Order approval in minutes. IT company significantly accelerated processes thanks to SmartFP
Contracts, orders, customer requirements and work reports – all this is available to the IT company VGD Technologies in one system thanks to SmartFP. This has enabled it to automate many activities and significantly speed up others, for example thanks to integrated electronic signing.
VGD Technologies handles user support and IT systems administration for its clients. Some documents such as contracts and purchase orders were originally stored in folders on the server, while others were stored in paper form. It was unorganised and it was happening that the company was invoicing clients for the wrong amounts.
This was the main impetus to resolve the situation. “We needed to get our documents in order. Plus, we’re still growing and I didn’t want us to spend more and more time on paperwork,” says Martin Brabenec, partner at VGD Technologies.
They considered several options and finally decided to approach us. The SmartFP platform is also used by one of VGD Technologies’ clients, so they knew it allowed for customization.
SmartFP benefits VGD Technologies in three ways
- 45% increase in billed hours due to better record keeping and linking to orders and contracts.
- Approving contracts and orders takes just a few minutes thanks to electronic signatures.
- Data is in one place, easy to find and agendas are linked
The first module was deployed in a month
At VGD Technologies, we deployed the system within a month of our first call together. Initially, the IT company planned to use only the order and contract records, but later decided to supplement SmartFP with other modules, such as the helpdesk.
“Compared to other suppliers, Gappex is specific in that it was able to adapt the system to our processes. For example, our previous helpdesk didn’t allow us to do that,” says Martin Brabenec.
According to him, the most challenging part of the whole implementation was defining the processes we used to set up SmartFP. “The system can be tailored as much as possible, but the client needs to determine how to behave in each situation,” explains Lukáš Pavlík, SmartFP project manager.
If the company has established processes, it is sufficient to describe them. But that didn’t quite work at VGD Technologies. Their agendas weren’t originally linked, so it wasn’t enough to copy existing processes. In the IT company, they first had to determine what processes they wanted to have once everything was in one system.
Orders are approved and electronically signed in minutes
Previously, VGD Technologies worked with paper orders. Based on the client’s request, they printed a spreadsheet with the items ordered and then started getting signatures from supervisors and the client.
After the deployment of the Order Register module , the entire process was digitized. The employee clicks the order in the system and enters the necessary parameters, e.g.:
- whether it is billed monthly or quarterly,
- in what currency
- and to which client’s accounting centre it will be invoiced.
Once the order is saved, SmartFP automatically sends it to the appropriate VGD Technologies manager for approval. He or she will electronically sign the order thanks to SmartFP’s connection to Signi.
SmartFP automatically sends the approved and signed order to the client, who signs it in the same way. “We now process a new order within minutes and electronic signing is easy even for less technically savvy clients. Thanks to this, I see the switch to electronic orders as a big step forward,” says Martin Brabenec.
Orders are linked to the Client Records module. It functions as a basic CRM (customer relationship management tool). It lists, for example, the contact persons from the client and their emails to which orders are sent for signature. A great advantage is that the client’s accounting centres can also be entered in the module.
Once the employee prepares the order, he automatically generates an acceptance report from it or manually modifies the items. The report is then sent via SmartFP to the client for review and electronic signature.
Each order is also linked to the corresponding contract ( Contract Register module), which keeps them in order. “We always discuss the possibility of implementing additional modules with our clients. We look into the future and think about what processes are related to the current situation. We are then able to suggest which additional module may be useful to the company, as in this case the Contract Register linked to the Order Register.” describes Lukáš Pavlík.
End of manual transcription of client requests
Previously, VGD Technologies used separate helpdesk software. However, the license was expiring and they decided not to renew it anymore. Instead, they switched to the help desk in SmartFP.
Clients send them requests to a designated email address. SmartFP reads the messages and creates the requests in the system so that the employee does not have to rewrite them. Tasks from some clients are automatically assigned to a pre-set solver. Other requests in SmartFP are manually assigned to solvers.
Some clients also have access to the helpdesk and enter their requests directly there. Within the request, the technician can communicate directly with the client, but also has the possibility to write an internal message that only his colleagues will see.
Overview of hours worked
An important module is the Labour Statements. In SmartFP, employees simply record how much time they have spent on a specific request. Thanks to this, the company management has an overview of how much time each request took or which client is the most time-consuming. They can also see what the estimated time per job was and how much was actually worked.
“After deploying SmartFP, we have increased the number of hours recorded by about 45% and the number of hours billed to clients by 20%. It no longer happens that people do work on a project and forget to enter those hours into the system. I also appreciate the linking of the reports with orders and contracts. We can clearly see if we fit into the contracted flat rate or if we need to bill extra hours,” describes Martin Brabenec.
In the past, it happened that employees reported hours only at the end of projects or the data did not correspond to reality.
Invoicing documents in one click
The original impetus for VGD Technologies to go digital was billing errors. After the deployment of SmartFP, they no longer occur.
They can easily generate a report in the system, which includes, for example:
- designation of the order to which the statement relates,
- an exact breakdown of hours worked,
- hourly rate
- and the total price.
This is then sent to the client and also serves as the basis for invoicing in the Helios accounting system. In the future, they plan to add a direct connection to Helios to SmartFP. Thanks to this, the documents would be sent directly to the accounting system and an invoice would be automatically generated from them.
VGD Technologies uses the following solutions in our SmartFP modular system:
- Client records(Tailor-made solution)
- Records of contracts
- Order records
- Acceptance form(Customized solution)
- Helpdesk
- Job reports(Tailor-made solution)
The change paid off
The IT company praises the transition to SmartFP and wants to expand it even further.
In addition to the direct connection to the Helios accounting system, they plan to deploy theProperty and Equipment Register module. “We need to keep track of the licenses we manage for clients and also the hardware. It would be great if our expert could see what equipment the client is using when dealing with requests,” adds Martin Brabenec.
“Many clients react this way. Often the company’s own employees come up with ideas on what additional work SmartFP could save them. Instead of making big changes and implementing a robust solution, we always recommend starting with one module at a time. Once you see that it works and people are comfortable with it, implement the next one. This is what SmartFP conveniently allows,” concludes Lukáš Pavlík.
SmartFP will help your business too. Tell us what you’re working on and we’ll figure out how to make it easier for you.