Customer Story

Domingo Alonso

Achieving AP efficiency with an end-to-end AI-based automation solution

Company Size
1,500 employees
Sales Revenue
€442 million
Solution
Accounts Payable
  • IMPROVED
    EFFICIENCY & VISIBILITY
  • REDUCED
    ERRORS
  • REMOTE
    ACCESS TO DIGITAL FILES
  • INCREASED
    SUPPLIER TRUST & SATISFACTION

Founded in the Canary Islands, Spain, in the early 20th century, Domingo Alonso developed its specialisation from the horticulture sector to importing cars and the newest automotive technologies today. The Domingo Alonso Group is divided into over 30 companies, with separate business units that include Import, Retail, Mobility, Services and Technology.

CHALLENGES - STREAMLINING AND SIMPLIFYING MANUALLY INTENSIVE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK

In 2018, Domingo Alonso’s financial department was looking for an automation solution to improve its supplier relationships, optimise payments, organise its accounting department and centralise incoming invoices. The Group also wanted to eliminate paper in its offices, which would accelerate searches for digital files and streamline invoicing.

Prior to implementing Esker's solution, Domingo Alonso’s AP process involved manually scanning each of the 120,000 supplier invoices the Group receives each year and uploading them into the company’s Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP system. This inefficient and time-consuming process was often a source of errors and resulted in poor invoice visibility.

The main objective of the automation project was to reduce process complexity and automate many of the manual tasks in order to achieve greater efficiency. Several specific workflows were mapped and created based on various use cases.

 

OBJECTIVES

- Facilitate invoice approvals from anywhere with a flexible solution featuring an electronic approval workflow
- Improve supplier relationships with accurate on-time payments, timely dispute resolution and real-time communication channels through a supplier portal
- Eliminate human errors, inefficiencies and low-value tasks with automated processing
- Integrate seamlessly with MS Dynamics NAV ERP

Esker has allowed us to centralise all invoice reception and processing in one place. We’ve also been able to standardise our processes and automate many manual tasks, making us more efficient.
Alejando Suárez | Digital Analyst, Domingo Alonso

SOLUTION - SUPPORTING THE AP TEAM AND SUPPLIERS THROUGH AUTOMATION

Esker was selected to streamline the entire AP workflow, from invoice reception to payment. The successful implementation of the Esker solution enabled Domingo Alonso to significantly increase its productivity by automating manual tasks and achieve real-time visibility of their AP processes, all in one place. The collected and organised data has helped the Group better understand its finances, redistribute workloads internally and leverage reliable KPIs to make better decisions.

Solution functionalities such as global filters that allow for searching by company or business unit and subsequently optimising operations are also greatly appreciated. Esker's dashboard shows users only the information relevant to them, displaying only the pertinent invoices, KPIs, views, counters and reports.

Additionally, a customised portal with the Group’s corporate branding was made available to suppliers, enabling them to access payment information on their own. This provides value both to the supplier, who has access to invoice status and payment information, as well as to Domingo Alonso, by easing their workload.

What we liked most about Esker’s solution is that it makes life easier for our suppliers and our AP team, thanks to the supplier portal and invoice-related dashboards with real-time metrics.
Alejando Suárez | Digital Analyst, Domingo Alonso

RESULTS - SATISFYING EMPLOYEES & CUSTOMERS

Implementing Esker’s Accounts Payable solution has allowed Domingo Alonso Group to centralise invoice management and reception in one place. Standardising processes and automating manual tasks resulted in increased productivity and efficiency. The project of implementing Esker's solution to all of the Group’s business areas was not an easy task, as their activities differ depending on the sectors in which they operate. Nonetheless, Esker easily adapted to each of them and created specific workflows based on their various use cases. Customised deployment in sprints allowed for a convenient and streamlined implementation of the solution.

 

BENEFITS

- Efficiency & visibility
- Error reduction
- Remote access to digital files
- Increased supplier trust & satisfaction

Thanks to Esker, we’ve managed to eliminate much of our manual work. Automating the AP process has been a lifesaver during the pandemic.
Alejando Suárez | Digital Analyst, Domingo Alonso

PANDEMIC-RELATED CHALLENGES

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Domingo Alonso found themselves unable to pay suppliers, as operations were 100% paper-based and Spanish mail services were barely functioning. Overnight, the company found itself in a vicious circle and unable to deliver orders to its customers. Esker's solution enabled the AP process to run remotely and seamlessly. Suppliers could now email their invoices and, as a result, the pandemic only minimally impacted Domingo Alonso’s business operations.

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