Bedford Borough Council reduces invoice processing time by over 60% with Proactis Invoice Capture
Bedford Borough Council streamlined AP with Proactis, cutting invoice processing from 72 to under 24 hours, reducing team size, and improving compliance with full audit visibility.
Sector
Public Services
System Integration
Unit4 Business Software
Population
Approx. 170,000
Invoices Processed
42,000 per year
Customer Since
2013
How Proactis Helped
“During implementation, the Proactis team were superb. They displayed complete knowledge about the software, but also took time to learn about our requirements. If we had any questions, they were available. Since going live, we are still in regular contact and Proactis is happy to help, and our queries are answered within 24 hours.”
Steven Rogers, Management Accountant (Treasury), Bedford Borough Council
Reduced invoice processing time from 72 hours to under 24 hours - a reduction of over 60%
Enabled the AP team to be reduced from 7 to 5 FTEs as part of the Council's new digital operating model
Achieved the Council's cost-reduction targets through improved efficiency and reduced manual processing effort
Delivered a full audit trail for every invoice received, providing clear visibility and email history for all query responses
Improved supplier communication through the dedicated query desk, enabling faster and more structured resolution of invoice issues
Reduced the volume of non-compliant invoices through a more controlled and consistent handling process
Integrated seamlessly with Unit4 Business Software, automating data flows between both systems
Provided ongoing, responsive support - with queries consistently answered within 24 hours post go-live
Overview
Bedford Borough Council is a unitary authority serving a population of approximately 170,000 across the Borough of Bedford. As part of a new digital operating model introduced in 2019, the Council implemented Proactis Invoice Capture integrated with its Unit4 Business Software system. The solution reduced invoice processing time from 72 hours to under 24 hours, enabled the AP team to be reduced from 7 to 5 FTEs, and delivered a full audit trail - helping the Council meet its cost-reduction targets whilst improving supplier communication and compliance.
Challenge
Bedford Borough Council is a unitary authority with responsibility for a population of approximately 170,000 across over 75,000 households. The Finance team comprises 35 staff, with the accounts payable function previously requiring 7 FTEs to process over 42,000 invoices per year.
The manual approach to invoice processing - including manual indexing and registration of incoming invoices - was time-consuming and error-prone. From receipt of invoice to the point of being on the system and approved, the process took up to 72 hours. The Council's new digital operating model, introduced in early 2019, set a clear objective to reduce costs, reduce headcount within the AP function, and improve the efficiency and speed of the entire invoicing process.
The Council was already using Unit4 Business Software and sought an invoice processing solution that would integrate seamlessly with it - while providing full visibility, an audit trail, and improved communication with suppliers.
Solution
The Council selected Proactis Invoice Capture, implemented in August 2019, based on its seamless integration with Unit4 and its proven track record in the public sector. Working in tandem, the two systems created clear and automated lines of communication with suppliers regarding invoice status, ensuring that information flowing in and out of both systems was accurate and fully automated.
Proactis worked closely with the Council during implementation to ensure all incoming invoices are handled consistently - giving the AP team full visibility of every invoice received and a complete audit trail from receipt through to approval. A dedicated web-based query desk enables the team to manage non-compliant invoices in a structured and controlled way, improving communication with suppliers and reducing the volume of exceptions over time.
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