The MAC Group Case Study
Mac-Group needed a new method for receiving and processing hundreds of posted invoices each week. Using RedSky’s construction management Invoice Register module, the company is able to efficiently process invoices, easily identify and resolve delays and work with real-time information.
To learn more about how RedSky’s Invoice Register improved operations for MAC-group, read the case study below.
The company
Established in 2002, mac-group employs 140+ staff and has six operating companies, located in Newry, Dublin, Hamburg, Prague, London and Birmingham. The group’s multi-disciplined team of professionals manages and delivers construction, fit-out and bespoke projects.
The challenge
RedSky has earned a strong reputation for continuously developing its system in response to user feedback. mac-group was one of the first Summit users to sign up for the new Summit Invoice Register module. Group Finance Manager Michelle Boyle explained why: “We’ve been using Summit for 10 years. We are a head-office Finance team, based in Newry, with many staff located on client sites. We also have offices across Europe. This all made the transmission and authorisation of invoices difficult.
“We have a high volume of invoices coming in every week for processing. Before going onto the Invoice Register we used to receive hundreds of invoices by post. We would have to segregate them by jurisdiction and job number, allocate them into piles from Friday to Thursday and then send a tailored weekly email to each of our 18 QSs, with their relevant invoices attached. The QSs would then print, sign and scan the invoices and send them back to the Newry office, either by post or email. Sometimes managers in departments would sign off invoices too. The process was very cumbersome and lengthy.”
Traceability and reconciliations were problematic, frustrating and time-consuming. This was because the Finance team wasn’t working with real-time information; there were multiple locations involved; some QSs were holding on to invoices for lengthy periods, and some invoices were getting lost in the post.
The solution
Michelle chose RedSky’s Invoice Register module because she wanted a fully integrated solution. She said: “It was really easy to train the staff on the new system as it is very user-friendly in relation to accepting or rejecting invoices. Also, many staff were already familiar with using Summit.
“The implementation was completed remotely, which was great and took just two days. We did have an issue with the scanning side of things at first, but our IT expert and RedSky’s Roisin Hawe were able to work together to iron it out fairly quickly.”
The results
The Invoice Register is having a big impact on the business. Michelle said: “It’s great to have the system managing the payment process for us.” Instead of receiving a few hundred postal invoices each week, the team now receives under 10. The invoices go directly into the Invoice Register, so are recorded immediately.
Michelle said: “It’s fully integrated into the RedSky package and we have found it to be extremely robust regarding traceability, viewing of invoices and the approval process. It’s great in that we can immediately view the invoice online with the OLE ‘paper clip’ attachment.
“The Invoice Register has made the whole payment process much speedier. I highly recommend it.” – Michelle Boyle, Group Finance Manager
“We can view which individuals are holding invoices for lengthy periods of time – it used to take hours to work this out, but the information is now available at the touch of a button. Every Thursday we just filter out the individuals concerned and email them a reminder, asking them to sign off the invoices or pass them back to us. We’ve also set up a weekly invoice report, which we send to the Commercial team, to keep them in the loop.
“The Invoice Register provides the Finance team with real-time information when dealing with suppliers, so we’re better equipped to answer queries when necessary. And the fact that staff can identify the invoice status in more detail is excellent for statement reconciliations.
“There are a few items where the functionalities are not yet working quite as they should, but I do know that the RedSky Development team is currently working on them. The Invoice Register has been very positive for us as an organisation, but with a few tweaks it could be amazing!”
RedSky software enables construction companies to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage. We make real-time actions visible, enabling you to control change, eliminate risk and achieve ongoing incremental gains from improved operational efficiency. Across all types of construction and contracting projects, our software is scalable, modular and proven to improve performance and productivity.
If you’d like to download the case study, click here.
