Saica achieves 50% time savings and eliminates manual expensing with Rydoo

Saica Group offers sustainable paper solutions for the manufacture of corrugated cardboard and packaging, promoting circularity in waste management.

With over 11,500 employees and a presence in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Turkey, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and the United States, Saica Group has four business lines: the production of recycled paper for corrugated cardboard (Saica Paper), waste management and environmental services (Saica Natur), the production of corrugated cardboard packaging (Saica Pack), and flexible packaging (Saica Flex).

The group's revenue is €3,620 million (consolidated sales as of 31 December 2023).

Challenge: thinking global

Before implementing Rydoo, Saica's expense management cycle needed to be more efficient. The entire process relied heavily on manual work, with employees filling out Excel forms and physically sending receipts to the Shared Service Centres in each country where the company operates. This increased operational costs and the risk of misplaced paperwork.

Employees who travelled frequently spent significant amounts of time manually filing and preparing their expense reports. It often took them weeks, sometimes even months, to complete their claims, resulting in lengthy reimbursements and growing frustration within the team.

The lack of an automated system also created challenges regarding policy compliance. Managers struggled to spot non-compliant claims, which left the company vulnerable to errors and fraud. Managing expenses across multiple countries also led to high costs, particularly for courier services and document processing, and impacted the finance team's productivity.

"We needed a solution that was already proven and certified in the countries we operate in. We have to think European. We can't just think local."

— Ignacio Beltrán, Accounts Payable Manager, Saica

A scalable solution for a global company

To tackle these challenges, Saica began researching solutions to simplify its expense management.
The requirements were clear:

1. Proven capability across countries: Saica needed a certified solution that would also comply with local regulations.

2. Ease of implementation: Saica considered different options, including a complex custom-built programme. Although this "on-premise" solution was initially preferred, its high risk and complexity led them to seek a cloud-based system that would be easier to implement and scale.

After evaluating several options, and with the backing of the CFO, Rydoo stood out as the best fit. The software was also tested with around 100 pilot users, and a satisfaction survey revealed that 100% of employees were satisfied and found the app easy to use. Its flexibility, user-friendliness and strong support from the team made it the ideal solution for Saica's specific needs.

"The help from Rydoo's onboarding team was instrumental in ensuring a smooth implementation process, and the platform's flexibility allowed us to tailor it to our needs across different countries."

— Ignacio Beltrán, Accounts Payable Manager, Saica

Results: unlocking time and cost savings

After implementing Rydoo, Saica achieved significant results in transforming its expense management processes:

• 50% time savings: the software led to a remarkable reduction in the time spent by employees and approvers managing expenses.
• Expense automation: customisable policies and compliance rules built directly into the software make it easier for managers to identify non-compliant and out-of-policy expenses. This shift not only automates operations but also minimises the risk of errors.
• No manual processing: the Accounts Payable department has completely eliminated manual expense processing, as this is now fully automated. The team can now focus on more strategic activities, optimising resource allocation and reducing overhead costs.

"The current time that is spent by the Accounts Payable department is zero, now. We don't need to do anything because the expensing process is fully automated."

— Ignacio Beltrán, Accounts Payable Manager, Saica

• Improved traceability: integrating Rydoo with Saica's SAP system has significantly enhanced traceability, particularly during audits. Auditors can easily access each expense's corresponding voucher through direct links. This reduces the risk of financial discrepancies and helps avoid potential penalties.
• VAT reclaim: Rydoo integrates with 60dias, Saica's VAT recovery tool, ensuring compliance with complex tax regulations, particularly in countries like Spain, where VAT recovery requires strict documentation.
• Faster reimbursements: frequent travellers can now submit expenses on the go and receive reimbursements within the same trip, ensuring a smoother financial process. For instance, those taking two-week trips can now expect reimbursement for their first week's expenses before the trip is even over.

"What I like the most is that I can submit the expense on the go, send it to my manager for approval, and not have it piling up in my wallet. I really appreciate the transparency of always knowing where the receipt is, what status the expense has and what is happening with it."

— Ignacio Beltrán, Accounts Payable Manager, Saica

Empowering employees and bringing teams together

Beyond time and cost savings, Rydoo had a noticeable positive impact on employee satisfaction. The tool has been well received across the organisation, with top management expressing high satisfaction with its functionality.

This positive response has spread to Saica's operations in other countries, reflecting the solution's scalability and effectiveness globally. Shortly after the rollout in Spain, Ignacio was on a train to the UK, preparing to launch the software there.

To his surprise, he overheard a group of colleagues discussing their experiences with Rydoo. They spoke enthusiastically about how the tool had transformed their day-to-day work, making their lives significantly easier.

Ignacio listened for a moment, filled with pride and satisfaction, realising that he was part of a project that positively affected his colleagues. In a light-hearted moment, he decided to introduce himself, revealing that he was the one responsible for the implementation they were praising.

This encounter highlighted that Rydoo is also a solution that fosters collaboration and strengthens the sense of community within companies.

"This was a 'wow' moment for me — I'm working on a project that's actually making life easier for my colleagues. It was both fun and incredibly satisfying."

— Ignacio Beltrán, Accounts Payable Manager, Saica

Plans and continuous improvement

Rydoo's success has already spread across other countries in Saica's network, and the company is confident that the platform will continue to deliver value as it expands.

Saica plans to roll out Rydoo to additional branches, including Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while exploring further integration options to enhance data insights and compliance capabilities. 

The tool's user-friendly design and transparent expense tracking have significantly improved productivity and employee satisfaction.