Hesperia could save 50,000 sheets of paper in the next 5 years

Grupo Hesperia continues to advance in its commitment towards digitization and sustainability; two key factors affecting the competitiveness of the hotel sector. With the aim of achieving greater efficiency in managing the purchasing processes, the company has outsourced services offered by Economitza and Voxel to optimize their purchasing processes and administration.

The process involved modifying a task which in the past was basically carried out manually, and turning it into an automated and digitized process that saves time and paper and is aligned with the hotel’s sustainability objectives. Currently, Grupo Hesperia has already digitized their transactions with more than 50 suppliers and expects to reach 160 suppliers in 2022, which is more than 50% of their volume of operations in terms of the number of invoices they issue.

In the first 6 months since the new system was implemented, more than 5,000 invoices have been automatically processed, which significantly simplifies the managing of the processes associated with supplier orders and invoices for its 23 hotels. This way, the group spent 1,200 less hours per year managing processes.

For the following phase of the project, Hesperia will once again hire Voxel to develop and implement electronic delivery notes and send digital orders to achieve a process that is paper free in all its phases. With this initiative, and after being implemented for just six months, the hotel company has been able to dematerialize over 5,000 invoices. In 5 years, the company could reduce their consumption by at least 50,000 sheets of paper.

To achieve this milestone, in a first phase, the hotel company hired management company Economitza, through its E-Market, to create their database of products and suppliers. Assisted by Economitza, Hesperia was able to manage and consolidate their materials database, generate electronic orders and integrate all this information in their ERP system. In order to complete the digitization process, they trusted Voxel and their electronic invoicing platform, baVel, to digitize the administrative process. baVel was integrated with Economitza’s E-Market and with all the suppliers to transmit electronic invoices and create an automatic flow. Economitza’s E-market checks the invoice against the order and adds all the information to Hesperia’s ERP. This way, a digitized and optimized process was achieved thanks to a smooth coordination process between Hesperia, Economitza and baVel.

Javier Carazo, Resources Director of Hesperia, recognized that “the savings that can be achieved resulting from volume sales is important; however, we must also make sure that the processing of each order is optimal. Every cent counts.”

On the other hand, Àngel Garrido, Voxel CEO, noted that “The digitization and optimization of administrative processes in hotel businesses is key for these companies to grow exponentially and expand in a sustainable manner. Our solutions are designed for large chains such as Hesperia, but also for medium and small size businesses.” He continues saying that “We are very proud of being one of the trusted partners of Hesperia in their commitment towards digitization and sustainability.”

“We have launched this project in record time. Coordination between the three teams has been key. We are very satisfied and ready to continue digitizing processes with our partners”, added Carazo.

If you want to know more about the digitization process from start to finish, read about the success case we have drafted together with Hesperia.

La entrada Grupo Hesperia invests in digitization and sustainability by the hands of Voxel se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

Voxel attends Fitur with the clear objective of encouraging innovation in the area of B2B payments in the travel sector using Payment Manager.

Voxel, the leading electronic payments and ebilling company in the travel sector, will present the latest news related with Payment Manager at Fitur. Payment Manager is the cornerstone of the Open Payment Alliance, which is the new B2B payments standard that has been specifically designed for the travel industry.

The introduction of Payment Manager in the sector and consequently, the adoption of the standards set by the Open Payment Alliance, will entail a paradigm shift in terms of innovation, digitization and automation of B2B payment processes in the industry. This is how it has been described by important associations in the sector such as HEDNA and HTNG, who have been the promoters of OPA.

Technology in the distribution channel and in the payments channel

Over the past decades, distribution in the travel sector has grown exponentially, which has resulted in the appearance of new actors and intermediaries. This growth has been possible thanks primarily to three key technologies: the Internet, VCCs and Channel Managers.

However, the managing and distribution of B2B payments has not evolved at the same pace and the process to manage these is currently highly manual, complex, inefficient and a source of errors and losses for companies in the sector. In fact, in the current scenario, payment processing costs can have an impact of up to 5% of a hotel’s revenue, according to data provided by Voxel.

Open Payment Alliance proposes a new channel that is different from the reservations channel and which allows channeling a flow of payments from start to finish in a manner that is optimized, without frictions and adapted to the specific needs of companies in the travel sector.

In this sense, Voxel has developed baVel Payment Manager, the first Payment Manager on the market, which, in addition to implementing the standards set by the Open Payment Alliance, adds new modules that can be used by travel companies to automatically process payments while also benefiting from other innovations. These modules are: omni-channel connectivity with GDSs, Channel Managers, etc.; a rules engine for automatically selecting the best payments supplier and automatically executing the payment process; a virtual payments hub with more than a dozen payment suppliers; the safe distribution of payments and value added services such as invoice recovery, FX, automatic reconciliation, etc. baVel’s Payment Manager has passed the first concept tests and is currently being used by a dozen companies such as Palladium, Hotusa, MTS Globe, TUI Iberia…

Voxel at Fitur

For the second year now, Voxel will participate in Fitur with a clear objective: promoting the adoption of Payment Manager by the travel sector. In addition to presenting the latest innovations in Payment Manager, the company will also showcase its solutions for digitizing all the back-office processes of hospitality and travel companies at stand 8A14.

La entrada Voxel presents the latest news related with Payment Manager at Fitur 2022 se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The restaurant group has already received more than 1,000 invoices from its main suppliers without the need for manual intervention through the electronic invoicing platform.

Nomo Group, the restaurant group specialising in Japanese gastronomy, has placed its trust in baVel, Voxel’s leading electronic invoicing and payment platform in the travel sector and the HORECA channel, to digitise and automate the receipt of invoices from all its suppliers.

Nomo Group is clearly committed to its digital transformation, which is why it decided to take advantage of the slower months to optimise and make its more manual back-office processes more efficient, with the aim of emerging stronger from the current situation.

To achieve this, the baVel platform has integrated with the Nomo Group’s ERP – ICG – and also with all its suppliers. Thanks to this, Nomo is able to receive all invoices from its suppliers through a single channel and can integrate, reconcile and account them directly in its ERP.

The digitisation of this process has meant a drastic reduction of manual work in the back-office of the Japanese restaurants and also a saving of time and administrative work. In addition, discrepancy resolution processes have been streamlined and greater control of all transactions has been achieved, thanks to the complete traceability offered by baVel of the entire process. The Nomo Group has also been able to eliminate 100% of the use of paper and invoice storage space. For suppliers, there are also benefits as the automation of invoice receipt has a direct impact on the average collection time, which decreases.

The project in figures

Currently, the Nomo Group already receives invoices for more than 60% of its purchasing volume through the baVel platform. Since the start of operations, the restaurant group has received more than 1,000 invoices without the need for manual intervention. baVel has digitalised the receipt of invoices from the group’s seven establishments, the central offices, the bakery and the take-away food division.

In the words of Ramón Jiménez, Partner at Nomo Group, “at Nomo we are committed to the digitalisation of all administrative processes, especially those involving mechanical functions. In this way, we can dedicate more and more of our team to value-added tasks and business analytics”.

“Companies that, like Nomo Group, have opted for the digitisation of processes during the pandemic months are now much better prepared than their competitors to continue growing and scaling their business”, says Àngel Garrido, CEO at Voxel.

Following the success of this first digitisation project, Nomo Group is now considering extending its partnership with baVel by digitising other parts of the procurement process. This is possible thanks to the modularity of the baVel solution, which allows it to adapt to the needs of each business at all times by gradually digitising the different processes of the supply chain.

La entrada The Nomo Group is committed to digitisation and dematerialisation of its back office with baVel se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The international tour operator takes a further step in the digitisation of its back-office processes by incorporating electronic payments

Anex Tour, one of the leading international tour operators, joins Voxel to start issuing and distributing B2B payments electronically. The electronic payments will be articulated through baVelPay, a Voxel solution designed specifically for the travel industry that follows the standards of the Open Payment Alliance defined by HEDNA and HTNG.

In the first stage of the project, the international tour operator will start using B2B payments with more than 500 hotels in Spain and Andorra. Currently, Anex Tour and baVel are already working on the integration of both systems, and the plan is that the tour operator will continue implementing the solution in other destinations.

With the adoption of electronic payments, Anex Tour will achieve optimised payment issuing and distribution processes and will have access to baVel’s ecosystem of payment partners and its different payment methods through a single integration. The tour operator is thus advancing in the digitisation of its entire transaction cycle, once 90% of its B2B invoices are received already electronically through baVel. This is a 100% automated process, which not only brings operational efficiencies, but also direct costs savings and disputes reduction.

Anex Tour’s commitment to electronic payments also has positive consequences for hotels, as both the tour operator and the hotels will share the same information through a common repository and will have full transparency and traceability of the status of each payment at all times. All in a secure, robust and PCI compliant environment in all the countries in which it operates. In this way, hotels will be able to reduce their collection cycles and use the baVelPay platform as a mechanism of trust, thus eliminating the dependence on credit insurance.

According to Àngel Garrido, CEO at Voxel, “more and more travel companies are opting for an electronic payment solution that not only helps them to automate the process, but also offers them different payment methods to adapt to the needs of their suppliers“. “The reality that the pandemic has left us with is that we need to apply technology to all back-office processes to increase efficiencies, but also to build the lost trust between stakeholders“, he concludes.

La entrada Anex Tour opts on B2B e-payments with baVel se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

baVel facilitates the digitisation of transactions between customers and suppliers and automates administrative processes

AVASA Travel Group continues its digital transformation process with this new agreement that allows administrative management to be 100% digital, automated, error-free and with more than 50,000 integrated suppliers. This is baVel, a new service that AVASA makes available to its associated agencies thanks to the agreement signed with Voxel, a company specialising in the digitisation of the value chain and a leader in the international travel sector.

The baVel platform makes it possible to digitise the issuing and receipt of invoices, invoice reconciliation and B2B payments. In practice, this translates into a drastic reduction of manual tasks that add little or no value to the business and the elimination of formal errors and discrepancies. In addition, the digitisation of these processes has a direct impact on the company’s cash flow and enhances its competitiveness. baVel complies with PCI regulations, allows the legality of all documents to be certified and provides real-time traceability of all transactions carried out. In addition, the platform is integrated with the main PMS and ERPs on the market.

Strategic agreement

This agreement allows AVASA to offer special conditions to its associated agencies, such as the customisation of proposals adapted to each business model and the reduction of costs, both initial and recurring. In addition, AVASA plans to offer exclusive online training on this new service.

Carlos López Bahillo, CEO at AVASA Travel Group says that with Voxel “we are moving forward on the path towards AVASA’s digital transformation, as we continue to innovate in terms of digital tools to provide our partners with solutions and applications that allow them to differentiate themselves and be more competitive in a constantly evolving sector”.

La entrada AVASA Travel Group and Voxel sign a strategic agreement for the implementation of baVel in their network of associated agencies se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

Palladium Hotel Group, one of the most important hotel groups in Spain, has started the digitalisation process of its entire supply chain via baVel, Voxel’s leading electronic invoicing and payment platform for the travel sector and the HORECA channel.

The digitalisation project, which will begin this year with four pilot hotels and will culminate in 2022 with the incorporation of the rest of the establishments, aims to optimise and automate the processes of the purchasing department both at Palladium Hotel Group’s headquarters and at all its hotels.

The project covers the digitalisation of the issuing of orders, the receipt of delivery notes and the reception of 100% of invoices, regardless of their format (paper, pdf, xml) or origin (post, email). Also the implementation of an internal invoice approval flow, the reconciliation module for all these documents and the subsequent integration with the company’s ERP. And all this, through a single platform – baVel – which has a robust and secure technology that complies with the legislative requirements in all the countries in which the group operates.

To achieve this, baVel will be integrated with Palladium Hotel Group’s ERP and will establish a connection with all of the Group’s suppliers and creditors. Currently, and thanks to the extensive network that baVel has been weaving for more than 20 years, more than 30% of Palladium Hotel Group’s international suppliers are already part of the baVel network and will be able to start operating electronically with the hotel chain in the first phase of the project. In the four pilot hotels, this represents between 40% and 50% of each hotel’s invoice volume.

Optimisation, savings and efficiency

Palladium Hotel Group thus implements a new system that replaces manual processes and reduces the use of paper, optimising efficiency in the management of more than 64,000 invoices from more than 4,000 suppliers and creditors. baVel’s technology applied to supply processes helps to reduce possible errors, while increasing productivity, document control and traceability, and dematerialisation, which has a positive impact on the company’s cash flow. Furthermore, the digitisation of these processes facilitates the expansion and growth of companies.

In the words of Àngel Garrido, CEO at Voxel, “More and more companies are realising the importance of automating all the company’s processes and not just those directly related to the customer. In the midst of the crisis, it is important to identify those processes that do not add value to the company, automate them and devote resources to what is really important: increasing the company’s efficiency and being ready to resume activity as soon as possible”.

In the words of Moisés García, Corporate Director of Administration and Finance at Palladium Hotel Group, “For us, this is a strategic project in order to promote the digital transformation of the company, a commitment to digitise the logistics process and the efficiency of the AP area. For the development of this project, we wanted to go hand in hand with baVel, a company with which we have been working for many years in the issuance of electronic invoices and on which we are now betting on the procurement part, where it is also a benchmark in the hotel sector. The project is starting in Spain with the firm intention of making it a global project that we can extend to the rest of the geographies in which Palladium Hotel Group operates”.

Voxel and Palladium Hotel Group have been working together for years on the digitisation and automation of B2B invoice issuance. In addition, the hotel group has just confirmed its participation in Voxel’s Early Adopters Program, which aims to promote the adoption of a new payment channel for the travel industry through the standards defined by the Open Payment Alliance.

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