“We have significantly fewer manual interventions in the invoicing process.”
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What excites you most about Monolicht AG?
Reto Sigg: At Monolicht, there is nothing that does not exist. We illuminate everything from the basement to the CEO’s office and produce both standard luminaires and customised, high-quality one-off products.
What does Monolicht AG have in common with Abacus Research AG?
RS: Definitely our flexibility. With Abacus, we work extremely flexibly, which would not be possible in this form with any other ERP software. This flexibility also reflects our daily work, where we meet a wide range of customer requirements.
Where is Abacus used at Monolicht AG?
RS: We handle all processes using the Abacus software — from procurement and invoice processing to document release and payment processing. We also use CRM, Order Processing and Production Planning and Control.
Which recent innovation has impressed you the most?
RS: I follow developments around Abacus Intelligence with great interest. I hope that simple tasks or activities that only occur once a year can be supported by artificial intelligence in the future. We were also very impressed by the new central invoice inbox, as it has significantly simplified our accounts payable processes.
Revised central invoice inbox
After an invoice is received, DeepO analyses the invoice in DeepBox and automatically recognises relevant data such as the purchase order number. Based on this, an accounts payable document is created in Abacus and assigned to one or more purchase orders in the assistant of the central invoice inbox. The revised central invoice inbox is available from version 2025 onwards.
How did the purchasing process work before the introduction of the central invoice inbox?
RS: After a purchase order and invoice were received, the accounts payable invoice was entered and matched with the purchase order in Order Processing. The reconciliation was done manually, without any software support. The purchase order was then archived.
What challenges arose from this?
RS: Matching the accounts payable document with the purchase order had to be done directly in Order Processing. If you do not regularly work with the program, as was the case in our accounts payable department, this can be very complex. This created major challenges, especially during holiday replacements and was highly prone to errors.
What improved with the introduction of the central invoice inbox?
RS: Invoice reconciliation with the purchase order is now carried out in the wizard of the central invoice inbox, which can be launched from Accounts Payable, Order Processing or Document Release. As a result, the accounts payable department can continue working in its familiar program and only needs to switch to Order Processing in exceptional cases. Buyers also no longer need to navigate into Accounts Payable and can remain within Order Processing. In addition, the central invoice inbox program is much easier to use, feels more user-friendly and is less technical.
“With Abacus, we work extremely flexibly, which would not be possible in this form with any other ERP software.”
Reto Sigg, CFO at Monolicht AG
Are there any additional advantages?
RS: Another advantage is the validation sets. They ensure that an invoice or purchase order can only be completed if it meets the validation criteria. For example, during the linking process it is checked whether the amounts, invoice creditor and purchase order number match.
How much manual effort is still required today?
RS: There are significantly fewer manual interventions, but there are still too many for my liking. Currently, we are at around 30 to 40 percent. My goal is that manual intervention will only be required for five percent of purchase orders — mainly for exceptional cases.
Would you recommend the central invoice inbox to other companies?
RS: Yes, absolutely. The revised central invoice inbox provides immediately noticeable added value in our daily work, right from the first rollout.
What are the next steps you are planning in connection with the Abacus Business Software?
RS: Automation is a major topic for us. In five years, I hope that purchase orders and invoice reconciliation will be processed automatically. Purchase orders should be sent automatically from disposition, so that buyers only need to handle exceptional cases. At the same time, accounting should only need to match purchase orders with documents in exceptional situations.
About Monolicht AG
Monolicht AG is managed by brothers Michael and Reto Sigg. The company was founded by their father in 1997. Since 2022, the company has been part of the TRILUX Group, while remaining completely independent and continuing under the management of Michael and Reto Sigg.
Reto Sigg
Since 2009, Reto Sigg has been responsible for the finances of Monolicht AG as CFO. He is passionate about topics such as artificial intelligence and is fascinated by optimised and cost-efficient processes that deliver the best customer service.