Brian Currie (Milton Keynes) Limited is a major name in the Sales and Repair of Commercial vehicles, having been appointed as a DAF truck service dealer in 1977. The company has since expanded to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of the industry. Presently, they operate from 6 locations with a central finance system used by each site, based in Milton Keynes.
The following interview is from a conversation with Des Conway, Joint Managing Director at Brian Currie. In detail, Des explains the benefits Brian Currie have experienced from the P2P automation solution Stratas implemented.
What was the driver for Brian Currie to automate accounts payable processes?
“We noticed that more and more invoices were coming in electronically. So, we saw this as an opportunity to streamline our process flow. Additionally, we wanted to reduce paper and our reliance on Excel spreadsheets for managing finances.”
It was important that managers could monitor the process closely across all depots. Specifically, they needed easier access to the documents they were signing. Therefore, the solution has enabled the Finance team to know where documents are the process, and where bottlenecks are occurring.
What were the main benefits of the solution?
“The platform has enabled our managers to start looking at all their costs in more detail, as the invoices are right in front of them and easy to find. We manage our P&L expenses through our dealer management system. Now, we can quickly cross-reference this back to the invoice in Data Forge P2P.”
Brian Currie used to have a cumbersome and error-prone P2P process. Without a doubt, the solution has streamlined the entire process and made it more efficient.
How has the solution prepared you for remote working?
“We’re happy to say that everything has carried on as normal through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Along with the rest of the country, most of the Finance team at Brian Currie were working from home. However, they had access to the platform which gave them visibility of all invoices. As such, all invoices could be sent to the relevant manager to be authorised remotely.
Why did Brian Currie choose Stratas?
“We were initially looking at a couple of options. However, after just one meeting with Stratas, we were impressed with the solution they proposed. Overall, we were confident that Stratas could help us achieve our business goals. We made the right decision and have continued to work with Stratas on other projects due to the passion they have for their solutions, and the excellent support we have received.”
The Solution: Data Forge P2P
Data Forge solutions represent the most automated approach to simple and efficient Accounts Payable and Purchase to Payment automation.
Stratas are flexible with deployment methods, allowing the solution to be deployed within your own IT infrastructure or in the cloud as a SaaS-based solution.