Ekokymppi (Kainuu Joint Municipal Authority for Waste Management)

Ekokymppi, the Kainuu Joint Municipal Authority for Waste Management, has introduced Ropo Capital’s digitised invoice lifecycle management solution. It combines invoicing and ledger service under one system, and allows for more comprehensive reporting and real-time invoice monitoring.

The process was initiated when Ekokymppi’s contract with the previous invoicing system provider was about to expire. At the same time, the company wanted to renew some of its existing modes of operation. Ropo Capital won the tender for Ekokymppi’s new invoicing, payment control and ledger maintenance system and payment-related customer service. The cooperation was kicked off in early 2017.

The new solution was comprehensive in order to ensure the best possible method for streamlining the entire invoicing process and to minimise manual work.

– Service we have received has been 100% professional. Ropo Capital’s ready-to-deploy systems and expert staff made the process easy. We are extremely satisfied with the Ropo 24 system, says Jukka Oikarinen, CEO at Ekokymppi.

– Schedule for the deployment was tight because the previous system had to be completely disabled. Ropo Capital met the challenge really well. Despite the haste, we knew all along that the process is very much under control, Oikarinen continues.

Toward better understanding

Ekokymppi is a waste management organisation founded by municipalities in Kainuu. In addition to its government functions, it performs works related to the recovery and treatment of waste, and disseminates information. All its municipal waste management invoicing for both businesses and private citizens is now handled through the Ropo 24 system.

– Before we had two separate invoicing systems and a part of data transfer was done manually. Now information is entered in Ropo 24 without any interfaces and all invoices are visible in real time under accounts receivable. The process progresses electronically from invoicing to accounts, Oikarinen describes.

The solution for Ekokymppi is in line with Ropo Capital’s overall service approach: it is based on a comprehensive, highly automated process where each part is easy to monitor.

– We did not want the outsourcing of invoicing and ledger maintenance to lead to loss of control. With Ropo Capital, actually the opposite happened – we now have a better sense of our invoicing. Ropo 24 displays the status of invoices and provides real-time cash flow forecasts. There is less routine work involved and more information available, Oikarinen praises.

– We no longer need to wait for the data to be transferred to the books and for the end-of-month reports. All information is available all the time. All in all, reporting works really well, Oikarinen continues.

Solution built for needs in waste management

According to Ville Räsänen, Account Director at Ropo Capital, digitised invoice lifecycle management gives its user the biggest competitive advantage when it is tailored to specific requirements of the industry. The impacts are evident not only in resource allocation but also in end customer service.

– Many waste management organisations are thinking whether to change their systems. Our invoice lifecycle service is tailored to the industry – in our experience, this guarantees the best solution for both the customer and the customer’s customer. Ekokymppi is an excellent example of this, Räsänen points out.

Although Ekokymppi was most interested in process digitisation and real-time monitoring and reporting, cost savings were also welcomed. The new solution allows for lower costs although the customer service times are longer.

– Already at the tender stage, Ropo Capital’s transaction-based pricing stood out from the rest. We always know exactly what everything costs. There are no surprises or extra expenses. In addition, thanks to Ropo Capital, the payment-related customer service is open longer, and we do not need to hire a new ledger-keeper when the current one soon retires.

– All this translates into savings, which amount to tens of thousands even before labour expenses. And obviously the accounts receivable cycle will get much faster – that goes without saying. In the long run we will save both money and resources.

The Kainuu Joint Municipal Authority for Waste Management operates in Kainuu and Vaala specialising in waste management-related services and government functions. Its service area has some 78,000 inhabitants. The invoicing system revision is part of the consortium’s new policy, which puts emphasis on core tasks and their development. www.ekokymppi.fi