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Volvo Motor Graders utilizes Reform software from FabSoft
Volvo Motor Graders, located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada, a division of Volvo Construction Equipment produces motor graders used in applications throughout the world. With customers and other Volvo group companies located around the world, it is imperative that we are able to effectively communicate with all of these partners in a timely manner. The Volvo group’s core values are: Quality, Safety and the Care for the Environment – we will explain how Reform allows us to address two of these three areas.
Volvo Motor Graders uses SAP to manage all aspects of the companies business – from purchasing to account management. One of the key documents that Volvo Motor Graders uses to communicate with other Volvo group companies and customers is the ‘Customer Account Statement’. With a mandate of constant improvement, Reform software was enlisted to improve communications as well as saving time and effort.
In the legacy process of generating and sending out customer statements, an accounting clerk would first print hard copies of the statements generated by SAP. Then the statements were sorted and grouped together by hand to make scanning and sending them easier. The clerk would then take the sorted statements to a networked photocopier and scan each and every page of every statement and e-mail the resulting PDF file back to their own e-mail account. After completing these tasks, the clerk would then return to their desk, review and forward each statement to the appropriate customer via e-mail. As one could imagine this was a very time consuming and labour intensive process – all in all a costly solution.
Volvo Motor Graders implemented the Reform package to assist in distributing the customers account statement and the process changed dramatically. Now, an accounting clerk simply has to print the customer statements to a new print queue setup in SAP and their job is finished. All sorting, processing and e-mailing is handled in the background by Reform, unattended by the user. Using a conservative estimate, the total process is reduced to 5 to 10 minutes duration from approximately 3 hours using the old process. Using these numbers, the cost of labour is reduced by more then 90%.
Key benefits to Volvo Motor Graders in this application:
- More then 90% savings in the cost of labour.
- This frees the accounting clerks time to perform other tasks.
- Increase in the consistency of the statements – previously if the pages were scanned incorrectly or the statements were unintentionally mixed up, the resulting PDF file would not look as professional as it could be. This addresses one of Volvo’s core values – Quality.
- The whole process is simplified – with simple instructions, any accounting clerk can now complete the task. Again, this addresses the core value of Quality.
- Reduction in the cost/usage of paper and toner. This is the second of Volvo’s core values that are addressed – Care for the Environment
For further information, please contact:
Brian Lowe
Product and Communications Manager
Volvo Motor Graders
160 Maitland Road, Goderich
Ontario Canada, N7A 3Y1
Volvo Construction Equipment is a major international company developing, manufacturing and marketing equipment for construction and related industries. Its products, leaders in many world markets, include a comprehensive range of wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators, articulated haulers, motor graders, compact equipment and backhoe and skid steer loaders. Volvo Construction Equipment is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. The Volvo Group, a publicly held company, headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, has sales in 2005 of approximately $31 billion. In the United States, Volvo shares are listed on NASDAQ and are traded as ADRs (symbol: Volv)
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