Esker, a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud computing, today announced it is working with ECOGAS, the second largest natural gas distributor in Argentina, to automate its accounts payable (AP) invoices and populate them into the company’s SAP® software system.

Servicing roughly 400 active vendors with 40,000 annual invoices, ECOGAS turned to Esker's cloud-based Accounts Payable automation solution to improve their processes by reducing time spent on manual tasks and increasing control and visibility over the entire workflow.

Regulated by its government, ECOGAS needed an online invoice validation against the Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos (AFIP) -- similar to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Esker's cloud-based solution helped the company overcome this challenge by allowing its vendors to upload invoices within a portal where invoice data is automatically captured and checked against AFIP -- revolutionizing communication in ECOGAS' AP department.

A customer of SAP for the past 15 years, ECOGAS initially searched the market for a traditional SAP data capture solution but ultimately decided on Esker's cloud-based solution for several reasons. "The solution we were searching for needed to be robust," stated Gonzalo Cohen, Finance Leader at ECOGAS. "At the foundation, it needed to integrate with our existing SAP system, leverage OCR technology, allow for vendor collaboration and have a significant set of features specifically tailored to the Argentina market. Luckily, we found Esker, who was able to give us all that and more."

Enhanced Collaboration

To ECOGAS, one of the most important facets of the solution was the ability to collaborate with vendors. Esker's online portal provides a self-service solution to vendors which allows the company to:

  • Save time and money previously spent responding to invoice status calls
  • Reduce repetitive tasks associated with managing receiving and dispatching invoices
  • Increase process visibility with real-time tracking of all invoices

The portal feature also benefits its vendors, who are able to utilize it for:

  • Immediate access to invoice status
  • Self-service access to payment information
  • Instant communication to quickly clear up discrepancies
  • Quicker payment and improved cash flow (continued)

Heightened Control & Visibility

Esker's customizable dashboards provide ECOGAS with the visibility and control it needs to better manage its AP department. Now, it can measure the department’s efficiency through metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as: invoices pending approval, budget control and forecasts, and Days Payable Outstanding (DPO).

About ECOGAS

For over 20 years ECOGAS has been present in six provinces in Western Argentina (Córdoba, Mendoza, La Rioja, San Luis, San Juan and Catamarca) distributing natural gas to homes and businesses. A privately owned company regulated by the government, ECOGAS provides services to over 1,250,000 customers within 254 markets through over 18,000 miles of infrastructure networks and pipelines.

About Esker

Esker is a worldwide leader in cloud-based document process automation software. Organizations of all sizes use its shared platform of solutions, offered on-demand or on-premises, to automate accounts payable, order processing, accounts receivable, purchasing and more. Esker’s solutions are compatible with all geographic, regulatory and technology environments, helping over 11,000 companies around the world in their efforts to Quit Paper™.

Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. Last year Esker generated 58.5 million euros in total sales revenue.

For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter at twitter.com/eskerinc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com.