Changeworks, a Scottish environmental charity with innovative services and businesses in energy and waste prevention, is implementing a COA Solutions system comprising a portfolio of financial management, electronic procurement and human capital management (HCM) solutions. This integrated system, which also includes self-service functionality, will support Changeworks’ future growth and improve financial control whilst supporting its environmental agenda. COA Solutions is an Advanced Group company.
Changeworks required a flexible system to improve organisation-wide efficiency and support its rapid business expansion. As an environmental charity, delivering a range of services including the Energy Saving Scotland advice centres for South East Scotland and Highlands and Islands regions for the Scottish Government, Changeworks also needs to ensure that its working processes reflect its environmental approach.
Teresa Bray, Chief Executive at Changeworks, says, “Our current system is basic and restrictive and no longer capable of meeting our needs. Having had direct experience of working with COA Solutions in a previous role, I was confident that its system could adequately support our future growth plans and would be straightforward to implement.”
COA Solutions’ financial management system (FMS) will be enabling more efficient accounts receivable processes. Its 175 staff will have instant online access to key financial data and be able to approve purchase invoices and process expense claims electronically using the automated workflow functionality.
Bray comments, “COA Solutions’ system will make it easy for staff located in remote locations such as the Highlands and Islands to quickly access and distribute comprehensive financial information from the desktop, significant streamlining our invoice authorisation and expenses processes. By approving everything electronically, we will also significantly reduce paper consumption and carbon emissions, supporting our green agenda.”
Bray continues, “The system’s reporting capabilities will provide comprehensive information relating to our customers’ entire creditor histories, helping to improve debtor control and enabling us to chase payments more effectively.”
In addition, COA Solutions’ HCM solution will enable Changeworks to easily store, update, retrieve and process human resource (HR) information. This solution, which is replacing manual HR processes and spreadsheets, will improve the accuracy of employee information and provide managers with real-time staff information. Staff will also be able to ‘self-serve’ by directly accessing and updating HR information themselves such as annual leave requests and personal information.
Bray adds, “We have a high turnover of temporary staff and so it’s a challenge to keep an up-to-date record of all personnel details. The COA Solutions system will provide accurate and timely HR information, allowing us to better manage staff on short-term contracts whilst more accurately monitoring absence.”
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