Protection Pacific Security

Invoice automation saves security firm time and money

Look around and it’s easy to see how much the security industry has grown in recent years. What may have once been a grudge purchase is now a comprehensive service industry that integrates business management, information, access controls, energy management, security and WHS. However, managing this growth has produced its own challenges.

Few understand the industry better than Ged Byrnes. As a life member of the Australian Security Industry Association, including six years as president, Ged has lived these changes.

Running his own business, Protection Pacific Security, for almost 25 years, he has experienced first-hand the strain such growth can put on business systems and processes. As their client base grew, they needed a modern system that could make their invoicing more efficient.

“We looked at Xero; they told us it was not designed for a business of our size,” recalls Ged.

Following their IT firm’s recommendations they decided to move to Attaché, with their local Attaché consultants Nancy Mella and James Papa from Accounting Systems Assist (ASA) providing consulting and technical assistance.

Turning days of work into minutes

The old way of manually creating, printing and batching invoices was no longer sustainable for the growing business, especially with most customers operating on a set recurring billing cycle.

ASA identified this administrative burden and recommended they take advantage of Attaché’s recurring transactions and document delivery to automate and streamline their invoicing, and Ged could not be happier with the results.

“For our monitoring clients, invoicing that used to take two people three to four days now takes five minutes. We change the template, do some checks and balances and press the go button,” he says enthusiastically

Protection Pacific Security can customise templates to address specific billing needs.

“Our patrol billing was done manually because it was based on the number of days in the month. We created new monthly templates based on an average of 12 months over the year instead, so now our patrol invoices go out the same way. It takes five minutes and it’s all done.”

Getting paid quicker

Sending invoices directly from Attaché has sped up collections, resulting in a healthier bank balance.

“Now customers receive their invoices straight away so we get paid sooner,” Ged says. “We start getting payments back as fast as the same afternoon.”

The invoicing runs have become efficient, freeing staff to focus on the collection side and improving processes.

Ged explains, “Our accounts team can spend time on the niceties, such as encouraging clients to include their invoice number sent with a remittance advice. We now have very few unknown payments.”

Improved business management

With the less senior staff able to take on more admin responsibilities, Ged has more time to manage the business, and this has been made easier with Attaché dashboards.

“The dashboards are excellent. It gives us a daily snapshot of where we are heading.”

Reviewing the dashboards has become an enjoyable part of Ged’s routine.

“Just looking at our debtors and creditors in an instant – it’s very, very nice and something that you look forward to seeing on a daily basis.”

Since implementing Attaché, Protection Pacific Security has seen real improvements in their processes that have allowed the business to continue growing. By automating their invoicing, they have significantly reduced processing time, made more efficient use of employee resources and improved cash flow.

About Protection Pacific Security

www.protectionpacific.com

• Full-service security company located in Dingley, Victoria
• Specialises in design, service and installation of intruder detection systems, access control and associated products for residential, commercial, retail and the industrial sector
• Attaché’s recurring transactions and automated document delivery has streamlined their invoicing process, saving the business both time and money