SPOBIS GmbH's fast, efficient and personalised onboarding experience with Pleo

When SPOBIS GmbH, a Hamburg-based company that organises the world’s biggest sports business conference, needed a new spend management solution, they knew they also needed an efficient, personalised onboarding process. 

We spoke with Tom Böttger, Digital Manager at SPOBIS, to find out more about why they chose Pleo, and how our streamlined onboarding process helped SPOBIS get up and running in record time.

Seeking consistency and connection

When onboarding with a previous solution, Tom found it was difficult to achieve any kind of consistency with their dedicated customer success contact. “What caused frustration was that sometimes in the middle of onboarding, they simply stopped responding, and no new person was assigned to handle our account.”

From this experience, Tom knew consistency and clarity during onboarding were key when looking for a new platform. But he also wanted to work with a provider who could help them become operational as quickly as possible. “It was especially important that we didn’t have a transitional period where we’d have to wait another month for credit cards to arrive,” explained Tom. 

The spend management system that ticked all the boxes? Pleo.

Fast, efficient onboarding — Pleo style

Before committing to a new solution, SPOBIS’s accounting and controlling departments were a little apprehensive, especially when it came to splitting amounts and different tax rates.

The way to calm their nerves?  Pleo’s pre-onboarding sessions… 

Pre-onboarding sessions

Pleo set up pre-onboarding sessions, designed to clear up any questions or concerns. “That was great, and it meant we went into the onboarding feeling relaxed, since all those fundamental issues had already been resolved,” said Tom.  

And from the moment SPOBIS was ready to move forward, things moved really fast. “On the day after my initial conversation with Pleo, I sat there and thought ‘Wow, we can actually start now’, which was a very, very good sign.”

Seamless onboarding 

One of the aspects of Pleo’s onboarding process that Tom and the SPOBIS team appreciated the most was the personal service and attention to detail. “Having someone who knows the tool well and guides you through it, that’s really key,” explained Tom. 

Even as someone who deals with plenty of digital tools in his position, Tom appreciated the level of detail provided by Pleo’s assisted onboarding. “With new tool introductions, it's often the case that at the beginning there are a lot of ‘if this happens, can we do that?’ questions.” 

Pleo’s onboarding manager answered all of those questions and more, alongside providing personalised support to SPOBIS’s accounting team as they familiarised themselves with the different functionalities of the platform. “It was good to have a contact person from Pleo who could maintain an overview, alleviate fears, and answer any questions professionally,” explained Tom. 

Getting up and running fast

Thanks to Pleo’s seamless onboarding experience, SPOBIS was able to get everything set up in record time. 

“On the first day after we introduced Pleo, a colleague came up to me and asking for help, and I just said, ‘Yeah, private expenses, you can enter them in the app,’ and he clicked through it while I was standing there and was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s actually idiot-proof.’ I think that really speaks for Pleo.”

Smart features that boost efficiency 

Once onboarding was complete, it didn’t take long for the SPOBIS team to start realising the benefits of Pleo. 

In terms of efficiency, Tom mentioned that having dedicated vendor cards was a huge driver. “Now, we no longer have to pre-account for all the subscriptions,” he explained.

Another benefit is Pleo’s receipt-finding companion, Fetch. “I get a notification, and the invoice is there after five minutes,” said Tom. He also added that this function ensures receipts always end up where they’re supposed to, even if someone forgets to add their receipts. “Automation is always better than doing it manually,” said Tom.   

Pleo takes the stress out of spend management 

Thanks to Pleo’s fast, personal, and efficient onboarding, SPOBIS can enjoy all the benefits of a modern spend management solution. 

If you’re ready to see what smarter expense management can look like, Pleo’s speedy onboarding helps you get up and running as soon as possible. To get started, book a demo and discover what Pleo can do for your company.