In an era defined by technological advancements and a growing awareness of environmental sustainability, achieving significant milestones in both efficiency and eco-friendliness is a cause for celebration.
Today, KAUST Facilities Management (FM) celebrates the remarkable milestone of processing 10,000 invoices using its automated invoicing system. Not only has this system transformed the way we manage our financial transactions, but it has also spearheaded a profound reduction in our environmental footprint.
The FM Invoicing System was conceptualized and developed within FM with the aim of minimizing manual intervention and reducing processing times in the invoicing procedure. Prior to the implementation of this system, processing a single invoice required approximately three (3) hours of valuable employee time. As we hit the 10,000-invoice milestone, we now process each invoice in just one (1) hour. The accumulated time savings have reached a staggering 20,000 hours, which equates to a colossal increase in productivity. This means our team can now focus on more strategic, value-adding tasks.
Beyond the immense time savings, the shift towards automation has also significantly reduced the paper consumption. Before the implementation of the invoicing system an average of 10 pages was consumed for each invoice. With 10,000 invoices under the belt, that would have amounted to a whopping 100,000 sheets of paper. However, with the new invoicing system, FM have now gone entirely paperless.
To put this into perspective, producing 100,000 sheets of paper typically requires about 2,000 kWh of energy and requires over eight (8) trees (from new sources). By eliminating this demand for paper, the invoicing system has contributed to a reduction of 6,000kg in FM’s carbon footprint; achieved from the savings in the energy required to create the paper and disposing of it in landfill eight (8) times*. This is equivalent to taking approximately 500 passenger vehicles off the road for a year or powering more than 1,000 homes for a month.
As FM celebrates the successful processing of 10,000 invoices, FM look ahead to the future with great anticipation. Our journey doesn’t end here; it merely marks the beginning of FM’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. FM will continue to explore ways to enhance its automated processes and to reduce its environmental impact even further.
* On average, paper can be recycled seven (7) times.