CASE STUDY FACTS:

CLIENT: Terrace Real Estate Group

DIGITECH SYSTEMS RESELLER: Imagetek

PROBLEM: Paper invoices and multiple copies of leases slowed processes for the accounting department.

SOLUTION: ImageSilo^®, PaperVision Enterprise, WorkFlow™ and PaperVision^® Capture

RECOGNIZED BENEFIT:
Streamlined invoice and lease processing and enhanced productivity for the accounting department, management and other employees.

Terrus Real Estate assists its tenants in many areas, including keeping the electricity buzzing and water flowing. Terrus Chief Financial Officer Phil Akason, knows that paying for city services means the accounts payable department must process invoices in a timely manner. When Akason realized that their existing document management system was hindering productivity, he knew it was time for a solution.

After implementing a complete Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system from Digitech Systems, Terrus saves time and money by improving accounting processes.

The Situation

Terrus Real Estate Group (www.terrus.com) offers a full range of commercial real estate services for clients across the United States. Founded in 2000, Terrus is located in Des Moines, IA. From strategic real estate planning and real estate brokerage to commercial construction and property management, Terrus is experienced in all aspects of the real estate life cycle.

Before implementing an ECM system, the accounting department was burdened by paper processes, including the 20,000 invoices they received annually. Most documents were manually processed because their existing document management system didn't offer the integration features and functionality they needed. Employees were invoicing information twice — once into the accounting software program, Sage Timberline Office, and again into the document management system.

Terrus manages 700 leases and accompanying documentation, and multiple copies of these leases in filing cabinets on- and off-site were impossible to keep up-to-date. Each time lease revisions were made, employees spent hours making duplicates for tenants and employees.

In the paper-based process, managers spent up to five minutes verifying and approving each invoice and often, had to search for support documents. Staff members sent so many invoices through the approval process that sometimes they fell into "the black hole." When vendors asked about unpaid invoices, staff members spent hours investigating to find out handled the invoice and why the approval was delayed. To add to the challenge, Terrus customers were also requesting online access to leases and other documents.

The Solution

Akason and Jim Struve, Chief Technology Officer at Terrus, began searching for technology that would allow Terrus to easily track and manage leases and invoices. They sought an ECM solution that would route invoices through standard processes and expedite approvals, and also integrate with their Timberline accounting software. Akason contacted Imagetek, a Digitech Systems reseller, and was impressed with the complete ECM suite and Imagetek's scanning services. Ultimately, they chose ImageSilo because it offered online access to documents, rapid implementation, seamless integration and add-on workflow capabilities to automatically route invoices.

Imagetek scanned and indexed 21,000 pages of lease documents and then implemented, tested and launched the new system in December, 2006. Today, Terrus began scanning incoming documents internally using PaperFlow and converted to PaperVision Capture in 2009. The scanned documents are then automatically uploaded to ImageSilo. From there the workflow engine identifies and sends invoices through defined approval steps.

Terrus implemented and customized an ECM system that meets their unique needs, streamlines the accounting department and provides efficiency in a number of areas. Now, employees use the ECM system to process documents faster, improve customer service, enhance collaboration and avoid duplicate data entry. Since the new system was put in place, invoices are entered and approved at least two days faster than before, and management saves 1,000 hours of productivity each year in approval processes.

For Terrus, operating within an ECM system provides more control and better secures documents. Although the original leases are still kept in paper format per contract requirements, staff and off-site property managers no longer keep lease copies on their desks. Instead they log into ImageSilo and securely retrieve electronic documents online.

Invoices and accounting records are also managed electronically, and PaperVision Enterprise WorkFlow automatically initiates approval processes and reports on progress. Therefore, invoices pending approval no longer fall into the black hole. In fact, managers can use the annotation feature or a textual note index field to leave comments regarding an invoice and to explain any reasons for delay.

Now, when clients ask for electronic access to documents, Terrus can serve their needs. Clients receive login information and secure access to their appropriate documents on ImageSilo. Today, tenants are enhancing disaster preparedness by sharing building floor plans with employees and emergency responders. Integration between Timberline and the ECM system makes double entry a thing of the past. "With the integration capabilities, we do the work once, not twice," said Akason. Plus, staff can be working in the Timberline software, select a keyboard shortcut and easily retrieve documents from the ECM system. Since implementation, accounts payable employees have experienced a 25% productivity gain by adding more leases without hiring additional staff, saving Terrus $50,000 each year.

With information at their fingertips, the accounting department is retrieving and sending information quickly, which improves customer service. During the 2008 Midwest floods, Terrus was able to provide clients and insurance agencies with more than 20 leases in less than five minutes. "No one else we know offers customers online document access, so ImageSilo also provides a real competitive advantage," he said.

About Imagetek

Imagetek is a full-service provider and national leader in ECM. Today, Imagetek markets in 17 states and customizes software solutions for companies of all sizes in the government, banking and healthcare industries. With more than 400 customers and approximately 100 ImageSilo clients, Imagetek manages nearly 10 million documents on ImageSilo. To learn more, visit their website at www.imagetek-inc.com or call 1.800.422.1330.

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