Schréder’s journey to real-time control and global efficiency with Rydoo Cards 

Schréder has built a reputation for delivering cutting-edge solutions while being committed to sustainability and efficiency. However, as the company grew, so did the complexity of its decentralised structure across 35 countries.

Managing employee expenses at scale meant adapting to each country’s different local rules, currencies, languages, and systems. While this worked at first, it came at a cost: time, consistency, and visibility.

Schréder needed to consolidate fragmented expense management processes, improve global visibility, and ease the operational burden on the company. Rydoo’s flexible SaaS platform, with multilingual support and an easy-to-use mobile app, made this possible, ensuring global consistency while meeting local needs.

Along came Rydoo Cards. The impact was clear: audits sped up, month-end closing was more efficient, and administrative work was significantly reduced.

When 35 countries do things 35 different ways, it’s not chaos; it’s just reality. And for a global company like Schréder that reality worked, for a while.

Before Rydoo, each country used its own ERP system and handled expenses manually, often relying on paper documentation. Local accounting was done according to each country’s unique set of rules, which created additional complexity.

Also, managing over 30 charts of accounts (COA) — structured lists of all the accounts used to track financial transactions — made it difficult to consolidate data across regions, ensure compliance, and maintain control. Manual handling of documents, lack of digitalisation, and inefficient approval processes created bottlenecks, particularly during month-end. This not only strained teams but also resulted in inconsistent archiving and complex, time-consuming audits.

Given these challenges, transitioning to a centralised expense management system became a priority. Schréder’s main objective was to eliminate inefficiencies and set up a scalable, future-proof system, all while reducing workloads across finance teams.

Schréder decided to implement Rydoo because of its ability to deliver exactly what they needed:

• Automated approval workflows, accounting processes, and user management — Rydoo simplifies the entire expense lifecycle by automating key steps like approvals, report submissions, and accounting entries. This reduces manual work, speeds up processes, and ensures consistency across the organisation.

• Balance between local control and centralised oversight — the platform is designed to support global companies with local needs. Country-specific rules, such as per diem rates, mileage reporting or tax configurations, can be managed independently, while finance leaders retain full visibility and control at a group level.

• Fully cloud-based SaaS solution — Rydoo runs entirely in the cloud, eliminating the need for internal IT maintenance, updates, or infrastructure. This not only reduces costs but also ensures scalability, security, and continuous product improvements without disrupting operations.

Customer support was also an essential factor. The availability of a dedicated relationship manager and 24/7 chatbox guaranteed that Schréder would always receive timely assistance.

Moreover, Rydoo’s user-friendly mobile app, with powerful OCR and AI autofill features, was a significant improvement over their previous system. Employees could immediately log their expenses by simply snapping a picture of the receipts with their smartphones.

Finally, the multilingual platform was essential for Schréder’s global workforce, allowing employees in different regions to use the app in their local language.

Rolling out Rydoo across multiple countries required a collaborative approach. Schréder gathered input on local expense rules, tax rates, and travel policies through comprehensive questionnaires.

Regional managers were given admin access to handle day-to-day operations, while the group treasury maintained global oversight. This structure ensured alignment across the business, accommodating country-specific requirements while maintaining consistency in the overall process.

Managing administration and setup from the central service level (HQ) meant Schréder wasn’t directly involved in local expense and travel legislation. That’s where the Rydoo Compliance Centre came in.

This knowledge hub provides real-time updates on country-specific regulations, such as changes to mileage rates, per diem, VAT rates, and paperless expense handling, all gathered in one place to support centralised processes. Rydoo also sends major compliance updates directly via email, so admins never miss an important change.

As a result, Rydoo became more than just an expense tool; it served as a platform for digitalisation and compliance. In regions where regulations allowed, paperwork was minimised, and Rydoo functioned as both an archiving system and a real-time tracking hub, simplifying internal processes and audits.

Internal and external audits became more efficient with centralised controls and role-based permissions. Auditors can access clear, detailed logs of every expense, from submission to approval, and built-in tools to detect duplicates or out-of-policy spending.

For employees, the experience was equally seamless. Using the Rydoo mobile app, they could easily capture expenses on the go, reducing the risk of lost receipts or missed claims, and making expense management an everyday part of their workflow.

Rydoo Cards were a key turning point in Schréder’s expense management. Initially rolled out across five European entities, the positive impact quickly led to a broader demand for expansion.

Virtual cards were assigned to administrative staff for online purchases and travel bookings, while physical cards were provided to employees who travelled frequently. This eliminated the need for out-of-pocket payments and the time-consuming reimbursement process that followed.

To support the roll-out, Schréder implemented a clear cardholder policy, outlining eligibility, permitted uses, spending limits, and receipt requirements. It also covered card security, misuse consequences, and onboarding/offboarding procedures, ensuring employees understood how to use their cards responsibly.

What set Rydoo Cards apart was their easy integration within the platform and the ability to manage cards on demand, including instantly blocking or unblocking cards, which also enhanced financial control and strengthened Schréder’s risk mitigation efforts.

When a Rydoo Card is used, the transaction is automatically logged in the system. Out-of-pocket payments became a thing of the past, and manual data entry was eliminated.

While specific ROI figures vary by region, the impact of Rydoo Cards has been clear and widely felt.
The key results include:

• Reduced processing time due to automated expense creation
• Real-time visibility and control, improving oversight and fraud prevention
• Simplified compliance and audibility through centralised data and clear digital trails
• Improved employee experience, with less administrative work and no out-of-pocket spending
• Faster card issuance and offboarding, with virtual cards activated in minutes and blocked instantly if needed
• Accelerated reconciliation, contributing to a quicker monthly close

Rydoo Cards helped transform Schréder’s expense management from a reactive, manual process to an efficient, proactive system designed for scalability.

With Rydoo already embedded in day-to-day operations, Schréder’s next step is to make the process even smarter. As part of a global rollout of Microsoft Dynamics 365, each entity will integrate Rydoo through a unified template, enabling smoother data flow across systems.

The company also plans to expand the use of Rydoo Cards to more European countries and explore deeper automation by syncing data between Rydoo, ERP, HR, and expense platforms.

Rydoo has helped Schréder move from local complexity to global clarity. What began as a fragmented, paper-heavy process is now a connected ecosystem, fast, efficient, and built for scale.

With Rydoo Cards and integrated systems as key enablers, Schréder is on track to achieve full automation and truly optimised operations.