Vitelia: Extended Banking improves efficiency of bank statement processing

Based in northern Limburg, Vitelia is an agricultural cooperative that serves agricultural customers throughout the Netherlands. Its customer ranges from livestock farmers and plant and tree growers to customers in the arable and horticultural sectors.

Vitelia has been constantly optimizing its business processes over recent years, so its decision to work with the ERP system Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (Dynamics 365 F&O) was fully in line with this strategy, which also includes modernization. Choosing to integrate the add-on Extended Banking goes to show their commitment to continuous improvement and efficiency gains.

“‘Extended Banking is a breath of fresh air. It’s modern, it’s user-friendly, and it’s easy to learn how to work with it. Extended Banking saves us time while significantly reducing the margin of error.”  – Patricia Koppes, Head of financial administration

Patricia Koppes, Head of financial administration at Vitelia, said: ‘In implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, we were looking for a solution that could help us continue optimizing our business processes. Our Microsoft partner BESTMIX was in charge of implementation and now manages it. They also run the Extended Banking solution that we use.’

Vitelia has been reaping the benefits of switching Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O and integrated Extended Banking since day one. Riëlle Smits, a financial administration employee who works with Extended Banking on a daily basis, is just as positive about the switch as her colleague Patricia: ‘Extended Banking is a breath of fresh air. It’s modern, it’s user-friendly, and it’s easy to learn how to work with it. Extended Banking saves us time while significantly reducing the margin of error.’

The user-friendliness and intuitive design of the add-on also promoted rapid adoption among staff, ensuring a smooth transition that was fully embraced.

‘I genuinely didn’t realize Extended Banking was an add-on until I was invited to this interview,’ said Riëlle. ‘The Dynamics 365 integration is so seamless, and the look and feel so consistent, that it felt like an inherent part of Microsoft Dynamics F&O. New team members quickly learn how to use the system, which is a clear sign of its user-friendliness.’ The seamless integration of Extended Banking into the ERP system is a positive aspect of Extended Banking.

“It’s given us huge efficiency gains and it’s easy to use, so I’d say it’s a valuable addition to any business.” – Riëlle Smits, Financial administration employee

Vitelia has seen improvements after each of the regular updates to Extended Banking. ‘We’ve noticed a difference over the years,’ said Patricia. ‘The package has continued to evolve since 2019, when we first started integrating Dynamics 365 F&O and Extended Banking. We’ve since had a number of updates that have made working with Extended Banking even more efficient.

Feedback from users really helps to continuously develop Extended Banking.  This provides a solution that not only meets current requirements but also anticipates future needs. For instance, Middleware can be used to automatically import bank statements. The roadmap for 2024 includes the development of the capability to import bank statements directly from a bank’s SFTP location. Riëlle is particularly excited about that. ‘I’m delighted that we’ll soon no longer need to enter bank statements manually.

Patricia also stresses the importance of continuous innovation and improvement. ‘Every update brings us closer to a fully optimized system,’ she adds.

Vitelia is very pleased with Extended Banking. ‘It’s given us huge efficiency gains and it’s easy to use, so I’d say it’s a valuable addition to any business,’ said Riëlle.

Vitelia’s positive experience highlights Extended Banking’s flexibility, efficiency, and ease of use. Their story is therefore an example of how companies, regardless of the implementation partner for their Dynamics 365 Finance environment, can benefit from this solution. Extended Banking is an accessible and effective gateway to advanced financial technology for every company that uses Dynamics 365 F&O.  This is especially  true for organizations that are not customers of Microsoft partner Focus Enterprise Solutions but rather purchase their services from other partners.

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