Clear solution of the process of purchase orders in the company UNION

Used system modules: Comprehensive purchasing / DMS solution: Purchase orders, Contract records, Approval of invoices received by the INSIO Customer since: 2020

Union poisťovňa, as, was founded in 1992 and is one of the most experienced insurance companies on the Slovak market. It offers a wide range of life, non-life and individual health insurance products for both individual and corporate clients. Since 1997, the Union has been a subsidiary of the largest Dutch insurance group, Achmea. Thanks to this, the Union can draw extensive experience and know-how from all types of insurance from several European countries.

Pojišťovna Union is both the leading insurance company in the field of travel insurance and a pioneer in the field of individual health insurance. It has a strong position in selected non-life insurance segments, as well as a growing strain of life and individual health insurance. In cooperation with its sister company Union zdravotná poisťovňa, as, Union offers comprehensive solutions in the field of health care on the Slovak market.

Orders and purchase requisitions – selection of a suitable solution

UNION needed an intuitive tool for managing the ordering process, which would be based on legal standards and meet auditability according to IFRS16. The software platform was to unite two companies into one environment: UNION poisťovňa and UNION zdravotná poisťovňa. At the same time, this required the detailed management of user and program permissions – for example, the definition of approved suppliers for each of the entities. Although UNION uses SAP and Microsoft information systems, it was looking for a solution that could be deployed in the shortest possible time, was user-friendly for a wide range of users, and was licensed and financially acceptable. The vision of using the system also included its future extension with additional functionalities of contract registration and invoice approval.

UNION wanted a system that would help it effectively manage cash flow at the level of requests, ie one that would allow the prediction of received invoices in advance. At the same time, the system was to prevent manipulations with ex-post orders, ie the creation of return orders. Last but not least, the aim was also to monitor the drawing of funds within the operating budgets, where the INSIO system serves as a source of data for the creation of budgets for the coming period.

Within the UNION working group, an assignment to the tender was created, to which the company INSIO Software was also invited. In addition to the described criteria for the system, high demands were also placed on the security of the application that was to be installed on-premise, ie in the internal environment of UNION. One of the other KO criteria was the need to build a solution based on MS Sharepoint, as the company already had user licenses.

The INSIO system has advanced to the narrower round of tenders set by UNION – on the one hand it can be deployed on premise, and it can also be integrated with other systems, in the case of UNION with SAP systems and the already mentioned MS Sharepoint.

Although the INSIO platform is INSIO Software’s own development product and is therefore not built on the basis of MS Sharepoint, the advantage was that the functionalities that would have to be developed and configured in the MS Sharepoint environment have the INSIO platform natively. Approval workflow, setting up centers and purchasing groups, e-mail communication with suppliers, setting up user roles and permissions – these are, among other things, functions that allow you to capture and correctly set up almost any ordering process in the INSIO platform.

Deployment of the INSIO system

In order to specify the requirements for workflow, preparation of specifications and configuration documentation, the implementation of the INSIO system began with the organization of a joint workshop, during which the mentioned areas were clarified. Requirements for setting up the system and its functionality were created and described, as well as development modifications and extensions that needed to be implemented.

After mutual approval of the specification, the actual implementation of the system followed. A test and production instance was created and individual configuration milestones were presented using an iterative method. As part of the deployment, integration into the SAP Vendor Master Data system was also developed. Specifically, an modification of the open API on the side of the INSIO platform was implemented to enable the transfer of supplier data between SAP (as an accounting source) and the INSIO system, which then uses the information to select from a database of certified suppliers. At the same time, it is possible to distinguish for which of the entities it is possible to order from a given supplier. Furthermore, the synchronization of users with the system has been set up, where the INSIO system automatically loads users who are to have access to the system of requests and orders, and assigns them the appropriate permissions based on the organizational structure.

All configuration, including user role settings, workflow, permissions, approval limits, print reports, etc. took place at a distance and by videoconference, as both countries were within the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The system was translated into Slovak and English according to the specific nomenclature of UNION.

After the acceptance of the system configuration by UNION, 4 training shifts took place for all users of the system. A user manual has been created, which users have at their disposal directly in the application environment, in which they are already moving within the work with requests and orders. The system was then put into use.

After the introduction of the system, the UNION insurance company was audited internally and found no defects in the security and auditability of the system.

Conclusion

By implementing the INSIO system, UNION pojišťovna acquired a tool that effectively solves the purchase process, from the request through the order, communication with suppliers to tracking the delivered goods. The system is flexible, it can adapt to changes in the organization, processes or permissions. In the end, two administrators were trained, who manage minor modifications such as user introduction, setting permissions, workflow modifications, themselves.

As part of the system support, not only updates are provided, but also methodological support in the area of ​​design and changes in company processes based on INSIO’s know-how. Since the application was deployed at UNION, the functionality of the platform has been expanded, for example, by the Cashier module, which, thanks to the SaaS licensing model, can also be used by UNION.