London, 1 October, 2010 – Ricoh Europe, a specialist in office solutions, managed document services and production printing today announced the launch of Ricoh intelligent invoicing (i-invoicing) - a Document Process Outsourcing service that allows customers to outsource the receipt and production of all invoices to Ricoh. The migration from paper to electronic invoicing takes place at the customer’s own pace and frees up both time and resources allowing businesses to focus on their core competencies while realising savings of 70-90 per cent.*
European businesses can achieve significant savings by switching their invoicing processing to electronic. With Ricoh’s i-invoicing service the whole invoicing process is outsourced leaving companies to focus on their core business. This leads to productivity gains, enhanced customer experience and improved business performance.
Ricoh i-invoicing takes e-invoicing a step further by providing customers with a complete service, not just a software solution. By mapping a customer’s current processes, developing a transition plan and implementing a service delivery platform, Ricoh steps in to completely manage the invoicing process allowing businesses to make better use of their human resources. The solution is both flexible and entirely scalable allowing migration to take place at the customer’s own pace. Customers do not need to invest in equipment to implement Ricoh i-invoicing and can therefore avoid upfront technical costs and ongoing service fees.
“Ricoh i-invoicing offers more than an e-invoicing software solution to customers. It offers a full, end-to-end service, looking after a company’s invoicing processes, saving them time and money. Because it can include a mixture of hard copy and electronic invoicing, the service makes full use of Ricoh’s strengths, both in print and IT services. The offering also facilitates a seamless transition to e-invoicing, from initial consultation to customer accounts receivable education,” says Martin Hurley, Vice President and General Manager, Outsourcing Services, Ricoh Europe. “With Ricoh’s unparalleled experience in knowledge management, our global footprint and ISO certification, customers can have the peace of mind that they are working with a trusted business partner.”
Ricoh Europe already processes millions of invoices a year for its customers, who have all benefited from the Ricoh i-invoicing consultative approach and blended electronic and paper invoicing model. This includes invoices from a leading global sportswear manufacturer. Sending out 4.5 million invoices on paper each year, the company’s annual invoicing process added up to €4 million. Now, using Ricoh i-invoicing, the customer’s target is to migrate 80 percent of its invoices away from paper, a goal which will result in an annual saving of €3 million. In addition, the migration will contribute to a reduction in paper usage, which will further contribute to the company’s overall sustainability goals.
Ricoh i-invoicing will be available in France, the Netherlands and the UK from 1 October 2010, and in Belgium, Germany and Spain in January 2011. For more information, visit www.ricoh-europe.com/i-invoicing.
* ‘Use Supplier E-Invoicing to Help Optimize Operating Costs’, Gartner, 2009
