Getlink Processes Its Supplier Invoices 50 Percent Faster Thanks to Esker

Esker Sydney, Australia — December 12, 2017 — Esker, a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud computing, today announced its joint effort with Getlink, formerly the Eurotunnel Group, a major player in European transport, to automate its supplier invoices. Thanks to Esker’s cloud-based Accounts Payable solution, the 15 companies that make up the group now have a single solution that’s integrated with their SAP® system and compatible with French-British languages, currencies and legislation. As a result, Getlink now processes supplier invoices twice as fast, has improved process visibility and traceability, and reduced the number of reminders and outstanding invoices.

Getlink’s eight-person accounting team, distributed between France and the United Kingdom, manually processes 60,000 annual invoices (e.g., services, inventory, overhead, taxes, etc.). Due to multiple companies, languages, currencies and intra-community value-added tax (VAT) management, the company’s accounts payable (AP) process is very complex.

“We were primarily looking for one AP solution for all our subsidiaries that seamlessly integrated with SAP,” said Audrey Willot, accounting director at Getlink. “Esker’s cloud-based solution offers us more flexibility and is compatible with multiple languages and international legislation. Other key criteria in our decision-making process included purchase order (PO) and non-PO invoice processing, mobility, and the assurance that an effective and reliable audit trail was in place.”

Favorable supplier response

During solution implementation, Getlink received encouraging responses from its suppliers. Automated invoice sending and processing led to shorter payment times and improved follow-up. Previously, only 15 percent of suppliers sent their invoices in PDF format. Now, over half send invoices electronically and the number is expected to reach 70 percent in the coming months.

“Our suppliers are key players in the process and they quickly understood the benefits of our automation project,” said Willot. “In addition to faster payment, Esker has enabled real-time information exchanges, which has considerably improved invoice handling and our supplier relationships.”

Benefits of AP automation

Deployed in only a few months across the entire group, Esker’s solution is used by more than 600 Getlink employees and the company has achieved exceptional results, including:

• Accelerated invoice processing time, which previously took two to three hours for one person to process, is now processed in just 60 minutes
• Improved visibility and tracking with invoice information now fully visible and accessible to accountants, requesters and receivers — facilitating follow-up in the absence of a team member
• Automated reminders enable easier invoice tracking and payment
• Ability to handle a variety of invoices (e.g., services, stocks, overhead, PO and non-PO, etc.)
• Compliance with the regulations in terms of a reliable audit trail
• Monitor team performance thanks to customisable dashboards and metrics (e.g., volume of transactions processed, number of invoices in validation, breakdown by pole, etc.)
• Improved international and multi-company management
• Reduced invoice approval time with on-the-go review and approval capabilities, thanks to Esker’s mobile application Esker Anywhere™

“Our AP process requires many approvals, and thanks to Esker, we have seen important improvements in this regard,” said Willcot. “Now we can share the invoice image in real time with all stakeholders, significantly cutting down on time and energy which was previously spent circulating invoice duplicates. Our process is much more fluid and transparent both for our teams and our suppliers.”

About Getlink

Getlink, formerly the Eurotunnel Group, based in Paris, manages the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel between Great Britain and France and operates the vehicle and freight shuttle services. Getink operates the cross-Channel Fixed Link, which is the fastest, safest and most environmentally friendly way of crossing the Strait of Dover. The rolling motorway, the busiest in the world, sees 25 percent of the trade between the U.K. and continental Europe pass through it. In 23 years, nearly 400 million travelers have used the Tunnel. Getlink also operates a rail freight business through its Europorte subsidiary, which offers a wide range of integrated rail freight services and operates an electrical interconnector through its subsidiary, ElecLink.

About Esker

Esker is a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions. Addressing all types of business processes from accounts payable and accounts receivable to order processing and procurement, Esker cloud computing solutions enable companies to automate the reception, processing and sending of any business document with one platform. Esker helps over 80,000 companies across the world to reduce the use of paper and eliminate manual processes while improving their productivity, efficiency and environmental impact.

Esker has global headquarters in Lyon, France, U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin, and ANZ headquarters in Sydney (since 1997). Over 1,800 companies in Australia and New Zealand rely on Esker solutions to run their businesses. For more information, visit http://www.esker.com.au follow us at twitter.com/EskerANZ and read our blog on http://blog.esker.com.au/