IRIS-Partner: Canon Switzerland
Considering the growing volume of supplier invoices as well as digital and printed documents, the Association for the Age Care in the Upper Fricktal (VAOF) is pursuing the goal of processing its document volume centrally and in a modern manner, thereby significantly reducing the administrative workload of employees – especially in accounts payable and human resources. To achieve this, the institution relies on the IRISXtract™ and Therefore™ solutions from Canon and I.R.I.S.
The «Verein für Altersbetreuung » VAOF was founded in 1970 in Frick and operates retirement and care centers as well as retirement apartments on a non-profit basis, thus enabling people in old age to live at home as long as possible. At present, the association manages and rents out two larger retirement centers with a total of 220 nursing beds and 100 retirement apartments while employing around 360 people.
In recent years, institutions for the elderly have increasingly developed into service providers. The goal is to ensure, in cooperation with other providers as well as the municipalities, the most decentralized elderly care possible throughout the region. This task presents challenges for all involved.
For the managing director of VAOF, Andre Rotzetter, there was therefore a need for action:
«We decided to push ahead with the digital transformation because resources are very tight at our care facility.» In recent years, the administrative workload has increased significantly, which has led to bottlenecks. Ultimately, resources at VAOF are needed at the bedside, not in administration.
The Association for the Care of the Elderly relies on two solutions from Canon: firstly, on I.R.I.S. for automated invoice processing in accounting and for digitization and process optimization in human resources. The other is the document management solution Therefore, which now controls the workflows as well as parts of the operational processes. The combination of these two solutions enables the legally valid digital storage of documents, so that data protection is guaranteed and the correct document structure is fulfilled.
These aspects were among the decisive factors that led to the decision in favor of Canon. The solutions used provide VAOF with more flexibility and transparency, as well as ensuring access rights for data that is too sensitive. In addition, the decentralization ensures location independence, which is very helpful when servicing multiple sites.
VAOF processes between 12,000 and 15,000 invoices per year using IRISXtract™ Accounts Payable. Thanks to the solution, relevant invoice data is extracted, verified and automatically assigned to the vendor. «Our level of automation with IRISXtract™ is almost 100%,» reports Thomas Wininger, accountant at VAOF. A clear advantage of this solution is the time saved. Process automation has saved 40% resources in administration. These are now used in care for people who are bed-bound. In addition, the solution is intuitive and easy to use for users. When invoices are approved, the data is then automatically transferred to the Lobos ERP system. Digitizing the documents saves additional costs by eliminating the need for a paper archive. Not only does this make work processes much more efficient, paperless working also has a positive impact on sustainability, as CO2 emissions are eliminated during paper production, printing and delivery processes. Another advantage in accounting is that there are no more late payment reminders, lost documents or duplicates. Discounts can be easily secured and provide VAOF with better supplier relationships.
Canon’s solutions were able to contribute to optimizations not only in accounting, but also in human resources. The use of IRISXtract™ and Therefore HR resulted in significantly simplified processes. «In terms of data protection, the solution is sensational for us in the HR area. Only authorized people have access to the data or insight into the documents» reports Tamara Taiani, Human Resources at VAOF. The data and processes for managing the 360 employees are all digitized.
This means that the automatic assignment of documents to the correct personnel files is completely digitized. Thanks to IRISXtract™‘s AI-based technology, all employee documents are stored digitally in the correct file, without exception, from entry to exit. Furthermore, Therefore™ ensures compliance with legal regulations and data protection guidelines in a controlled manner such as the digital deletion of sensitive data. The files are automatically deleted from the database in accordance with the statutory deadline.
Thanks to the use of IRISXtract™™ and Therefore™, VAOF was able to significantly optimize its processes. The degree of automation with IRISXtract™ is almost 100%, which leads to enormous time savings. The considerably faster processing of daily incoming mail now allows residents to be provided with prompt care. 40% of the resources saved in administration are now used for care and nursing. Faster and centralized invoice processing enables efficient work across the various locations.
Working with Canon is very straightforward. A project like this – especially at the beginning – is not without mistakes. Especially then it is important to have a partner with whom these problems can be overcome. Together with Canon, this worked out tip-top.
Andre Rotzetter, Managing Director of VAOF
