfortably with the software. Fortunately, Elari offers a simple and clear interface that’s easy to use. The software is very user-friendly.”

Not just invoice processing, but also Elari Procurement

“There’s also a lot to be gained from combining invoice processing and procurement in Elari,” says Janôt. “We sometimes have to rent pontoon platforms that hold cranes. Those can cost up to forty thousand euros. You don’t want to find out only when the invoice arrives that approval has already been given, when that wasn’t actually the intention. You want to move the approval process forward. If you set everything up properly upfront, invoice processing can then happen automatically.” Touchless invoice processing.

Collaboration with Elari Partner AAG

“Since I’d worked with AAG in the past, it was easy for me to call AAG and ask how we could continue to optimize our processes. On the one hand, we discussed optimization with the Exact accounting software. On the other hand, we naturally discussed Elari,” says Janôt. “Elari Partner AAG is a highly reliable partner with a large business intelligence team. Even though they focus on the healthcare sector, they were also able to provide M. J. van Riel with sound advice. We work well with AAG and have a great relationship.”

Curious about what Elari can do for your company?

Discover the unique combination of Elari Purchase to Pay and Elari Expense. By consolidating all expense management processes into a single platform, you’ll gain true insight into your company’s spending. From procurement, invoice processing, and contract management to expense reporting and smart employee debit cards: Elari is the solution. Are you ready for clear, efficient, and user-friendly expense management?