Family business streamlines invoicing flow

The family-owned Danish furniture and lighting company, Jacobsen Plus, was founded in Horsens in 1929 by carpenter Wilhelm Eriksen.

Since then, the company has evolved from being a carpentry workshop to a furniture store, eventually transforming to become today's lifestyle center. When the company expanded to include designer furniture in 2006, it adopted its current name.

Today, Jacobsen Plus has 50 employees, with Claudia and Peter at the helm, representing the fifth generation of Jacobsens.

"The direction has remained the same for the last 10 years," says Claudia, who is responsible for administration, sales and procurement. "Jacobsen Plus is one of Denmark's most progressive furniture stores, and our mission is to deliver quality products from both Danish and international high-end designers and manufacturers and to provide a great customer experience."

Automated administration

However, recently, steps were taken in a somewhat new direction. Like many other companies, invoice- and document-management are crucial aspects of Jacobsen Plus' business operations. Previously, invoicing was handled manually in Microsoft Dynamics AX, prompting an exploration of options for implementing a more automated approach to invoice processing.

"We were already collaborating with Cepheo, who helped implement and support our ERP system. As we weren't familiar with suitable solutions ourselves, we inquired about the possibilities for automating and digitizing our administrative processes. Cepheo recommended ExFlow, and we decided to go with it," says Claudia.

ExFlow, which was established in 2003, is developed by the Swedish company SignUp Software. SignUp Software is also family-owned but, more importantly, the company is a Microsoft-certified ISV (Independent Software Vendor), and its add-on module can integrate with business systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. ExFlow streamlines and automates workflows for purchasing and supplier invoices.

The module is user-friendly and, in Jacobsen Plus' case, it is based on Dynamics AX, allowing them to continue working in a familiar ERP environment instead of investing time and resources in training their staff on a new system.

"Thanks to digitizing invoice management, our entire workflow has been significantly shortened. This, in turn, has allowed us to allocate more time to other administrative tasks in the department. We have potentially reduced our invoicing-related working hours by 50%," adds Claudia.

Starting out gently with modules

In many organizations, there is often a reluctance to make changes to established workflows. Digital transformations can be perceived as both cumbersome and expensive. For companies looking for a smooth path toward digitalization, add-on modules are a viable option.

The advantages of ExFlow lie in how it is different from other EFH systems (a pan-European, digital format for invoicing for businesses and authorities). There is no need for integration, duplicate registrations or chart of accounts; no additional databases are required, and upgrades are easy to manage.

As ExFlow is embedded in the ERP solution, everything is handled in real-time directly within the system. In the case of Jacobsen Plus, administration takes place in Dynamics AX, and approvals are easily made online with any device.

"Implementing ExFlow hasn't been free, of course, but I appreciate that cost savings are become more and more evident the longer we use the solution. Previously, when invoice management was a significant part of our daily routine, we considered hiring a new employee. That is not necessary now ExFlow was installed." concludes Claudia Jacobsen.