More digital target for the painting group

Craft businesses are generally curious about new technologies and willing to invest in better solutions, but the drive to change has not covered all areas.
Administrative work has long been an unpainted patch in terms of innovation.
But within the Hagblom Group - and many of their industry peers - the era of paper is starting to be phased out in earnest and replaced by electronic documents.
- "We are working hard to increase digitization in all our companies in the group," says Magdalena Nilsson, IT coordinator at the Hagblom Group.

The parent company of the Hagblom Group is based in Kalmar, but the entire group itself is spread out from Gimo in the north to Karlshamn in Blekinge in the south. In total, there are 26 companies active in painting, flooring, industrial painting and specialized trade.
The geographical spread means that technically speaking, reliable functions are needed that eliminate the need to physically travel between the companies. The solution in Hagblomgruppen's case is that all their companies send invoices directly from Hantverksdata's business system Entré with InExchange.
- "Everyone finds it easy to work with," says Magdalena Nilsson.

Financial assistants in all companies

One of the Hagblom Group's policies is that each acquired or newly started company has its own local identity. If the company name is rooted in the area, it is allowed to remain. The recognition factor is considered so important. Magdalena believes that the concept creates an exciting hybrid between small business and group operations.
- "We think it's a good way to do business," she says.
But even though the model is small-scale to some extent, there is a clear central organizational framework. In principle, all companies are equipped with financial assistants. Some share financial assistants with other companies in the group, but there is always a manager in that role.
- They handle invoicing, they receive supplier invoices and do the accounting on site. We see an advantage in having that kind of spider in the web at each company. These financial assistants do a lot themselves, but we in the group have a kind of overview. There are so many digital invoices going in and out these days that it has become easy for us in the group to get a good overview.

Safer and faster

As we continue to talk about digital invoice flow and the benefits it has brought, Magdalena lists examples like a river.
- "You don't have the dilemma of having invoices that fall through the cracks, that get left on a table or in a car and risk disappearing. In principle, an invoice that is read in electronically can never disappear. It stays where it is," she begins and continues:
- "It's also quicker to get the invoices into the system. They are entered even if they have not yet been certified. Thanks to the fact that they come in early in the project, it is also faster to invoice the project because you know that all costs have been entered.
Magdalena also touches on the fact that distances become irrelevant.
- You are not dependent on a particular employee being on site. "If a financial assistant is ill, I can help out from here in Kalmar. Previously, our economists at Hagblomgruppen went out to the offices when it was time for the financial statements to look in binders at incoming supplier invoices. This was for both interim and annual accounts. Today, we solve this digitally.
Of course, there are still trips between the companies, but with a different purpose.
- Now we have more time to talk about other things with site managers, financial assistants and craftsmen. Before, it was because you had to see the invoices. In that sense, there has been a huge difference in just the last few years. It's an incredible advantage.

Valuable comparisons

The good overview, as Magdalena mentioned earlier, also creates the conditions to compare the companies' different purchases against each other and possibly find unnecessarily large variations.
- "By seeing which invoices come in to the companies, we can set up and review prices without having to disturb each office. For example, what does Jönköping pay for a certain product compared to the company in Kalmar and so on. Easily producing comparative figures is really relevant. For us as a group, such possibilities mean huge benefits.
With its purposeful digitization on the administrative side, the Hagblom Group is a model example in a business sector where invoice management otherwise easily rolls along in the same rut. Magdalena Nilsson was previously a financial assistant in the group before she was employed in the group as an IT coordinator mainly to digitize time reporting.
- "I started with that four years ago. Since then I have continued to work with digitization. We operate in an industry that has traditionally used a lot of paper. This includes work orders, invoices, supplier invoices, timesheets and everything else. We want to reduce that amount as much as possible," concludes Magdalena.