Member Article

Advanced Business Solutions announces winners of Halo Awards 2013

Advanced Business Solutions announces winners of Halo Awards 2013 Advanced’s customer awards recognise how technology has encouraged collaboration and improved customer performance 18 November 2013 - Advanced Business Solutions (Advanced), a market leading business applications and services provider, has announced the winners of the Halo Awards 2013. The seven winners were announced at Advanced’s annual customer conference which was recently held at etc. Venues conference centre in London. The annual Halo Awards are open to customers who use Advanced’s finance, human capital management and supply chain management solutions. Entrants were judged on a range of criteria, including how Advanced’s IT solutions have helped their business to save costs, improve efficiencies and enable collaboration; the theme of this year’s conference. Simon Fowler, Managing Director, Advanced Business Solutions (Commercial division), says: “The standard of entries was incredibly high and illustrated how effectively our clients are using our products to improve their business performance and profitability. “This year we looked for examples of how our software is optimising efficiencies and enabling growth via improved collaboration. Choosing a winner for each category was no easy task and the judging panel spent many hours debating the shortlisted entries.” The Electoral Commission was announced as this year’s Finance Team of the Year in recognition of key achievements made since the organisation implemented OpenAccounts and eBIS. These included speeding up invoice processing time, introducing paperless finance processes, paying suppliers faster and ensuring budget holders have hands on information regarding budgets and spend. HR Team of the Year was awarded to Fowler Welch following a transformative project which brought together the company’s separate HR and Payroll teams and included the launch of the new ‘HR Shared Services Team’. The business integrated OpenHR and OpenPeople, which enabled close collaboration between team members. As a result, processing times for new starter, changes and leavers have been halved and reduced paperwork has had a substantial environmental and cost impact. Phoenix Medical Supplies were announced as Payroll Team of the Year in recognition of achievements in making key information available to stakeholders throughout the business as and when it is required. The Halo award for Greatest Savings Through Software was presented to St Mungo’s in recognition of net savings of £170,000 achieved as a result of a culture change driven by the finance team working in close conjunction with a business analyst from Advanced. New College Durham were announced as the winners of the Most Innovative Use of Software category, drawing praise for using the eBis workflow solution to support not only the typical finance processes such as procure to pay, petty cash claims, mileage and expenses but non-financial processes across the college too. The Advanced Green Award was presented to Kingswood Learning & Leisure in recognition of their adoption of electronic purchasing. Electronic purchase orders have reduced at least 50% of the paperwork for a single order, and document scanning has further reduced the need for a paper chain between departments. Andrew Bush, Finance Manager Kingswood Learning & Leisure comments: “This is a real example of a project for which the benefits have been commercial and environmental – a win-win for the entire business.” Finally, Bidvest Logistics were announced as the winners of the Outstanding Contribution to Charity category in recognition of their on-going fundraising for Hospitality Action. A recent annual golf day raised in excess of £30,000, with £11,827 on the day from a charity auction, hole-in-one and lost ball competitions. Advanced will be making £500 donations to Hospitality Action and Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, both of which have been chosen by Bidvest Logistics. Simon Fowler concludes: “Once again we would like to congratulate the winners and to thank everyone who entered this year’s Halo Awards. We look forward to hosting the awards again next year and to receiving even more examples of how effectively organisations are using our software solutions to improve their performance.” -ENDS- Note to Editors

About Advanced Business Solutions www.advancedcomputersoftware.com/abs

Advanced Business Solutions (Advanced) provides leading integrated business applications and services that enable public, private and third sector organisations to retain control, improve visibility and gain efficiencies whilst continually improving corporate performance. Advanced prides itself on getting close to its customers by understanding their businesses and responding to their evolving needs.

Advanced’s software systems comprise core accounting/financial management, procurement, supply chain management, human resource and payroll systems, integrated with a range of collaborative, document management and business intelligence solutions to extend the value and effectiveness of the finance, human resource and payroll departments.

Management information systems for school and academies are also provided through Advanced’s subsidiary, Advanced Learning. Advanced also provides specialist vertical solutions for the not-for-profit and legal markets. All solutions can be delivered as a managed or bureau service.

Customers are from both the public and private sectors and include Companies House, Newcastle City Council, NHSScotland, Norfolk Constabulary, Edge Hill University, WH Smith, Royal Bank of Scotland, Aer Lingus, National Express Group, DFS and RSPB.

Advanced Business Solutions is a division of Advanced Computer Software Group plc, a leading supplier of software and IT services to the health, care and business services sectors.

Angela Mycock and Nick Hardy, Advanced Computer Software Group

pr@advancedcomputersoftware.com

+44(0)1625 856 513

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Advanced .