Terumo Medical Corporation Brings Speed and Efficiency to Customer Order Processing through Esker’s Cloud-Based Automation Solution

Esker, a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions, announced today it has been selected by Terumo Medical Corporation, a leading medical devices manufacturer, to streamline the way incoming customer orders are managed with Esker’s cloud-based Order Processing automation solution. The solution works with Terumo’s existing ERP system (JD Edwards), incorporating end-to-end automation capabilities and integrated character recognition technology to make every aspect of order processing more efficient, accurate and electronic.

While many of Terumo’s customer orders are sent and received via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), some of the smaller hospitals and clinics still send orders via fax or phone. Faxes would arrive in an email inbox as a PDF and have to be cleared every day which created a number of issues for Terumo’s Customer Care team. "We were getting swallowed up by everything,” said Terri Calabrese, Director of Customer Care and Accounts Receivable at Terumo. "A lot of calls were being dropped due to all of the fax traffic, and we didn’t have enough resources to manage the backlog properly.”

Order Processing Automation

Esker was selected as the solution provider after successfully completing a proof of concept (POC), where 100 sample orders were processed to demonstrate the solution’s function. "Esker’s upside was too big to ignore — the functionality compared to the other products we had experience working with was night and day,” said Calabrese. "We loved that it could be taught rules to make it more customized to our needs. The cloud option was also a big plus, as we no longer have to worry about equipment maintenance not working when the building is closed. Esker has allowed us to be more versatile.”

Numerous Benefits

Since implementing Esker, Terumo has seen a number of measurable benefits, including:

• Faster processing times. The time to process an order decreased by 60% by keeping the workflow electronic with Esker compared to manually processing the orders through the ERP system.
• Better scalability and service. Even with the amount of inbound customer orders increasing each year (32,000 in January 2013 to 35,000 in January 2014), workflow automation has allowed Terumo to maintain its current staffing levels while still freeing up time for its Customer Care team to focus on more customer-centric tasks.

• Touchless processing. Terumo recently began leveraging Esker’s "touchless” process, having already taught rules for 575 different customer orders, for which data entry is eliminated. Esker’s Teach functionality is done quickly and easily by the business users, and helps drive more effective automation throughout the process.

Terumo’s CFO, John Pinto, is impressed by how well the solution has been received internally. "Among all of our recent process improvement initiatives, Esker is the standout,” said Pinto. "When I posed the rhetorical question, ‘What would you do if I took Esker away?’ everyone said they would be truly disappointed. It’s wonderful to have that level of support behind a new product like this.”

About Terumo Medical Corporation

For over 80 years, the name Terumo has been synonymous with high-quality, innovative medical devices. Starting as a manufacturer of clinical thermometers, Terumo Medical Corporation has grown into a worldwide leader in hollow-fiber technology, blood-management systems and endovascular therapy, with its medical products being used in more than 160 countries and generating over $3 billion in global annual sales.

Today, Terumo develops, manufactures, exports, imports, markets, distributes and sells a diverse portfolio of medical devices, supplies and accessories, and generates $280 million in annual sales. Terumo offers a wide range of products through its two business divisions: Terumo Interventional Systems and Terumo Medical Products.

About Esker

Esker is a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions. Addressing all types of business processes, from accounts payable and accounts receivable to order processing and procurement, Esker cloud computing solutions enable companies to automate the reception, processing and sending of any business document with one platform. Esker helps over 80,000 companies around the world to reduce the use of paper and eliminate manual processes while improving their productivity, efficiency and environmental impact.

With 40.3 million euros in sales revenue in 2012, Esker operates in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. Esker is listed on the NYSE Alternext in Paris (Code ISIN FR0000035818). For more information, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter at twitter.com/eskerinc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at www.quitpaper.com.