Intext Software builds bureau business with Albany
With the number of UK SMEs soaring over the past decade, there are growing opportunities for bureau providers to deliver diverse services to the market - from Bacs payroll processing to Direct Debit and Direct Credit payments.
Over the past 20 years, Intex Software has gained a strong market share and an enviable reputation for its Earnie payroll software. During that time the company has consistently recommended Albany Software to customers requiring Bacs software solutions. Following the migration to Bacstel-IP compliant software in 2005, Intex has invested in Albany's ALBACSbureau cs software with a view to increasing its bureau client base by offering a more comprehensive Bacs payment solution.
Payroll Experts
Founded in the 1970s, Intex Software has over 8,000 users of its Earnie payroll solution across the UK. Selling primarily through the reseller community, the customer base is broad, spanning every vertical market from retail to manufacturing, leisure to education. In addition, over the past few years the company has looked to maximise its expertise in payroll and payment services by delivering a bureau service to a variety of organisations. Companies can opt for a range of services from standard Bacs processing to fully managed services that can complement or replace in-house payroll processes.
Underpinning both the bureau service and the company's own financial processes is a resilient, reliable Bacs payment solution. In 2005 Intex Software realised there were clear benefits to be gained from undertaking an early migration to a Bacstel-IP compliant solution, ahead of the market. "Opting to lead the way in the adoption of Bacstel-IP was an important move, enabling Intex to maximise the benefits of improved security and offer our bureau customers early access to improved online reporting," says Angela O'Burn, Operations Manager at Intex Software.
The company evaluated two suppliers, incumbent Bottomline and Albany Software. A detailed comparison of the functionality and prices of their respective offerings prompted Intex to replace its existing solution with ALBACSbureau cs from Albany. As O'Burn says, "Over the past few years Intex has developed a strong relationship with Albany Software and we consistently recommend their ALBACS solutions to our customers. Furthermore, when we compared the two Bacstel-IP solutions, Albany's ALBACSbureau cs was significantly more advanced and better value for money."
She adds, "Intex wanted to be up and running with Bacstel-IP as early as possible. Albany Software was way ahead of every other supplier in the market, offering a robust solution tailored for the bureau market - ALBACSbureau cs - which we could also use for our internal payments processes."
Process Control
Intex and Albany worked closely together on the complex migration process, with Albany playing a key role in liaising with the banks and Bacs to manage the process smoothly. As O'Burn says, "Intex was a very early adopter of Bacstel-IP compliant software so Albany's expertise and excellent relationships with both Bacs and the clearing banks was a key component in achieving a timely migration."
She adds, "Albany's on site consultant was incredibly helpful, working closely with Intex to ensure we maximised the functionality of the software and ensuring users were comfortable with every aspect of the new system."
The new software offers significant improvements, especially in the area of security, using Smart Cards and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to improve the security of the payment process. Internally, Intex uses ALBACSbureau cs to make payroll and supplier payments. She says, "As a payroll supplier Intex Software has always been very focused on delivering excellent security. The new levels of security within ALBACSbureau cs are excellent and provide real confidence in a business-critical process."
One of the primary benefits of the migration to the new software has been the ability to use the workflow inherent within ALBACSbureau cs to improve processes. In the past Bacs transactions had to be completed in their entirety by one person, creating a significant process overhead. Using ALBACSbureau cs Intex has now broken down the creation of Bacs files into several elements, enabling work to be shared across the finance team and significantly reducing the time taken to process transactions.
As O'Burn says, "With the old system it was impossible to split tasks: the same person had to enter and authorise transactions. Now the information is entered by someone else and I, as operations manager, can simply undertake the security checks and authorisation procedures. As well as saving us time, this improved workflow has also given us far more control over the payment process."
Technologically Advanced
In addition, Intex was keen to exploit Albany's ALBACSbureau cs solution to meet the needs of bureau organisations. A fully compliant bureau solution, ALBACSbureau cs provides Intex with full management and visibility of customers' Bacs submissions. Furthermore, the online reporting within the software now provides bureau customers with immediate visibility of the transaction process, highlighting any failed Direct Debit or Direct Credit payments and confirming payroll transactions have been completed successfully.
She says, "To date, only a few of our bureau customers have adopted DD and DC payments, but there are clear financial advantages to be gained from direct payments. The ability to offer customers immediate online visibility of all payments also provides Intex with significant commercial advantages."
Indeed, Intex is now firmly focused on the bureau business, with plans to grow customer numbers by 50% over the next year. She says, "Critically, the workflow within ALBACSbureau cs has transformed the productivity of the payments process, enabling Intex to significantly grow the bureau business without requiring additional personnel."
O'Burn concludes, "It was imperative that we migrated to Bacstel-IP compliant software. By opting to work with Albany Software and by taking a lead in the migration process, Intex has gained an edge in the marketplace. Combining the improved performance achieved through the ALBACSbureau cs workflow with online reporting, Intex is now perfectly placed to significantly grow the bureau business to meet the needs of a fast growing SME sector over the coming years."
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