A Quick Look At Elite E-Invoicing

[Editor's Note: Since A&FP has previously run several articles on e-billing concepts and advantages, most recently in January of this year, I've substantially abridged this just-written case study of a prominent Elite(r) E-Invoicing reference client. Thanks to Haynes and Boone as well as to Thomson Elite for their permission to redact.]

Since 2003 Haynes and Boone has seen the number of client requests for electronic invoices triple. Now at least 20% of its clients require electronic invoices, which translates into 5,000-6,000 electronic invoices on an annual basis. Some larger clients accept invoices only electronically.

Rather than deal with a third party software vendor, Haynes and Boone LLP decided in 2003 to obtain e-billing software from its major accounting software vendor, Thomson Elite (www.thomson elite.com or 323-642-5200). An early adopter of Elite E-Invoicing, the firm now reports that the product installed easily and required minimal training; has helped the firm halve the staff time required for generating templates and e-invoices; and has improved security. The software also produces bills in multiple electronic formats and integrates with the firm's financial management system.

Fast Implementation

Residing on a dedicated server, the E-Invoicing software can be accessed from any workstation via an Internet browser. No separate installation or files are required on the workstation. The installation at Haynes and Boone took only a few hours and required very little preparation from the IT department.

Once the system was configured to the client's specifications, the accounting staff was able to process invoices with minimal training. System documentation was easily understandable. According to the firm's network engineer, the system was in use “within an hour.”

Efficient Customization

The firm's previous method of manually generating electronic invoices had become cumbersome as clients requested more modifications to the standard Ledes98B format. The process grew to include multiple steps that involved writing custom 4gl code that had to be compiled and organized in custom directories.

Now the accounting manager can deliver invoices in the exact format the client requests, without any additional translation procedures. E-Invoicing supports multiple standard file formats, including XML (eXtensible Markup Language), which eliminates current and future compatibility issues. Plus, the XSLT language enables the creation of an unlimited variety of electronic file templates. [Editor's Note: For a tutorial article on XML and the LEDES 2000 standard, see the September 2003 edition of A&FP.]

Because Haynes and Boone is an Elite Enterprise user, the E-Invoicing module can communicate directly with its financial database. When an invoice is generated in the ledger table, E-Invoicing (operating in background mode) automatically converts the invoice into the pre-determined electronic format. By simply designating a client's name, the accounting manager can then retrieve electronic invoice files for that client and either attach them to emails or upload them to the client's system through a client-designated Web site.

Improved Security

Apart from being time consuming, the manual customization process also required accounting personnel to have access to unsecured data in the Elite Financial Management system. Anyone given the password had system administrator-type privileges. The accounting staff also had to telnet to the previous e-invoicing program and run DOS-type scripts; this process required multiple steps and was unsecured.

With Elite E-Invoicing, by contrast, attorneys and accounting personnel can access invoices from anywhere without getting into the system scripts.

[Editor's Note: Since A&FP has previously run several articles on e-billing concepts and advantages, most recently in January of this year, I've substantially abridged this just-written case study of a prominent Elite(r) E-Invoicing reference client. Thanks to Haynes and Boone as well as to Thomson Elite for their permission to redact.]

Since 2003 Haynes and Boone has seen the number of client requests for electronic invoices triple. Now at least 20% of its clients require electronic invoices, which translates into 5,000-6,000 electronic invoices on an annual basis. Some larger clients accept invoices only electronically.

Rather than deal with a third party software vendor, Haynes and Boone LLP decided in 2003 to obtain e-billing software from its major accounting software vendor, Thomson Elite (www.thomson elite.com or 323-642-5200). An early adopter of Elite E-Invoicing, the firm now reports that the product installed easily and required minimal training; has helped the firm halve the staff time required for generating templates and e-invoices; and has improved security. The software also produces bills in multiple electronic formats and integrates with the firm's financial management system.

Fast Implementation

Residing on a dedicated server, the E-Invoicing software can be accessed from any workstation via an Internet browser. No separate installation or files are required on the workstation. The installation at Haynes and Boone took only a few hours and required very little preparation from the IT department.

Once the system was configured to the client's specifications, the accounting staff was able to process invoices with minimal training. System documentation was easily understandable. According to the firm's network engineer, the system was in use “within an hour.”

Efficient Customization

The firm's previous method of manually generating electronic invoices had become cumbersome as clients requested more modifications to the standard Ledes98B format. The process grew to include multiple steps that involved writing custom 4gl code that had to be compiled and organized in custom directories.

Now the accounting manager can deliver invoices in the exact format the client requests, without any additional translation procedures. E-Invoicing supports multiple standard file formats, including XML (eXtensible Markup Language), which eliminates current and future compatibility issues. Plus, the XSLT language enables the creation of an unlimited variety of electronic file templates. [Editor's Note: For a tutorial article on XML and the LEDES 2000 standard, see the September 2003 edition of A&FP.]

Because Haynes and Boone is an Elite Enterprise user, the E-Invoicing module can communicate directly with its financial database. When an invoice is generated in the ledger table, E-Invoicing (operating in background mode) automatically converts the invoice into the pre-determined electronic format. By simply designating a client's name, the accounting manager can then retrieve electronic invoice files for that client and either attach them to emails or upload them to the client's system through a client-designated Web site.

Improved Security

Apart from being time consuming, the manual customization process also required accounting personnel to have access to unsecured data in the Elite Financial Management system. Anyone given the password had system administrator-type privileges. The accounting staff also had to telnet to the previous e-invoicing program and run DOS-type scripts; this process required multiple steps and was unsecured.

With Elite E-Invoicing, by contrast, attorneys and accounting personnel can access invoices from anywhere without getting into the system scripts.