SoftCo Blog

SoftCo Appointed Amazon ISV Solution Provider for SoftCo Cloud

2012-05-15T02:06:00.003-07:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, a global developer of document management and business process automation solutions, has been appointed as an Amazon ISV Solution Provider for its SoftCo Cloud service. Reflecting SoftCo's proven capability for delivering enterprise grade solutions via the Cloud, this appointment enables SoftCo to extend its Software as a Service (SaaS) model onto Amazons highly scalable and secure AWS platform.

SoftCo Cloud delivers solutions for Corporates, Governments and SME's globally. Solution areas include E-Procurement, Accounts Payable Automation, E-Invoicing, POD scanning, Case Management, Custom Workflow and Compliant Document Management solutions. SoftCo Cloud customers include Generali PanEurope, The Mater Private Hospital, Kingsbourne PTY (South Africa) among many others across multiple industry sectors.

Through this appointment, SoftCo can now leverage Amazon AWS’s global platform to deliver its Cloud solutions. AWS infrastructure is highly secure with a number of industry-recognized certifications and audits that include: PCI DSS Level 1, ISO 27001, FISMA Moderate, HIPAA, and SAS 70 Type II. SoftCo Cloud solutions can be hosted in any of the AWS data centre locations in the U.S., Europe, South America, Singapore, and Japan.

“With this appointment, SoftCo is confirming its commitment to deliver best in class Cloud solutions to our customers” comments Ted Laverty, Marketing Director, SoftCo. “The AWS platform provides us with the flexibility and security that our customers require with the support of a global infrastructure partner.”

For more information about SoftCo Cloud please please click here

For more information about the SoftCo Amazon ISV Solution Provider please click here

Generali PanEurope ensures compliance with SoftCo Cloud & SoftCo Managed Services

2012-05-08T02:28:00.001-07:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, a global supplier of document management and business process automation solutions, is helping Generali PanEurope Limited (GPE) meet the compliance challenges of the insurance market with a new end-to-end business process for document management. Irish-based GPE provides sophisticated wealth management and employee benefit solutions to a European audience.

With thousands of client files on paper, GPE was facing challenges around document processing, storage and retrieval. In 2010 the company went to market in search of a partner who could deliver on its vision for electronic storage of all client policy documentation. GPE chose SoftCo, recognising its financial services experience, its leading edge Business Process Automation (BPA) technology and the cost competitiveness of its solution.

SoftCo Cloud and SoftCo Managed Services provide a total solution for GPE's document management challenges, incorporating an innovative cloud-based infrastructure that offers total security and better cost efficiencies:

SoftCo collects, scans and processes all GPE documentation on-site in SoftCo's dedicated Managed Services location.
All documents are uploaded to SoftCo Cloud, a secure on-demand document management and BPA platform hosted on ISO27001 compliant infrastructure.
Web-based access to a secure archive allows faster document searching and retrieval for staff in all GPE locations, in Ireland and Europe.
Full lifecycle management allows automatic alerting of documents approaching the end of required retention periods.
Easy upload of e-mails and other client policy documents from a staff member's browser direct to SoftCo R8 in the SoftCo Cloud.

"We are delighted with SoftCo's document management solution: it's fast, it's easy to use, and it gives us great control," said Birgit Smith, Business Analyst, Generali PanEurope. "It was a burden to have to search through paper files for required information, and staff say they love having everything available from their browser and easy to find."

Read the full Generali PanEurope case study here

SouthWestern and Thornton & Partners to speak at SoftCo User Conference 2012

2012-05-03T01:37:00.000-07:00

Dublin, Ireland. Registration is now open for the 2012 SoftCo R8 User Conference that will take place on Thursday 24 May, 2012 at SoftCo’s headquarters in Leopardstown, Dublin. The User Conference is aimed at both business and IT professionals from existing SoftCo clients. Attendees will benefit from a number of practical demonstrations of SoftCo R8 powered solutions, in addition to learning about how existing R8 installations can be leveraged to automate new business process areas.

The conference will include information on the latest R8 business applications as well as technical break-out sessions and demonstrations. Industry leaders SouthWestern and Thornton & Partners will showcase how they have achieved more with R8.

For more information or to register for the User Conference please click here

Latest SoftCo Video: Delivering Accounts Payable Efficiencies Worldwide

2012-05-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

Watch Argos, Sunny Delight Beverage Company and Mercury Engineering describe how implementing SoftCo Accounts Payable Automation eliminated process inefficiencies and saved hundreds of man-hours for their AP teams.

SoftCo Purchase-to-Pay Webinar: Addressing risk, improving efficiency and reducing costs

2012-04-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, a global supplier of document management and business process automation solutions is hosting a Purchase-to-Pay Webinar on Thursday, 26 April, 2012. Killian McCarthy, P2P Specialist, from SoftCo will present real world examples of how leading organisations have streamlined their purchase-to-pay process addressing risk, improving efficiency and reducing costs.

This informative Webinar is aimed at Senior Financial and Business Professionals and will demonstrate that achieving greater synergy between procurement and accounts payable departments is key to driving down costs. Attendees will also learn how leading organisations such as Bank of Ireland, Sunny Delight & Logitech have addressed the challenges within their Purchase-to-Pay process achieving greater control, improving customer service and adhering to compliance obligations.

Register today for this Free Informative Webinar.
Attend and learn:

How finance departments are focussing on streamlining procurement processes to significantly increase their cost savings.
That achieving greater synergy between procurement and accounts payable departments is the key to P2P success
How to improve customer service with instant access to receipts, invoices, purchase orders and proof of delivery documentation.
How to automatically enforce procurement and payment approval rules to reduce risk and improve overall compliance.

To learn more about SoftCo Purchase-to-Pay Solutions please Click Here

SharePoint® Enhancements from SoftCo

2012-04-02T01:38:00.000-07:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, a global supplier of document management and business process automation solutions is pleased to announce the release of SharePoint® Enhancements. The group of modules are designed to improve efficiencies and add functionality to existing SharePoint installations.
Microsoft SharePoint provides organisations with a strong platform for collaboration. However, in business critical environments organisations require more functionality and control than SharePoint can natively provide. With SharePoint Enhancements from SoftCo organisations can now add scalable document management and compliant storage technology to SharePoint instances throughout their network, improving performance and reducing costs across their entire business.

SharePoint Enhancements are built on SoftCo's proven document management technology which is used by hundreds of Blue-Chip and SME clients worldwide. They comprise of a number of key modules which can be applied to SharePoint sites individually or across an entire organisation.

WebCapture for SharePoint
SoftCo WebCapture for SharePoint provides integrated cloud based document capture and management functionality for SharePoint instances through a centrally managed browser interface.
Read more

StorLife for SharePoint
StorLife for SharePoint is a software-only Content Addressed Storage (CAS) solution that simplifies the management and security of SharePoint information over its entire life cycle.
Read more

SoftCo R8 Extender for SharePoint
SoftCo R8 Extender for SharePoint enables staff to access the powerful BPA and Document Management functionality of the SoftCo R8 platform directly from SharePoint environments.
Read more

SoftCo sponsored Hermes proudly represented at Olympic Qualifying Tournament

2012-03-26T06:13:00.001-07:00

Antwerp, Belgium Congratulations to the Ireland International Ladies Hockey Team and in particular the six SoftCo Sponsored Hermes Hockey Players on their gallant effort at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Antwerp. In all, Hermes Hockey Club had six players representing Ireland in the Olympic Qualification Tournament, including Lisa Jacob, Audrey O’Flynn, Aine Connery, Sinead McCarthy, Emma Gray and Miriam Crowley.

The final against Belgium took place in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,500 at the Beerschot club on the outskirts of Antwerp on Sunday, 25 March. Both Belgium and Ireland were aiming to qualify for their first Olympic Games in London 2012.

The Irish Team's fate was all but sealed before half-time, having conceded three goals in seven first-half minutes. Ireland eventually went on to lose 4-1.

Tournament top scorer, Hermes International Audrey O’Flynn pulled a goal back for Ireland in the 56th minute, her eighth in five matches. “The match just flew by. They were just winning every 50-50 ball, I don’t know, we just never got in to it, never got going. Ah, it’s just so disappointing. We said before the match that we’ve put in two years of hard work for this but we have to show that on the pitch – and we didn’t show it today. We just didn’t perform in any area of the pitch,” she added.

SoftCo are proud sponsors of Hermes Hockey Club. The club has produced many Irish senior international players over the years, including a number of Irish captains and several who have achieved over 150 caps. Over the past decade the Hermes 1st IX has achieved outstanding success domestically while also representing Ireland in European Competitions on six occasions.

For more information please visit www.hermeshc.com

SoftCo AP continues to drive efficiencies for Dublin Bus

2012-03-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, a global supplier of document management and business process automation solutions, is continuing to deliver improved efficiencies for Dublin Bus with SAP integration for its Accounts Payable Department.

With invoice volumes around 40,000 per annum, the public transport provider went to market in search of an SAP-certified solution that would streamline its purchase-to-pay cycle and remove manual aspects from its AP process

In mid-2010, Dublin Bus chose SoftCo based on its strong track record in the public sector, including its ability to successfully integrate R8 technology into SAP environments. Since then the SoftCo AP Solution has continued to deliver real benefits and cost savings for Dublin Bus across its entire AP process including:

Invoice handling costs have been significantly reduced, accuracy improved and queries from suppliers and colleagues are quickly resolved.
The AP department has the ability to handle high volume of invoices without increasing AP headcount.
Same-day processing of invoices has more than doubled delivering a significant improvement in supplier satisfaction.

“With SoftCo we’re paying our suppliers faster, we can handle the process better and our AP staff are not under as much strain. A number of our suppliers have actually rung us up to say thank-you for paying so promptly. We’re very happy with the way we do things now,” said Gerry Sullivan, Financial Accountant for Dublin Bus.

To view the full Case Study click here
For more on SoftCo's Accounts Payable Solutions contact us

About Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the state-owned Córas Iompar Eireann Group, currently operates almost all commercial routes in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). It is the main public transport provider for the GDA (extending as far as Newcastle in County Wicklow, Balbriggan in north County Dublin, Dunboyne in County Meath and Maynooth in County Kildare).
Carrying 118 million customers a year, Dublin Bus provides an extensive range of bus services - Radial, Cross City, Orbital, DART Feeder, Airlink, express limited stop commuter services, Nitelink, and Sightseeing tours.
For more information please visit www.dublinbus.ie

The Evolution of Document Management to the Cloud

2012-03-01T08:51:00.002-08:00

Paper is still a prominent fixture in offices around the world, and manually processing that paper is an ongoing drain on productivity. While some organisations have embraced traditional on-premise document management systems to reduce their reliance on paper, other companies are looking to the cloud.

Document management technology is established across all sectors, with well-defined benefits that include cost reduction and increased productivity for organisations. The addition of workflow solutions enable organisation to further streamline and automate key business processes, delivering additional efficiencies and control. Document intensive business processes such as case management, customer service, HR and accounts payable have benefited greatly from these technologies over the last decade.

Now, with the coming of age of Cloud Technology organisations can leverage additional benefit from adopting both document management and process automation solutions via the Cloud. These benefits include reduced capital and administrative costs, elastic business models, seamless business continuity, enhanced security and additional integration possibilities:

Reduced Capital & Administration Costs: Moving to a cloud-based solution means the costs associated with housing and maintaining the system on-premise – from initial setup costs to regular system performance checks - can be eliminated.
Elastic Business Model: The realities of today's business environment mean that while some businesses are growing, many are contracting. With a pay-per-use billing structure, cloud-based document management solutions are flexible enough to grow and contract with a business, reducing the potential for overspending.
Growing with a business: The realities of today's business environment mean that while some businesses are growing, many are contracting. With a pay-per-use billing structure, cloud-based document management solutions are flexible enough to grow and contract with a business, reducing the potential for overspending.
Providing seamless business continuity: Providing proactive 24x7 monitoring of a solutions performance and usage is a core benefit of Cloud based solutions. By choosing a certified and reliable Cloud partner, organisations can ensure that their solutions are performing at their peak at all times and are in the hands of experts. The SoftCo NOC (Network Operating Center) ensures its customers cloud based systems are constantly monitored for bottlenecks, and potential failures with contingency plans in place when errors are identified. This removes the burden and cost from organisations in ensuring business continuity when compared to on-premise solutions
Securing critical documents: The importance of a cloud infrastructure that is compliant with ISO 27001, the information technology security standard, cannot be underestimated. By complying with this standard, providers are assuring customers that their critical data is protected by strict procedural guidelines, regular checks and backup procedures.
Delivering customised access plans: Cloud-based document management solutions can be customised to restrict or grant access to specific IP addresses – for organisations dealing with medical records for example, access can be heavily restricted to IP address originating within the organisation's office.
Easily integrate with existing business applications: Systems like SoftCo Cloud are based on web services standards, which mean they can easily integrate with other cloud- based systems, like CRM and financial applications. This allows for seamless accessibility of all relevant documents, from records of associated correspondence in the event of a customer query, to copies of original invoices.

SoftCo is an experienced provider of cloud–based document management solutions that deliver business process improvements across many sectors. Leading organisations that have implemented SoftCo Cloud technology include Boston Scientific, Generali PanEurope, Resolution Underwriters and Kingsbourne SA.

To learn more about SoftCo Cloud please click here.

If you would like to speak to a SoftCo Cloud Specialist please click here

Bulmers Ltd. achieves AP Automation with SoftCo R8

2012-02-17T07:18:00.000-08:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, a global supplier of document management and business process automation solutions, is pleased to announce that Bulmers Limited has chosen SoftCo to deliver an Accounts Payable automation solution to handle its growing volume of global supplier invoices. Bulmers Limited is part of the global C&C Group, producing some of the most famous cider and lager brands in the world.

Bulmers had an urgent requirement to implement a workflow and document management solution to streamline the process of approval and payment for almost 40,000 supplier invoices annually. Bulmers chose SoftCo to deliver a solution to address the challenges within its AP processes, to create greater efficiencies and to cut costs. After a close engagement that involved working closely with key Bulmers stakeholders, SoftCo designed a customised solution to optimise the invoice approval process end-to-end:

Bulmers AP staff now use SoftCo R8, a compliant process automation and document management platform, to capture all supplier invoices.
Automatic three-way matching means a significant volume of invoices are queued automatically for payment.
'Problem' invoices are escalated for action within the SoftCo AP process.
Integrated workflow means that Bulmers AP staff receive email alerts and can address any issues via the SoftCo R8 system.
Cleared invoices are queued in CODA Financials ERP for payment.
All supplier invoices are archived in the compliant SoftCo R8 platform.

"The feedback from staff has been very positive. Problem invoices are actioned much more quickly than when we operated a manual approval system. And because staff act faster, we can pay suppliers faster and have better relationships with them," said Elaine O'Connell, AP Manager for Bulmers Limited.

To view the full Case Study click here

About Bulmers Limited
Bulmers Limited of Clonmel, a company within the C&C Group, owns the trade mark BULMERS® in the Republic of Ireland. Bulmers Ltd of Clonmel, Ireland, is not connected with HP Bulmer Ltd. of Hereford, UK. BULMERS ® Original Vintage Cider produced by Bulmers Ltd. of Clonmel, Ireland, is sold outside the Republic of Ireland under the name MAGNERS® Original Irish Cider.

For more information please visit www.bulmers.ie

Dublin Bus and C&C Group keynote speakers at SoftCo AP Lunch Briefings

2012-02-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, leaders in Business Process Automation and Document Management Solutions, are pleased to announce a series of Accounts Payable Lunch Briefings during the month of March with keynote speakers Dublin Bus and C&C Group. The Lunch Briefings will take place on Tuesday, 6th March in The Convention Centre, Dublin and in The Clarion Hotel, Cork on Friday, 9th March. Aimed at Senior Financial & Business Professionals, the briefings will demonstrate how SoftCo AP reduces the costs of handling supplier invoices and ensures full control and visibility of each invoice throughout the entire payment and approval cycle.

Carrying over 118 million customers a year, Dublin Bus had inherent challenges with the manual processing of paper invoices. At the Dublin Briefing, Gerry Sullivan from Dublin Bus will describe how their Finance Team addressed their AP challenges and can now resolve supplier queries in a matter of minutes with complete control and transparency over their entire AP process. Gerry will also discuss how integration with SAP provides direct access to invoices and associated documents from within their ERP system.

Based in Clonmel, C&C Group plc is a global manufacturer and distributor of branded long alcoholic drinks, including the internationally-marketed Magners cider brand. In 2011 C&C Group went to market to find an answer to the increasing challenges faced by its Accounts Payable function. At the Cork briefing, Elaine O'Connell, AP Manager with C&C Group, will demonstrate how the implementation of SoftCo AP in their organisation has cut their costs, increased their accuracy and reduced processing times of supplier invoices.
SoftCo consultants will demonstrate the ROI that can be achieved by organisations of all sizes by implementing an automated AP solution and outline the additional savings that can be achieved by hosting the entire AP process within the SoftCo Cloud infrastructure.

Event Registration
The event is focused at Senior Financial & Business Professionals and is free for registered attendees. To register your interest in attending please click here. Alternatively, contact Paul Tighe on (+353) 1 2942420 or email paul.tighe@softco.com

SoftCo Cloud meets the brief for Kingsbourne (Pty) Ltd

2012-01-31T08:54:00.000-08:00

Johannesburg, South Africa. SoftCo, global supplier of document management and business process automation solutions are delighted to announce that Kingsbourne (Pty) Ltd. have chosen SoftCo Cloud to streamline their case management processes and to provide a company-wide document management solution. Headquartered in Johannesburg, Kingsbourne are one of South Africa’s leading Legal firms specialising in the Construction and Engineering Industry.

For over 20 years Kingsbourne (Pty) has worked with many of South Africa’s leading construction and engineering firms in all aspects of construction law, claims and dispute resolution, including adjudication, mediation and arbitration. The nature of their work means handling large volumes of documents, across multiple formats – from CAD drawings to emails – while collaborating with clients at a variety of levels. Prior to SoftCo, Kingsbourne relied on a manual, paper-based process which made case management both time consuming and inefficient.

Kingsbourne chose SoftCo Cloud, powered by SoftCo R8, as their preferred document management solution. The SoftCo Cloud solution provides Kingsbournes consultants with secure access to all their associated case files via a secure web browser, regardless of their location. This has not only improved Kingsbourne’s internal and external processes but has also resulted in improved customer service, collaboration and reduced costs. It is estimated that the SoftCo Cloud solution will save Kingsbourne hundreds of hours per month in helping them manage construction projects more effectively. Kingsbourne also has the ability to extend their case management system to their Clients to further improve collaboration and customer service in the future.

“Our aim is to resolve disputes and problems by working with clients as part of a team and helping them manage construction disputes more effectively. The SoftCo Cloud Solution has already helped us with achieving this goal by facilitating better information management and saving us hundreds of hours searching for documents” commented Warren van der Vyver, Director, Kingsbourne (Pty) ltd.

About Kingsbourne (Pty) Ltd.
Kingsbourne (Pty) Ltd is a multi-disciplinary company of lawyers, quantity surveyors, engineers, construction managers and planners, who provide a specialised service to the construction and engineering industry from offices located in Johannesburg, South Africa.
For more information please visit www.kingsbourne.co.za

Considerations for Improving Insurance Claim Processes in Irish Hospitals (E-Claims)

2012-01-30T01:14:00.000-08:00

Irish hospitals know all too well that inefficiencies in the patient claims submission process can have a severe effect on the financial health of the organisation. In Ireland today, the pressure has never been greater on healthcare providers to find practical solutions that will help minimise pended and rejected insurance claims and accelerate payments from healthcare insurers.

The concept of submitting insurance claims electronically to insurers is drawing increasing attention among Irish healthcare providers. What will adopting an electronic claims (E-Claims) strategy mean for hospital personnel, and for the investment in existing hospital information systems? There are three major areas of concern that come into focus for Irish hospitals now examining their options for migrating to an E-Claims strategy:

Collating electronic and paper documentation: although the ideal situation would be for all documentation relating to a patient's care to be electronic, the reality is that in Ireland paper still proliferates in connection with every patient case. The most suitable E-Claims solution is one that can build up a single secure repository of all patient information, regardless of the information's original format.

Integration with existing hospital systems, not replication: PAS, HIMS, billing systems and other databases already in use by hospitals should ideally interface directly with any E-Claims technology adopted. Unfortunately many solutions require that Hospitals replicate their core data into a standalone E-Claims system, which leads to a fundamental loss of control and visibility within the Hospitals core systems. Hospitals should ensure that their HIS systems remains the authoritative source of all patient information.

Validating claims before submission to insurers: An efficient E-Claims solution should enable hospitals to automatically check the validity of claims before submission to the insurer using an intelligent rules engine. By doing so there is an ability to ensure that submitted claims are accurate every time, reducing the number of pended / rejected claims which significantly reduces debtor days and improves hospital cash flow.

Validation is typically achieved by automatically matching the data drawn from collated patient documentation against an intelligent rules engine. This process will detect and alert the hospital to potential problems so these can be resolved before submission – for example, if a patient was hospitalised for seven days in a case where the surgical procedure in question only qualifies for reimbursement for five days.
It is clear that improving health insurance claims processes is now a defined priority across the entire Irish healthcare sector. However, the path to achieving these improvements is less so for many Irish Hospitals. It is SoftCo's firm belief that a a phased approach towards implementing an E-Claims strategy is the most realistic and effective way forward. While other vendors promote a process that requires a root-and-branch business process reengineering program across all hospital departments, the reality is that a phased approach can deliver exponential benefits while maintaining continuity and control within the hospital. And as the healthcare and insurance sectors continue to evolve – including insurers' own development of the data sets they will require as E-Claims becomes the industry standard – it will be critical that solutions chosen today will also cater for the decisions made tomorrow.

SoftCo is an experienced provider of solutions that deliver business process improvements to the healthcare industry. Leading healthcare organizations that have implemented SoftCo’s technology include UPMC Beacon, Iowa Heath System, NHS and the Mater Private Hospital.

To learn more about SoftCo’s Healthcare Solutions please click here.

If you would like to speak to a SoftCo Healthcare Specialist please click here.

Explosion in corporate email traffic drives compliance

2012-01-05T05:03:00.000-08:00

Dublin, Ireland. With the volume of corporate emails continuing to soar globally, organisations need to re-think their strategies around data retention and compliance. According to recent research by the Radicati Group on global email usage, the average business user sends/receives of 105 emails per day. This results in approximately 41Bn emails being generated in each 24 hour period, with this figure set to grow by 20% by 2015. From a corporate perspective the management of such large volumes of data not only impacts on the storage infrastructure of an organisation but also causes considerable headaches around compliance.

The effect of compliance on corporate email policies is now far-reaching. Global regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, FINRA and HIPAA, drive the need for specific email management criteria. These include a requirement to ensure the authenticity of all stored email data, define specific retention periods and to guarantee the availability of emails at all times. However, arguably the most significant impact of compliance is on the shift of ownership/responsibility for the management of emails within organisations – moving from the sole ownership of IT Departments to a company-wide responsibility that includes employees, management and directors.

With such drivers it is essential that organisations embrace robust and scalable email management technologies. The limitations of traditional email mailbox backups often fall short of what is required from both a compliance and operational perspective. Organisations are now embracing email lifecycle management solutions that not only provide the ability to archive a ‘True record’ of every email that passes through an organisation, but also provides efficient “search and retrieval” functionality that ensure emails can be managed proactively within the business. For forward thinking organisations, such proactivity extends to using inbound email to trigger workflows that automate business processes and enhance the functionality of ERP/CRM/Finance systems.
SoftCo eMail collector provides organisations with such functionality and benefits.

Powered by SoftCo R8, eMail collector enables businesses to successfully implement and manage compliant email policies, in addition to reducing costs and improving process efficiencies. Regardless of sector, country or organisation size, SoftCo eMail collector is the answer to your corporate email headaches.

About SoftCo eMail Collector
SoftCo eMail Collector captures and securely archives every email that passes through an organisation’s mail server. Authorised personnel can access a wide and powerful range of “search and retrieve” options so that all documents required can be produced within seconds. Full-text indexing allows administrators to search both emails and attachments using a number of different criteria including email body, subject line and recipient.
Email Collector integrates seamlessly with existing mail systems. The compliance component ensures the authenticity of every email, Single Instance Storage removes duplication and full Life Cycle Management allows organisations to set defined retention rules and meet compliance obligations.

To learn more about eMail Collector click here.

SoftCo Cloud delivers efficiency boost to Resolution Underwriters

2011-12-06T07:57:00.001-08:00

Johannesburg, South Africa. SoftCo, global supplier of document management and business process automation solutions are delighted to announce that Resolution Underwriters (Pty) Ltd. have chosen SoftCo Cloud to streamline their underwriting and claims departments. Headquartered in Johannesburg, Resolution Underwriters are one of South Africa’s leading Health Insurance Providers.

Insurance companies traditionally rely on both labour and document intensive processes to run their day-to-day business. Resolution Underwriters is no different, having to deal with significant volumes of contracts, policies, applications and claims forms in a variety of different formats. These documents originate from multiple sources, including email submissions, faxes and paper-based documents received by post. Managing the capture and distribution of this information in a timely and efficient manner presented a significant challenge to Resolution Underwriters.

Resolution Underwriters chose SoftCo Cloud, powered by SoftCo R8, as their preferred on-demand document management solution in order to deliver the required efficiencies throughout their business. Their preference was for a cloud based solution that could securely manage the full lifecycle of their insurance claim documentation and deliver significant process improvements. SoftCo Cloud gives Resolution Underwriters staff the ability to improve customer service, to work more collaboratively and to create a framework for future compliance requirements.

“We are delighted to have chosen SoftCo Cloud as our document management solution. We have built a process around it that will improve our operational efficiencies, the accuracy of stored data, create faster claim retrievals and generate an overall improvement in our ability to handle the many requests we receive each day from both clients and brokers” commented Minet Roberts-Meyer, GM of Resolution Underwriters.

About Resolution Underwriters
Resolution Underwriters (Pty) Ltd (FSP: 4710) is a registered financial services provider, dedicated to providing the best insurance. Their philosophy of continuous improvement means that the client is always guaranteed individual attention and superior products which will meet their needs and exceed their expectations.

To learn more about Resolution Underwriters please click here

To learn more about SoftCo Cloud click here

SoftCo to host 'Cloud Technologies' Briefing in Johannesburg, South Africa

2011-11-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Johannesburg, South Africa. SoftCo, leaders in Business Process Automation and Document Management Solutions, are hosting a breakfast briefing 'Cloud Technologies: Delivering Efficiencies & Reducing Costs' in association with its local partners Allscan and Dynamic IT. The briefing will take place in Johannesburg on Thursday 24th November, 2011.

The informative briefing will showcase how Cloud based applications are delivering processes improvements and significant cost savings to organisations across all sectors. Cloud based applications have opened up new deployment opportunities for organisations in delivering their IT projects, with the potential to eliminate the significant infrastructure and maintenance costs associated with on-premise solutions. SoftCo will share its experience of how its solutions are being deployed within the Cloud to its global customer base.

Key Topics Covered: Cloud Infrastructure & Applications
Document Management
Introduction to the SoftCo Cloud Document & Workflow Management environment. Demonstration of key modules including cloud based capture, workflow routing, retrieval and fully compliant archival.

Accounts Payable Workflow in the Cloud
SoftCo Accounts Payable (AP) streamlines the entire AP process, reducing operational costs and providing real time financial visibility. With over 300,000 users globally, SoftCo AP is a proven solution both on-premise or on-demand.

Email Collector
SoftCo Email Collector provides secure storage, rapid retrieval and full SoftCo Email Collector provides secure storage, rapid retrieval and full Life Cycle Management of all company emails to meet international compliance and HR management obligations.

Electronic Invoicing
E-Invoicing delivers electronic generation of customer invoices, automated delivery and a full query management portal. The benefits include a 50% reduction in manual direct invoicing costs such as printing and postage.

The event is focused at business managers and IT professionals. Pre-registration is required. To register your interest in attending please click here or contact Kevin Parker on (+27) 11 886 0212 / kevin.parker@softco.com

PIC South Africa roll out SoftCo R8

2011-11-16T07:57:00.001-08:00

Johannesburg, South Africa. SoftCo, global supplier of document-management and Cloud solutions, headquartered in Ireland, are delighted to announce that Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has expanded its use of SoftCo’s solutions with the deployment of SoftCo R8 throughout the organisation.

Pictured from L to R: Elias Masilela, Chief Executive Officer, PIC, Susan Spence, Group Director, SoftCo, Jan O'Sullivan TD, Irish Minister of State with responsibility for Trade & Development, Kevin Parker, Sales Manager, SoftCo South Africa.

PIC manages assets valued at R1.032 trillion, making it one of the largest investment managers on the African continent. PIC is wholly owned by the South African government and was established in 1911. R8 is implemented throughout PIC delivering world class document management and fast WORM (write once read many) magnetic storage ensuring PIC meet strict compliance obligations. The system manages the key investment documentation, is also deployed in a number of other business functions including Human Resources and incorporates a full Disaster Recovery infrastructure.

The news was announced by Jan O’Sullivan, TD, Irish Minister of State, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade at a reception held on 8 November in Johannesburg. The event was hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government Agency responsible for driving leadership and growth for innovative Irish companies in international markets.

“South Africa is a growth market for our products,” said Susan Spence, co-founder of SoftCo who attended the event. “We recently established an office in Johannesburg to build on a number of customer successes. PIC is an important part of that growth and we are delighted to be associated with such a successful organisation which celebrates its centenary this year.”

About Public Investment Corporation
Public Investment Corporation Limited (PIC) manages assets valued at R1.032 trillion as at 31 March 2011, making it one of the largest investment managers on the African continent. Their clients are public sector entities, most of which are pension, provident, social security, development and guardian funds. PIC’s role is to invest funds on behalf of these clients, based on investment mandates set by each client and approved by the Financial Services Board (FSB), with which they are registered as a financial services provider.

SoftCo Host Successful Electronic Invoicing Event in the CCD

2011-11-15T06:20:00.001-08:00

Dublin, Ireland. SoftCo, leading providers of business process automation and document management solutions, hosted the first SoftCo Electronic Invoicing Breakfast Briefing at the Convention Centre in Dublin. The event was a great success with a very strong attendance by both prospective and existing SoftCo customers, all of whom were keen to learn more about SoftCo’s Electronic Invoicing solution. Their main driver was to learn about how SoftCo Electronic Invoicing can reduce the high costs and inefficiencies from their traditional paper-based invoicing processes.

The briefing was attended by Senior IT and Financial managers from some of Ireland’s largest companies and public sector organisations. The guest speaker for the event was Vincent McCullagh from Deloitte who presented the legal background to Electronic Invoicing within the EU. Our own Killian McCarthy and Garret Pearse then expertly demonstrated the SoftCo Electronic Invoicing solution, outlining its benefits for prospective customers and showing the clear return on investment proposition that it delivers to our customers.

If you are interested in attending future SoftCo events please contact Paul Tighe on (01) 2942420 or paul.tighe@softco.com. Alternatively you can keep track of our latest events on our website.

SoftCo E-Procurement: Making Procurement Pay

2011-10-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

An inefficient procurement process can have far reaching effects across an organisation. Poor purchasing controls result in ad-hoc or maverick buying, excessive supplier costs and increased risk of fraud. Manual and paper based requisitions create approval delays, significant administration costs and poor visibility of the organisation’s true spending commitments.

SoftCo E-Procurement is a fully integrated solution that enables organisations to streamline their end-to-end procurement process. Automating even the most complex of procurement procedures and providing real-time reporting of entire spend, SoftCo E-Procurement is a smarter, faster, and safer solution for managing an organisations purchasing needs.

Read more about the SoftCo E-Procurement Solution and Flash Demo.
Click here to download the SoftCo E-Procurement Datasheet

SoftCo SA to participate in South African Trade Mission

2011-10-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg, South Africa. SoftCo, leaders in Business Process Automation and Document Management Solutions are delighted to announce their participation in the upcoming Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission in South Africa. The mission will be led by Jan O'Sullivan TD, Minister of State, Ireland, with responsibility for Trade & Development and coincides with AfricaCom, the annual Pan-African exhibition and congress for all telecommunications professionals.

SoftCo participation supports its on-going growth strategy in the African Continent. With a regional office located in Johannesburg, SoftCo is strategically placed to maximise the potential of the South African market for its cloud and on-premise solutions. SoftCo’s existing client portfolio in S.A includes a number of leading Multi-Nationals and government departments which include DHL and Public Investment Corporation Limited (PIC), one of the largest investment managers on the African continent.

“We are delighted to participate in the Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission” comments Kevin Parker, Sales Manager, SoftCo SA. “Having established ourselves in South Aftrica and with a rapidly expanding customer base, we are uniquely placed to see the potential within this market.”

Accounts Payable Automation: The Automatic Choice.

2011-10-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

The need to automate many traditionally paper-based, labour-intensive processes has become an essential prerequisite of the modern business environment. Even the most rigorous finance departments can waste time and money following cumbersome procedures that have become bloated over time—with many companies, whether large or small, experiencing a similar set of problems using out-dated Purchase-to-Pay processes

The Challenge
Outlined below are just some of the challenges faced by AP departments currently using mostly manual processes.

Managing and handling paper-based invoices can incur high operational costs.
Internal and external audits can be lengthy, complex and expensive.
Documents can easily be misfiled and lost.
Filing and storage systems are often non-compliant
Manual search and retrieval of filed documents can be extremely time-consuming.
Error checking and corrections can waste additional time.
Manual processes provide little or no visibility of where documents are in the system.
Increasing costs of paper and printing supplies contribute to overheads.

The Solution
Accounts Payable Automation is the single solution that can answer all these problems. Implemented as part of a company-wide business process system or independently for the accounts department, automating the AP process has become a huge time and money saver for many businesses.

Automated AP streamlines the entire Purchase-to-Pay process. A key factor is the very first step—digitising the paperwork. This can be achieved either through on-site or off-site scanning or, increasingly, by starting out with electronic files. An organisation thus reduces errors caused by manual data entry, avoids lost documents and negates the inefficiencies of a physical paper trail.

This data can then be routed along a predetermined secure workflow for review, action and approval. Managers are provided with full visibility and control at every stage, generating a consolidated view of the entire process across a large number of financial systems. Automated AP solutions are designed to seamlessly integrate with existing enterprise and line of business applications, such as SAP and Oracle. All data can then be backed up, depending on company policy, using compliant storage technology.

The Benefits

Invoices are automatically routed for approval and sign-off.
Invoice matching and exception routing are automated.
Three-way matches are performed, if required.
Early payment discounts can be availed of & late payment penalties are avoided.
Manual error is removed by automatic indexing and data entry.
Cross-referencing capabilities ensure more accuracy, even to legacy applications
Search and retrieval of invoices is much easier and faster.
Data can be accessed from within an ERP system.
Discrepancy resolution and response times to supplier inquiries are increased.
Procedures and approvals use automatic rules-based routing and processing that meet corporate and governmental compliance requirements.
Real-time key performance indicators (KPIs) monitor the process.
Costs are cut and time is saved, allowing resources to be redeployed to more productive parts of the business

In addition to the increase in AP staff productivity, accounts payable automation can also have a positive impact on the productivity of employees outside of the AP department. This impact is reflected in the increase in productivity of field verifiers and approvers.

Accounts Payable Automation has become an imperative in the modern business environment, the proven time and money savings very quickly give a strong ROI that not only benefits the AP department but the company as a whole

About SoftCo
SoftCo is a leading supplier of document and workflow solutions in Ireland. During the course of their 21 years in business they have accrued vast experience in reviewing internal company processes and identifying areas where business process automation can return significant tangible and intangible benefits.

Powered by the SoftCo R8 framework, our Accounts Payable solution provides feature-rich functionality and scalability through a standards based platform.

Please visit our website for further information, datasheets and video case studies on the SoftCo Accounts Payable Automation solution.

SoftCo appoint Ted Laverty as Marketing Director

2011-10-06T07:04:00.001-07:00

Dublin Ireland. SoftCo are delighted to announce the appointment of Ted Laverty as Marketing Director of the SoftCo Group. Ted re-joins SoftCo having previously worked in a business development capacity for the company in both European and US markets.

In the last 5 years Ted has successfully founded a number of online businesses which service the DIY and membership association sectors. Welcoming his appointment, Managing Director of SoftCo, Anton Scott said, “SoftCo has been a highly innovative and successful business for the past 21 years. We are excited about Ted’s appointment and the contribution he will make to SoftCo’s continued success. We wish him all the best in this new role.”

Ted Laverty is an honours Computer Science graduate who also holds a diploma in Business Development. Having worked in IBM in Ireland and BCA IT Australia, Ted first joined SoftCo in 2003 in a business development capacity. Having successfully won new business for SoftCo in Europe, Ted relocated to New York in 2005 to head up SoftCo’s US Sales. Ted left SoftCo to found Onlinetradesmen.com. He subsequently went on to found Handyhardware.ie and MemberTender.com, all of which are based in Dublin, Ireland. As Marketing Director at SoftCo, Ted assumes responsibility for the global marketing strategy of the SoftCo Group.

Ted also has a keen interest in outdoor sporting activities and sails competitively at club, provincial and national level.

Vhi Healthcare Transforms Claims Processing with SoftCo

2011-10-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dublin, Ireland. Vhi Healthcare is the largest provider of private medical insurance in Ireland spending €1.2 billion annually in funding the healthcare needs of its customers. With nearly 1 million claims generated across hospitals and primary care units each year, Vhi Healthcare needs to ensure its claims processing procedures are as streamlined as possible.

SoftCo, a trusted solutions partner for Vhi Healthcare for more than a decade, assisted Vhi Healthcare in eliminating manual procedures, reducing the risk of error that is found in its large paper based administrations and reducing its claims processing times. SoftCo also provides on-demand access for healthcare providers to their scanned claims for faster resolution of queries

“When improving and delivering efficiencies into our systems and processes, we worked closely with SoftCo to design an approach which met our needs and delivered a superior level of service to our customers.” Mark Byrne, Claims Manager, Vhi Healthacre

To view the full Case Study click here

Solution at a glance

The SoftCo Managed Services facility scans and validates nearly 1 million health insurance claims per annum on behalf of VHI healthcare.
Scanned claims and supporting documents are uploaded into the VHI’s SoftCo R8 system.
Electronic claim submissions can also be processed.
SoftCo R8 integrates with the VHI’s claims processing system, providing its users with seamless access to all claim information
Insurance claims are now available to the VHI within 24 hours of being received.
The SoftCo solution enables the VHI to process claims faster, eliminating manual handling and providing full visibility within the claims process.
VHI healthcare says that the SoftCo solution delivers efficiencies that enable them to better serve their customers.
Individual hospitals can remotely access their submitted claims via a secure cloud based portal.

For more on SoftCo's Healthcare Solutions contact us

Electronic Invoicing: SoftCo & Deloitte Announce E-Invoicing Seminar for Cork, Ireland.

2011-10-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

Cork, Ireland. SoftCo, leading providers of business process automation and document management solutions, are hosting an informative breakfast briefing on electronic invoicing at the Clarion Hotel, Cork City, on Thursday, 20 October, 2011 in conjunction with Deloitte, leading corporate financial consultants.

The second in a series of E-Invoicing Events, this briefing will present the business benefits of electronic invoicing for organisations and demonstrate the practical steps needed to embrace the latest technology.

Deloitte will also present an overview on the global trends and developments in the legislative framework, including government initiatives (Directive 2010/45/EC) that are stimulating an uptake of electronic invoicing within businesses across all sectors.

The briefing is aimed at Senior IT & Finance Professionals in both Private and Public Sectors from the Munster Region. Pre-registration is required and places are limited.

Click here to register
For further information on SoftCo’s E-Invoicing Solution please click here, alternatively contact Paul Tighe on (01) 2942420 or paul.tighe@softco.com

Electronic Invoicing is on your organisation's radar

2011-09-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

An EU survey has shown that Electronic Invoicing, or E-Invoicing as it is becoming known, is on the agenda of cost conscious chief executives and financial directors across Europe. The fact that electronic Invoicing can deliver savings of 1–2% of an organisation's sales revenues back to the bottom line is among the reasons why.

Read SoftCo’s latest article on electronic invoicing which includes:

How E-Invoicing can streamline an organisations accounts receivable processes.
The reasons why electronic invoicing can deliver savings of up to 80% over traditional manual paper-based invoicing processing
How an efficient E-invoicing solution can assist organisations in achieving compliance
A background on the drivers behind the adoption of electronic invoicing across Europe

Click here to read the full article

Visit the SoftCo E-Invoicing Solutions page on our website to find out more.

To speak to a SoftCo consultant please call us on one of the numbers below
Ireland (+353) 1 294 2420
UK (+44) 1525 290 768
USA (+00) 1 800 969 0232
South Africa (+27) 11 731 0202

Alternatively you can email: info@softco.com