Vlasic International Payment Pickle Solved by Bottomline Technologies
Campbell Soup Spin-off Vlasic Benefits from Bottomline's Souped-up Payroll, Purchasing and Distribution Solution
Tuesday March 2, 6:29 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
PORTSMOUTH, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 1999-- Bottomline Technologies (NASDAQ:EPAY - news), the NH-based provider of payment management solutions, today announced that Vlasic International (NYSE:VL - news) has launched PayBase® - Payment Server32 in its Michigan, Delaware, and Canada-based business divisions. Bottomline's PayBase 32 - LaserCheck® system will manage payroll for over 4,500 international Vlasic staff members. In addition, PayBase will print purchase orders, bills of lading and invoices for the Company's North American operating facilities.
''We're excited about working with Vlasic International and assisting them in bringing a complete solution to their North American production facilities,'' said Bottomline Technologies President and Co-Founder Dan McGurl. ''Bottomline's PayBase 32 will enable Vlasic to create business documents as well as send payments, effectively closing the loop on electronic and paper-based transactions. This partnership reflects our commitment to deliver customized vertical market applications, and to expanding our position in the food and beverage industry.''
Phase One of Vlasic's PayBase 32 installation, completed last month, included all North American production facilities. Subsequent phased implementations included the Swanson Frozen Food Division, which operates plants in Nebraska and Arkansas; Vlasic Farms located in Evansville, PA; and the company's New Jersey corporate headquarters. Upon full deployment, 7 sites in North America will utilize the PayBase - LaserCheck solution to produce 54,000 A/P checks, 10,000 invoices, and 10,000 purchase orders per year. The PayBase 32 payroll application will interface directly with Vlasic's PeopleSoft Human Resources package to produce over 250,000 payroll checks each year.
PayBase 32 - Check Fraud Avoidance (CFA), installed enterprise-wide in December, provides Vlasic International with built-in security by interfacing with their bank's Positive Pay system. Bottomline's PayBase - CFA sends a data file to the bank with information on all checks issued. The bank matches all checks presented to the computerized records, with all exceptions resolved before payment is authorized.
Bottomline Technologies was the unanimous choice over several competitors to win the contract for software and implementation services. ''Very few retailing packages offer sophisticated printing and formatting technology, and virtually none provide Bottomline's diverse EDI, payroll and direct deposit capabilities,'' remarked Jim Petragnani, Manager of Supply Chain Applications for Vlasic International. ''We chose Bottomline not only for the robustness of their product, but also for their approach to our critical project deadline. They took the time to understand Vlasic's core business needs, and they met our forms requirements within a tight timeframe.''
PayBase EDI Tools
PayBase 32 works in conjunction with Vlasic's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) BPCS package from System Software Associates. The BPCS package, installed at all North American sites, manages the Company's entire manufacturing and distribution supply chain, financials, and electronic commerce systems. PayBase 32, installed at Vlasic's NJ headquarters, provides a gateway for faxing, mailing, or electronically transmitting ordering and purchasing documents. Bottomline's software downloads data from the BPCS-generated spool file, and then prints vendor checks, invoices, purchase orders, and bills of lading. A multi-lingual invoicing application enables the Company to provide these documents to Vlasic customers in French-speaking Canada.
As Mr. Petragnani remarks, ''Our varied product line means that we work with many vendors - some are EDI-capable and some must receive PO's non-electronically. The PayBase installation provides us with the capability to transmit our documents in virtually any format - whether email, fax or hard copy. The product ensures a clear and error-free communication pipeline with suppliers, uses existing resources wisely, and helps us meet our production goals.''
System Benefits
In addition to LaserCheck and CFA, Vlasic may utilize more of the product's electronic transmittal capabilities in the future. PayBase 32 provides users with a reliable and manageable infrastructure for creating either electronic payments or EDI transmittals from any existing program or application. PayBase supports all standard EDI transaction sets, and provides Internet-form capabilities that can be tailored to specific vertical market requirements, such as the food services industry. Sending purchase orders and invoices via EDI can integrate well with electronic payments, and provides the organization with lowered processing costs and a faster, more efficient process.
About Vlasic International
Vlasic International, a Fortune 700 company with annual sales last year reported at $1.5 billion, operates 21 plants in five countries and employs over 9,000 professionals. The Company's product profile includes Swanson frozen foods, Vlasic pickles, Open Pit barbecue sauce and Vlasic Farms Mushrooms. Overseas holdings include SonA canned goods and Freshbake frozen foods in the United Kingdom, Kattus gourmet specialty foods in Germany, and Swift meats and Pate' spreads in Argentina. Vlasic International is traded on the NYSE under the symbol ''VL.''
About Bottomline Technologies
Bottomline Technologies® (NASDAQ:EPAY - news) is a leading provider of enterprise-wide payment management and integration solutions. The Company's PayBase® - Payment Server32 suite enables organizations to transition from the traditional paper check process to electronic payments and to engage in electronic commerce. PayBase, an NT-native package, provides customers with a single platform from which to execute, control, and manage all payment functions. Bottomline's solutions are utilized by over 2,000 organizations representing every major industry sector, from education, government and healthcare to finance, manufacturing, and retail. The Company has received numerous industry awards, and has been ranked for the last three years on Inc. Magazine's list of America's fastest growing companies. Founded in 1989, Bottomline maintains it's headquarters in Portsmouth, NH and has satellite offices located in most major cities. For more information, dial (800) 243-2528 or visit Bottomline on the web at www.bottomline.com.
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Contact:
Bottomline Technologies PR
Ellen Backus, Lisa Heckel
(603) 436-0700
pr@bottomline.com
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