One platform – many possibilities: the V-Desk at Agrosimex

Agrosimex sp. z o.o . is a leading distributor of plant protection products, fertilisers, gardening accessories and seeds on the Polish market. As a stable company with Polish capital, it comprehensively supports Polish farmers in profitable crop production and in solving problems encountered in crop management.

Agrosimex’s mission is to provide the latest knowledge and up-to-date agrotechnical information to agricultural producers. Uninterrupted research and development investments have been made in the company for 30 years. Among other things, on the effectiveness of chemicals and diagnostics, the results of which provide support in crop management.

Challenge, analysis of the Company’s situation

The traditional way of transmitting documents was often associated with errors, unnecessary paper printouts. The most common method was to send documents between departments by post, either by e-mail or by post, which resulted in documents being held up, lost and the time needed to undertake a task being extended. The problems indicated occurred in the processes of circulation of invoices, orders and incoming correspondence. Separate approval processes for orders and invoices lengthened the path and time it took for documents to be transferred for posting.

The Ferico laboratory carries out tests on the efficacy of agrochemicals and also provides diagnostic services for agriculture and the food industry to determine the nature of pathogens, the nutritional status of crops or residue levels. From the outset, the documentation accompanying the submission of samples for testing, as well as recording, was to be carried out in a dedicated system so as not to generate unnecessary paper and handling costs.

To meet the needs of its customers, Agrosimex provides trade credit. The paper circulation of these applications was not working. Customers were waiting for a decision on a case, which prolonged the processing of purchases. An alternative was needed, in the form of an efficient and optimal approval path.

The solution introduced

Due to the large number of documents being processed in the company, the decision was made to digitise the most relevant areas. For the key business areas, the V-Desk electronic document workflow platform was launched together with registers.

– invoice workflow
– order workflow
– correspondence workflow
– laboratory order workflow
– contract register

Circulation of invoices and orders

The most pressing needs were diagnosed in the financial areas, so the cost and goods invoice workflows were launched first.

The orders are linked to the invoice workflow, which is particularly useful in situations where one invoice may be linked to several orders. The system then allows the user to search for the corresponding order on the invoice. This shortens the processing path of the invoice, which is then more quickly transferred to the financial system for booking.

Benefits:
– process shortening and optimisation
– saving of paper
– cost reduction

Orders to the laboratory – digital circulation from the very beginning

Receipt of test orders to the laboratory has been done digitally from the very beginning of the unit. An existing installation of the V-Desk system was used for the laboratory, which included a dedicated application processing workflow.

Benefits:
– enabling the recording and monitoring of the circulation of research material in the laboratory,
– smooth settlement of payments for the testing service performed,
– systematising and facilitating the location of samples,
– efficient transfer of test results and reports.

Process flow

Samples arrive by courier or are delivered directly from the farmers in quantities of around 150 per day. They are received by a person at the reception desk, who marks the samples with a barcode, and then the material is transferred to the relevant research units for processing, which includes the stage of analysis, verification and approval by managers. The samples are registered in the system, where the information related to it can be easily found.

Credit applications

Also included in the digital system is the request for credit limits.

Benefits:
– Support for the financial control department
– Enabling control of credit implementation
– Streamlining the process

Requests for credit limits go into the workflow, where the process involves describing them, accepting them and passing them on for processing. All document handling activities and tasks are performed in the V-Desk System.

Register of contracts

Main objectives:
– to change the traditional, paper-based filing and storage of documents;
– the module allows the registration of contracts concluded with contractors and related annexes,
– assigning access to authorised persons,
– automatic notification of the contract status,
– automatic change of status to obsolete.

The method of entry into the system takes into account both registration by persons in the Secretariat, but also allows the possibility of registering a document from a dedicated e-mail box. Once registered in the system, persons with access rights to the document are assigned. The system has in-built notification tools to inform people when a contract is about to expire. When a contract is no longer valid, the status change is automatic.