Invoice4 enables the council to scan incoming paper invoices and automatically import invoices that are received by email. Once imported, Invoice4 use intelligent data capture technologies to extract key information and identify invoice exceptions at the earliest opportunity.
Purchase invoices are also received into financial systems with "less effort and greater accuracy", said the council. The system also provides "easy and rapid access" to the electronic images held in the council's existing UNIT4 ERP solution, and delivers a structured process for managing highlighted exceptions.
"We had been looking at what further improvements could be made to the accounts payable and purchase to pay processes, with a key objective being to make the processes more efficient," said Richard Gibson, strategic finance manager for financial transactions and systems at Wigan Council. "As a UNIT4 customer, we explored a number of options, but found that the Invoice4 solution addressed all of our key requirements."
He said: "We needed something that would seamlessly integrate and provide us with a scalable platform, addressing our key current requirements, but also providing us with peace of mind that the solution will match our future needs.
The deployment has been delivered through a technology partnership between Intelligent Capture and UNIT4. Invoice4 is a UNIT4 technology powered by strategic partner Intelligent Capture, a PROACTIS Group company.
As the Wigan system is modular, the council has the option to generate further efficiencies. For example it could look to receipt invoices in other formats like XML, and scan other types of documents aside from invoices, both within finance and other departments.