Agrifirm sets the standard for e-billing software

Customer Story

Dutch agricultural cooperative Agrifirm teamed up with IBS to create a reliable and secure e-billing system that it could use with customers and suppliers worldwide.

Company background

Within the Dutch agricultural sector, Agrifirm is one of the country's largest cooperatives. Based in Meppel, its aim is not profitability, but to look after the interests of its members. For the affiliated cattle farmers, agricultural farmers and market gardeners, the most important advantage of their membership is purely material. Thanks to the collaboration within the cooperative, farmers can stipulate a competitive price when purchasing and selling products.

Agrifirm is also a service provider in the agricultural sector. Its website is an important source of information about developments, scientific research and new techniques and products. Agrifirm mediates in the purchase and sale of milk quotas and fertiliser production rights, and stimulates the automation of the Dutch agricultural sector.

The cooperative employs 1,400 people and its main goal is to achieve positive results for all its members.

Business issues

Checking invoice data via the Internet and printing it out is already common practice. However, Agrifirm wanted to go one step further. Through standardized XML messages, the cooperative wanted to allow customers and any other appropriate business partners who visit its website to have the ability to retrieve invoice data and import it directly into their own financial systems.

In the past, paper-based invoicing involved high postage and handling costs. This translated into a costly service for Agrifirm's customers and business partners. Too much time was spent entering and coding invoices. Moreover, the processing and printing of invoices was also increasingly costly and wasted valuable time.

The cooperative firmly believed that one universal standard for the exchange of data within the Dutch agricultural sector would be a significant step forward - now was the time to act. Standardization was necessary in order to make invoice information from Agrifirm available via the Internet to all customers, accountancy firms and Agrifirm's representatives. The cooperative wanted to provide an e-billing service for all concerned parties.

Having made the decision to proceed, Agrifirm's first step was to find the best collaborative partners for this groundbreaking solution.

Solution and capabilities

There are a number of reasons why Agrifirm has been a satisfied customer of IBS since 1991. IBS is at the forefront of innovations and likes to share progress with its customers. IBS thinks from the customer's perspective. IBS ERP software is developed not only to satisfy customer demand but also market demand. Furthermore, IBS had the know-how and had already developed the basic application for an e-billing solution. There was no contest. Together with three other business partners, IBS was selected to further develop its e-billing solution for Agrifirm.

IBS e-billing software is scalable and adaptable. It is designed as an easily integrated and flexible Internet-based complement to Agrifirm's business operations. IBS e-billing software can be implemented at once or in stages, without interrupting current invoicing cycles and operations.

IBS e-billing software allows customer invoicing via email, and as PDF or XML attachments. XML transmission also allows Agrifirm to capture and transmit the actual physical format of its invoices. If preferred, the solution provides an option to produce paper invoices, as well as the ability to send electronic invoices, with the opportunity to print paper copies at a later stage.

Benefits and value

The implementation of IBS e-billing software has allowed Agrifirm's customers to work faster with less chance of errors. This has resulted in lower invoice handling costs and increased profits. The cooperative is now able to provide a better service to its customers and business partners.

Thanks to the collaboration with other financial management solution suppliers, Agrifirm's customers and business partners are able to read in and code any invoice into their own system by simply pressing a button. IBS e-billing software provides the standard XML messages that make this possible - fewer actions, quicker processing, more accurate working - all this 24 hours a day.

IBS e-billing software has enabled a decrease in paper, printing, scanning and postal costs and helped to reduce accounts payable days outstanding and invoice administration. With IBS e-billing, reams of paper are a thing of the past. Invoice communication is streamlined and more efficient.

IBS e-billing software has also dramatically cut the time lag that can prolong invoicing issues which often have a negative impact on customer relations.

With IBS software as a tool, Agrifirm is setting the standard for electronic invoicing in the Dutch agricultural sector.

Contact IBS for more information. »