Not every tool is the same. Swiss tool retailer and service provider for industrial customers Brütsch-Rüegger Tools knows exactly what we are talking about. Not only when procuring its newest quality merchandise, but also when it comes down to choosing an expense management solution.
Brütsch-Rüegger Tools has a lot of Account Managers, Consultants and Project Managers who are often on the go. They have different types of expenses, like meals, accommodation, train tickets, private vehicle usage, flat rates, car rentals, flight tickets, etc.
HR specialist and manager of the Rydoo project Yvonne Zampati explains how exactly Rydoo has changed the way Brütsch-Rüegger used to work.
What was your process before Rydoo and when did you realize something needed to change?
“Before, all our expenses were submitted and processed manually via paper forms. We were like many others, in a way, as we had the idea to change our expense management process for a long time, but other important projects and a high workload got in the way of an earlier start. We were mostly driven by the need for an easier process for all stakeholders, a lower margin of error than with our manual process and a better cost transparency.”
How did your selection process go?
“We basically found Rydoo through research on the internet. Of course, you are not the only expense management provider we looked at, so we had a long list of criteria. Initially, we tested several solutions on their general performance, their compatibility with our systems and of course their price, until we were able to narrow the list down to five suppliers.
Then we took it one step further and analyzed each one of these suppliers on other aspects, such as the mobile capabilities, VAT and foreign currency management, the workflows, electronic storage possibilities, error and fraud detection, credit card integration capabilities, individual adjustments, the onboarding planning and their reference customers. We chose Rydoo because you met our requirements and were able to convince us with your great ease-of-use and high technological standards.”
What do you think about Rydoo’s real-time expensing model? Are you missing the good old expense reports?
“In our opinion, real-time expensing simplifies the control of expenses. Before the introduction of Rydoo, we worked with expense reports. Checking the individual positions and then adding them up was too time-consuming, so we’re very much advocating the real-time expensing approach.”
How easy was the implementation of Rydoo?
“The implementation was very simple: on our side, I was the one involved, together with the support from the IT department. Rydoo supported us with a great Customer Success Manager. With its phased project plan, the implementation itself went very smoothly, which I know is absolutely not self-evident! The most important settings were configured by Rydoo (employees, cost centres, categories, etc.) After that, I only had to adjust small things. And precisely because the application is so user-friendly, it was easy.
Of course, we also had to make sure to comply with the regulations of the tax administration regarding value-added tax and permitted expense payments (maximum amounts, etc.). I communicated the legal requirements to Rydoo and together we worked out a solution to implement and comply with them.”
Are there any integrations that were important for you?
“Yes. We needed an interface to our payroll system Abacus. Already during the evaluation phase, I received a sample file from your sales rep, which I could forward to Abacus so that they could set up the interface. That was an effort of a few hours and worked right from the start.”
How easily has Rydoo been adopted at Brütsch-Rüegger Tools?
“Expenses are now only accepted via Rydoo, so everyone uses the application. I know that change management is not always easy, but with Rydoo there was no resistance from the employees. On the contrary, the introduction of Rydoo was warmly welcomed. The application is simple and makes our employees’ everyday life easier. They no longer have to collect, collate and submit receipts – they simply take a picture of the receipt and submit the expenses.”
What were the main problems Rydoo helped to solve for your company?
“The entire expense process has been simplified and is therefore faster. Another huge advantage is that we finally get the desired transparency on our employees’ expenses.
In our company, expenses are not reimbursed via the finance department but via HR. I am totally happy with the solution. Rydoo also made my everyday life easier. Thanks to the basic settings, many control measures (mileage limits, per diems, etc.) are no longer necessary – the system now takes care of that for me. I can view the expenses online, correct them if necessary and transfer them easily to the payroll system.”
How has the feedback been from your employees?
“As mentioned before, the feedback is consistently positive. Especially employees who travel a lot appreciate the app to be able to submit their expenses easily even when they are out in the field.
We did send out several internal communications to train them a little, made the Rydoo documents available on the intranet and organised several training sessions, but everybody was very quickly onboard!”