Customer Story Groningen Seaports

A logistics hub in the Northern Netherlands

Groningen Seaports, the commercial operator of the ports in Delfzijl and Eemshaven, manages 2779 hectares of port and industrial estate. From the head office in Delfzijl, 90 employees work daily on maintenance, safety and the further development of the ports. Their services include not only shipping traffic, but also the acquisition of companies and the facilitation of market-driven growth.

With a small IT team of three employees and an information management team of the same size, Groningen Seaports opted for a revision of their IT strategy four years ago. The focus shifted to cloud solutions and outsourcing management, allowing IT to focus on project management and collaboration within the organization. However, one of the biggest challenges remained the modernization of the financial processes, including invoice processing.

Uitdagingen in factuurverwerking en purchasing management

Until recently, invoice processing at Groningen Seaports was largely manual. Approximately 80% of invoices were received by email, printed out and then physically processed. This cumbersome and error-prone process became even more difficult during the pandemic, when employees were forced to work from home. Invoices had to be scanned and approved via email, leading to inefficiency and an increased risk of errors.

Initially, Groningen Seaports considered using the built-in invoice processing functionality of their Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (F&O) ERP system. Although this functionality was robust, the process proved to be too complex for occasional users such as budget holders. This led to the need for an alternative solution that was easier to use, yet seamlessly integrated with Dynamics 365 F&O.

The solution: Easy invoice with the API integration by Fresh Dynamics

After a thorough evaluation, Groningen Seaports opted for a combination of Easy Invoice in the cloud and the Dyn365 API plug-in from Fresh Dynamics. The API plug-in, specifically designed for Dynamics 365 F&O, offered a streamlined and intuitive way to manage invoices and purchasing processes. This solution used the existing Dynamics environment, but significantly improved the usability.

The Fresh Dynamics API plugin automated key financial processes, including:

• Invoice processing: Invoices are now read and processed directly in Dynamics 365 F&O, without the need for paper steps.
• Purchasing Management: Purchase orders are synchronized with budget data, making approvals more efficient.
• Procuration Schemes: The plug-in makes it easy to set up and manage approval flows.

This integration reduced the error rate and saved significant time, allowing the IT and finance teams to focus on strategic tasks.Deze integratie verminderde de foutgevoeligheid en bespaarde aanzienlijke tijd, waardoor het IT- en financiële team zich kon concentreren op strategische taken.

easy systems + Dynamics 365 F&O

Collaboration and implementation

Fresh Dynamics not only provided the Dyn365 API plug-in, but also offered extensive support in setting up and optimizing the solution. By means of an extensive definition study, all processes and requirements were defined in advance. This ensured a smooth implementation process with minimal adjustments afterwards.

The close collaboration between Groningen Seaports, Fresh Dynamics and implementation partners such as Easy Systems resulted in a successful go-live within a tight deadline. The consultants of Fresh Dynamics, who think along both technically and functionally, ensured that all processes were precisely aligned with the needs of the organization.