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a.s.r achieves full control of spend with company-wide insight into expenditure and contracts

a.s.r gained full spend and contract visibility with Proactis, reducing invoice processing costs by 90% and accelerating financial reporting.

Sector

Financial Services

Employees

4,000+

Operates In

Netherlands

Invoices Processed

15,000 per year

Customer Since

2008

How Proactis Helped

“What makes our collaboration with Proactis particularly successful is that we, as a user, can be involved proactively in the continuous development of the software platform. This makes Proactis the future-proof choice for us.” 

a.s.r 

Reduced the processing costs of purchase order invoices by 90% through automation and earlier approvals in the process

Delivered full visibility of spend, contracts, and financial commitments across the organisation in real time

Reduced the time required to produce month-end financial reports from several days to a few clicks

Streamlined the supplier base, reducing invoice volumes year-on-year through consolidation of approved suppliers and contracts

Enabled transparent and measurable procurement projects, including online auctions for a wide range of categories

Freed the Accounts Payable team from substantial manual administration, enabling staff to focus on more strategic tasks

Ensured full compliance with national, regional, and corporate governance requirements through automated controls

Provided a future-proof platform through active involvement in Proactis' continuous product development programme

Overview

a.s.r is one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands, employing around 4,000 people and offering a broad range of financial products spanning non-life, life, income protection, pensions, health, and travel insurance. Facing an unmanageable growth in supplier numbers, limited contract visibility, and a lack of real-time spend insight, the company implemented Proactis' full Source-to-Pay platform as part of an internal 'In Control' programme. The result was a 90% reduction in purchase order invoice processing costs, streamlined supplier management, and month-end financial reports delivered in minutes rather than days. 

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Challenge 

a.s.r is one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands, offering a wide range of financial products across non-life, life, income protection, group and individual pensions, and health, travel, leisure, and funeral insurance. The organisation employs approximately 4,000 people and prides itself on a focus on spend control and operational efficiency. 

Despite this focus, a.s.r had experienced a lack of insight into ongoing contracts and an unmanageable increase in the number of active suppliers. This made it increasingly difficult to maintain a clear overview of total spend, manage supplier relationships effectively, or ensure compliance with purchasing policies and governance requirements. 

The company established an internal project -called 'In Control' -to identify the best way to standardise and digitise its entire purchasing process, from sourcing and contract management through to invoice processing, all integrated with its existing financial system. 

 

Solution 

Following the 'In Control' project, a.s.r selected Proactis' Source-to-Pay functionality as a single, integrated platform to support both central purchasing and finance functions -capturing all contracts, commitments, and expenditure in one place. 

The Proactis platform enables a.s.r employees to place orders at any time from authorised catalogues, order forms, or smart forms. Hiring of temporary staff is streamlined through the platform, with reversed billing capabilities integrated into the workflow. The full range of procurement activity -from sourcing and contract management to accounts payable -is managed through the system. 

Real-time dashboards provide transparency for both management and operational staff, giving instant visibility of spend across the organisation. Online auctions are used to procure items ranging from office furniture and paper through to specialist independent experts for damage and claims assessment -improving pricing, quality, and overall procurement value. 

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