The benefits of cooperation have been emphasized especially during the energy crisis

Sallila Energia has renewed its invoicing by introducing Ropo Capital’s invoice life cycle service. Cooperation with Ropo has brought resource savings to the energy company and made it possible to focus on its own core business. The benefits have been highlighted especially during the energy crisis – with the help of a reliable and expert partner, smooth invoicing processes and high-quality customer service have been ensured even in changing conditions.

Ropo’s comprehensive service, tailored for Sallila Energia, covers invoice delivery, ledger and payment monitoring, the reminder and debt collection service, and payment-related customer service. The aim of the cooperation with Ropo was to seek means to lighten the seek means to lighten the workload in customer service and the ledger as well as to systematize the reminder and collection processes.

The aim was to transfer the invoicing functions and related customer service to Ropo on a quick schedule before the winter months, when electricity bills are at their highest and contacts with the energy company’s customer service are expected to increase. Implementation of the services was carried out in the target schedule and the first invoices were received by Ropo’s invoice life cycle model as planned in December 2022.

Sallila Energia’s Development Manager Matti Hällfors thanks Ropo for the effortless cooperation and the well-executed implementation project.

– Ropo’s expert personnel handled the project management responsibilities efficiently and in a solution-oriented manner. Ropo has strong knowledge of the energy industry and ready-made deployment models, which made the reform process easy for us, Hällfors states.

A seamless invoicing process makes operations more efficient

Ropo’s service provides ready-to-use interfaces for the most common finance management programs. The invoicing system used by Sallila Energia was able to be directly integrated into Ropo’s own Ropo 24 system.

Previously, the company sent the invoicing material to the operator and the reminder and debt collection functions were handled through a separate partner. In Ropo’s single service provider model, the invoice moves automatically from one step to another and manual work is kept to a minimum. Payment reminders are sent automatically once the due date is exceeded and the agreed conditions have been met. The effects of the unified invoicing process have been seen quickly, e.g. in the cash flow, which according to Hällfors has become significantly more efficient thanks to Ropo’s partnership.

– When invoices move more smoothly, cash circulates more quickly. Cash flow forecasting is also facilitated by Ropo’s comprehensive reporting service, from which we can monitor the various aspects of up-to-date invoicing, Hällfors sums up.

Hällfors says that thanks to Ropo’s reporting, the company is able to access to and follow invoicing data more effortlessly than previously. The service contains comprehensive reports on invoice delivery, open receivables, sales ledger, payment control, credit losses, job management and customer service.

– Our reporting service takes a closer look at customers’ payment behaviour and provides wider information that supports business planning and development. In the service, you can view, for example, the turnover time of receivables as well as expected payments and credit losses. All the information is in an easy to view and analyse format, Ropo’s Key Customer Manager Juha Kajala says.

The service meets the expectations

Operating in the regions of Varsinais-Suomi and Satakunta, Sallila Energia offers versatile services related to electricity sales, grid services and energy system deliveries, which are used by approximately 33,000 customers every month.

The energy company is still responsible for the customer service related to the content of the invoice, and Ropo handles the contacts related to paying the invoice, from proactive payment planning to making payment arrangements for the debt collection phase. Previously, the company also managed the ledger, but in Ropo’s single service provider model, payment monitoring and sales ledger management are part of the package.

According to Sallila Energia’s CFO Leena Jylhä, cooperation with Ropo has brought more quality and resources to the company’s customer service as well as wider opening hours. The benefits have been highlighted especially during the energy crisis, during which there has been a greater need for payment advice and arrangements.

– Ropo has reacted quickly to changes in the energy industry; we have been able to trust that our customers will be served with high quality even in exceptional situations. The partnership with Ropo has fulfilled our expectations and we are satisfied with the cooperation, states Jylhä.

In addition to Sallila Energia, Ropo’s customers in the energy sector include Väre, Lumme Energia, Oomi Energia and Elenia.

More information:
Päivi Enden, Expert, Invoice Lifecycle Service and Financing, Ropo Capital Oy, tel. +358 44 700 6038, paivi.enden@ropocapital.fi
Juha Kajala, Key Customer Manager, Ropo Capital, tel. +358 44 719 3508, juha.kajala@ropocapital.fi
Matti Hällfors, Development Manager, Sallila Energia, tel. +358 2 764 3282, matti.hallfors@sallila.fi
Leena Jylhä, CFO, Sallila Energia, tel. +358 40 724 6181, leena.jylha@sallila.fi

The Sallila Energia group includes the parent company Sallila Energia Oy and its subsidiaries Sallila Sähkönsiirto Oy, Forssan Energia Oy and Sallila Energiapalvelut Oy. The company, founded in 1914, is located in Southwest Finland but sells electricity throughout Finland. The electricity transmission distribution areas are Huittinen, Punkalaidun, Loimaa and Ypäjä. www.sallila.fi.

Ropo Capital is the Nordic market leader in invoice lifecycle management, covering the whole value chain from invoice delivery to payment monitoring and receivables management. We compete as a technological forerunner – our operating model is based on the advantages of digitalization, advanced automation, and real time reporting. Headquartered in Kuopio, Finland, the company employs approximately 400 financial specialists in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. In total, Ropo Capital delivers over 170 million invoices and other documents annually. www.ropocapital.fi