Graphic Lyceum Rotterdam

The Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam (GLR) plays a leading role in the world of communication and media. 'We want to be at the forefront of development. That is why
we invest in state-of-the-art technology, not only for our students but also for our supporting processes," says GLR's Cees Verdonk about the implementation of Basware SaaS for invoice processing. With about 4,500 students, GLR is the largest and most innovative media institute in the Benelux. All its courses are designed to allow it to translate the latest opportunities in media, design and technology directly into education. For example, the vocational school has the best audiovisual equipment for its students and its own print shop where practical lessons are given. This makes it an attraction for the wider area. Students come from a much larger area than is usual for regional training centers.

Forward

GLR is also progressive in the area of procurement and invoice processing. 'We have been processing our invoices digitally since 2002. At the time, we didn't have much choice and Basware was one of the few providers," Cees Verdonk, financial manager at GLR, reveals. In 2016, GLR switched to a software package from a. different vendor for cost reasons, but the lyceum backtracked fairly quickly. "We had become spoiled by the ease of use of Basware. That's a fine package. The application has a responsive design. No matter what device you look on, you get what you need on your screen. Whether you're looking on your mobile, your tablet or desktop," Verdonk illustrates.

Cloud

Basware Saas is a cloud application so there were some questions from the IT department about security. 'That's not due to lack of experience. We have more SaaS applications in-house, but ICT does want to ensure security," Verdonk said. Basware uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its cloud solution. Basware and AWS ensure data security in different ways. 'Many of our customers migrate to a SaaS environment precisely when information security is a hot topic,' adds Peter Derksen. From ICreative he is involved as account manager. The developments in information security go so fast that internal (IT) departments often cannot or do not want to keep up. At AWS, security and maintenance is part of the daily business. It's in their DNA," says Derksen.

Added value

The initiative to introduce ICreative as a value added reseller came from Basware. Verdonk: 'At first we did not see the involvement of an implementation partner as an added value at all, because what is better than being at the source? But what we saw as a minus point actually became a plus due to ICreative's customer-oriented attitude. 'The cooperation runs smoothly,' agrees John de Bokx, coordinator Financial Affairs at GLR. 'We can ask our questions easily and get quick answers. Only recently we had a question about a balance account that the system did not recognize so that certain invoices could not be allocated. This was quickly resolved.' 'We were also surprised by the flexibility of the package in the cloud,' continues De Bokx. 'Not for every invoice do you make a commitment with a formal purchase order, but you want to keep control and know whether there is sufficient budget for that item and make people aware
of their expenses. This check is now there without us having to wait for more customers with the same desire for this functionality. We don't feel any less than the very large Basware customers as a result.

The implementation, including integration with Unit4 Multivers, had a total lead time of about three months and went very smoothly. GLR therefore looks to the future with confidence and is open to further automation.