SmartFlow by Job Function

Find out how SmartFlow can make your job easier and save you time.

To find out how SmartFlow™ can make your job easier, select the job function that best describes your role:

Accounts Payable

The challenge for accounts payable

Accounts Payable (AP) departments are continuously challenged to minimize costs associated with “procurement-to-pay” processes. To effectively manage these costs:

Invoices must be processed and approved quickly to take advantage of early payment incentives and avoid late payment fees.
Labour costs associated with manual data entry and retrieving lost or filed documents must be minimized.

The SmartFlow solution

Whether for purchase orders (POs), invoices, exceptions or vendor management, SmartFlow™ Document Management Services can help cut costs, save time and automate AP processes by:

Converting paper documents into digital content at the point of arrival.
Enabling access to information whenever it is required.

SmartFlow integrates with your legacy or ERP application; existing software investments are not replaced, but simply enhanced.

Benefits

Reduce or eliminate costs associated with paper-based, labour-intensive processes.
Ensure completeness and accuracy with automated indexing and cross-referencing.
Achieve operating efficiencies through automated workload balancing.
Accelerate discrepancy resolution and response times to supplier inquiries.
Ensure corporate and governmental compliance with automatic routing and processing.

SmartFlow in action

How it works:

SmartFlow scans or digitally imports your invoice and then automatically sends an electronic copy to the appropriate clerk.
SmartFlow compares the invoice to its corresponding purchase order, submits payment and stores the invoice using automatic indexing.
If the invoice and PO do not match, SmartFlow routes the documents to the appropriate staff, based on pre-established corporate rules.
The adjusted amount can then be sent to vendors, including supporting documents to clear up any questions—via mail, fax or email.

Resources

Case studies

How Big Lots Inc., a major U.S.-based discount retailer, used a document management solution to improve their AP processes. View case study.

How Gallatin Steel used a document management solution to improve productivity and slash hard costs for paper and storage. View case study.

More case studies.

White papers & reports

Imaging and Workflow Automation (IWA) survey report – Innovative ways to automate paper-based and labour-intensive AP processes.

More white papers.

Success stories

"We realized that we needed to improve both the quality and control of our operations. Canada Post provided us with a high-quality and affordable alternative."

- Ultramar Ltd.

"We import the file and update our member lists. A process that used to take weeks is now completed in 6 to 7 days."

- Canadian Wildlife Federation

More success stories.

Accounts Receivable

The challenge for accounts receivable

Accounts Receivable (AR) departments are challenged to effectively manage the end-to-end “order-to-cash” process—including cash flow, collection cycle time, outstanding balance totals and bad debt.

The SmartFlow solution

SmartFlow Document Management Services automates the AR process—from the initial customer order until final payment is received. SmartFlow moves critical paper-based processes and documents online. It can also expedite the processing of purchase orders, proofs of delivery, invoices, activity reports, letters and other correspondence.

Benefits

Reduce or eliminate costs associated with paper-based, labour-intensive AR processes.
Enhance revenue recognition with a one-stop solution for sending bills and supporting documents fast. Use mail, epost, CD, secure messaging or fax.
Resolve customer disputes faster and increase customer satisfaction with real-time access to complete files.
Process higher volumes of work with automatic, rules-based processing and routing.
Reduce collection cycle time to decrease outstanding balance totals and increase capital.

SmartFlow in action

How it works:

An incoming sales order is scanned and routed electronically to designated staff.
Required shipping documents are created and made accessible to your staff online.
Shipping information and an invoice are automatically sent to the customer.
Payment details are tracked and reconciled with invoices, and all related documents are stored in a central repository for easy, secure access.

Resources

Case studies

How Gallatin Steel used a document management solution to improve productivity and slash hard costs for paper and storage. View case study.

More case studies.

Success stories

"We needed a user-friendly online billing application and Canada Post's SmartFlow was the most flexible. The team shared our vision of putting our customer needs first."

- Rogers Communications

"We realized that we needed to improve both the quality and control of our operations. Canada Post provided us with a high-quality and affordable alternative."

- Ultramar Ltd.

More success stories.

White papers & reports

Consumer attitudes and behaviour: e-statement adoption – Facts, figures and insights that are 100% Canadian.

More white papers.

Human Resources & Payroll

The challenge for human resources and payroll departments

HR and payroll departments handle a wide variety of functions including recruitment, onboarding, training and development, dispute resolution, compensation, and distribution of payroll notices and tax forms.

Although HR departments prefer to focus on the needs of their clients, administrative tasks can be time consuming, labour intensive and costly—and a further challenge if you have satellite offices, field workers, temporary workers or high seasonal turnover.

The SmartFlow solution

Reduce your dependency on paper-based workflows. SmartFlow document management services can:

Save you time and money by issuing your pay statements and T4 documents online.
Securely manage sensitive documents while meeting all privacy requirements.
Scan paper documents into a secure, permission-based database.
Increase productivity and reduce costs by automating processes for recruitment and selection, performance evaluations, compensation plan changes and time-off requests.

Benefits

Enable employee self-service, thereby freeing staff to focus on other tasks.
Reduce time required to update employee data, vacation dates, etc.
Integrate with in-house applications, as well as third-party services from ADP and Ceridian.

SmartFlow in action

How it works:

All employee documents can be placed in a single electronic folder with controlled access.
SmartFlow enforces records management policies so you can be sure to retain records for the appropriate period of time.
SmartFlow enables employee self-service, providing ready access to information and documents—such as benefit plan forms, personal work hour records and the status of requests—freeing HR to focus on other tasks.
HR can issue policy changes and other essential communications through SmartFlow, ensuring that all employees have reviewed and acknowledged them.

Resources

Case studies

How Gallatin Steel improved productivity, supported governance, risk and compliance initiatives and slashed hard costs for paper and storage. View case study.

More case studies.

Success stories

"We realized that we needed to improve both the quality and control of our operations. Canada Post provided us with a high-quality and affordable alternative."

- Ultramar Ltd.

"We import the file and update our member lists. A process that used to take weeks is now completed in 6 to 7 days."

- Canadian Wildlife Federation

More success stories.

White papers & reports

Imaging and Workflow Automation (IWA) survey report – Innovative ways to automate paper-based and labour-intensive AP processes.

More white papers.

Billing & Statement Presentment

The challenge for billing & statement presentment

To maintain cash flow and minimize outstanding balances, it is critical to deliver bills and statements to customers how and where they want them—by mail or online.

The SmartFlow solution

SmartFlow transforms data into transactional documents, and then distributes these documents through a full range of electronic and physical channels. Copies of all outbound documents are instantly, securely and digitally archived—regardless of whether they were sent in electronic or printed format—enabling easy on-demand retrieval.

Benefits

Save time by outsourcing billing and statements to a one-stop delivery service. We can even manage returned mail to keep your database current.
Lower operating and billing cycle costs, as well as the total cost of delivery.
Expedite bill payment and increase customer satisfaction by connecting with customers through their medium of choice.
Retrieve individual bills and statements on-demand, reducing service times.
Reach the over 5 million Canadians who prefer to view, pay and store their bills online through the epost™ delivery network.

SmartFlow in action

How it works:

As a bill is dispatched, copies are digitally archived with the full protection of bank-grade security—regardless of whether they were sent physically or electronically.
When a bill is needed, it can easily be retrieved and viewed online. Tell me more.
SmartFlow can also collect bills that do not reach the intended recipient—either due to an incorrect or incomplete address, or because the individual or business has moved.
SmartFlow collects and scans returned and undelivered bills, and feeds this data directly back to you so that you can update your records and reconnect with customers to maintain cash flow. Tell me more.

Case studies

How Ultramar Ltd. is using SmartFlow to improve statement production and distribution while lowering costs. View case study.

How Health Canada is using SmartFlow to transition a paper-based process to a more efficient model. View case study.

More case studies.

Success stories

"We needed a user-friendly online billing application and Canada Post's SmartFlow was the most flexible. The team shared our vision of putting our customer needs first."

- Rogers Communications

"The use of SmartFlow Recover enabled us to update 21% of all of the mail returns related to our mass mailing. In addition to updating our database, the solution helped us optimize the workload of our processing centre."

- National Bank of Canada

More success stories.