When opportunity knocks, it seldom knocks twice. For Ross Vincent, Special Projects Manager at NZ business Retail Dimension (now known as RD), the upheaval associated with relocating and restructuring the business in 2017 provided a unique opportunity to improve business processes, one that he grabbed with both hands.

RD is one of New Zealand’s leading specialists in creating retail environments. With a team of more than 130 designers, project leaders and craftspeople, they draw on over 20 years’ experience of delivering custom retail solutions. From design, manufacturing and procurement, to fit-out, signage, technology and experiential brand activations, they deliver every dimension of retail from bespoke furniture to full fit-out environments.

The infrastructure to support the business operations includes two factories with 3 office locations in both Auckland and Wellington.

A decision to relocate the production facility and office staff from Wellington to Auckland, and launch the Melbourne office in mid-2017, prompted a move into the digital era for business processes. RD implemented ABBYY scanning and intelligent data capture with the M-Files Enterprise Content Management solution.

Automated processing for over 2500 supplier invoices received per month provided the initial business case for deployment, however the solution has already begun to spread beyond this into the broader business.

“We are undertaking a significant implementation program with M-Files and ABBYY over the next 12 months,” said Vincent.

“It has provided immediate benefits by allowing us to better utilise the skills within our accounts team, eliminates the requirement for manual processes, and minimises the risk of error.  

“The structure that a good document management system provides, sets the foundations of streamlined management for us. When the likes of a design drawing has multiple contributors to a single document, it’s crucial to know that you are all working on the latest authorised version.

“With the new system in place, knowing that there is only ‘the’ one version, it is the biggest mechanical change to the way we work here at RD.”

Scanned invoices are stored in the M-Files MS-SQL database and extracted data is imported into MYOB Enterprise. Suppliers were encouraged to send invoices by email as PDF attachments, and ABBYY OCR and Data Capture accuracy has impressed the business with a 90% straight-through processing rate achieved within weeks of kicking off the system.

The ABBYY solution includes a verification workstation that checks scanned invoices against the MYOB and line of business databases.

The approval workflow is handled seamlessly within RD’s MORPHED business system, once again sitting on an MS SQL database with a web-based front end.

“Our team don’t need to leave our Line of Business (LOB) system to perform approvals,” said Vincent. “It just talks to another SQL data source.”

The scanned PDF stored in M-Files now serves as the official record, keeping things digital and freeing up much needed warehouse space from physical documentation.

“Going digital has streamlined our processes, providing greater visibility, fewer delays and fewer mistakes,” said Vincent. “The real opportunity here was to capitalise on a business restructure and make the resulting business stronger and smarter at the end of it.”

Contact ABBYY at sales@abbyy.com.au or on  02 9004 7401 for any further information.