Background
SIBA has handled supplier invoices electronically for many years. Over time, more and more suppliers have come on board and many of them send electronic invoices. As a result, the company out grew their previous solution. The answer for SIBA was to change to the Inobiz Integration Server in order to gain the ability to mange the continually growing number of invoices and suppliers that SIBA communicates with electronically.
The Project and its Results
The objective of the integration project and the change from the prior product to the Inobiz Integration Server was to acquire a stable operating environment capable of handling hundreds of thousands of invoices and messages in a short period of time. Previously all invoices were stamped, but today that custom is almost completely eliminated and most invoices are processed via EDI. SIBA handles approximately 300,000 invoices and 80% of these are processed electronically as some 70 suppliers from Sweden, Norway and Denmark send their invoices to SIBA through the Inobiz Integration Server. Inobiz also creates a bridge between the purchasing and accounting systems. Communications into accounting can be used to steer the warehouse. SIBA then uses the Inobiz Integration Server to convert to SIBA’s in-house system.
”The solution we now have with the Inobiz Integration Server has influenced our activities on many levels,” notes SIBA’s spokesperson. ”The other alternative was to hire at least an additional 20 employees, which represented a huge expense in comparison to an investment in Inobiz products. Entry errors have diminished noticeably because no human hands are involved. Now we have the right data going in and the right data coming out – with no errors being registered. Another important aspect that has clearly been impacted is profitability and efficiency since the entire invoicing process moves faster. With the Inobiz Integration Server we can process, register and distribute several thousand invoices in 10 minutes.”
”An important advantage with Inobiz products is the ability to manage enormous amounts of invoices in a very short time from an unlimited number of suppliers. This was important for us at SIBA.”
SIBA was well prepared for the integration/EDI project. They knew what needed to be done and had clear project leadership internally. Inobiz partner PipeChain, a long-standing supplier to SIBA performed the practical work. They possess good expertise in EDI as well as Inobiz products, so it was an obvious choice to use them as a consultation partner. They also happen to be based in Gothenburg, where SIBA has its head office.
SIBA in brief
SIBA is a success story that began more than 50 years ago in Gothenburg, Sweden. Today, the company is one of the Nordic region’s largest home-electronics chains and it continues to grow and develop. SIBA’s business idea is to satisfy customers’ home-electronic needs better than anyone else by offering the best combination of price and service.
SIBA sells goods within Radio & TV, Computers & Telephony, and Kitchens & Laundry, to both consumers and businesses. The company includes 54 retail stores in Sweden, Norway and Denmark as well as departments for business sales in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Copenhagen. The corporate headquarters is located in Gothenburg. SIBA has 950 employees.