Ekaterina Udaltsova: Thanks to Directum we increased labor productivity by a quarter

Ekaterina Udaltsova: Business Askona is vertically integrated, distributed territorially and at the same time very quickly grows, in the company at the same time more than 3 thousand employees work. It is logical that the flow of paper documents constantly grew in the company, and routes of their movement became complicated. As approval and document handling was executed on paper, this process became difficult, long and badly managed. Inevitably there came the moment when the management set the object of optimization and workflow automation. Increase in efficiency due to use of EDMS, creation of electronic archive of documents with convenient search, adherences to deadlines of approval and control of documents at all stages of lifecycle and also the operational reporting became the main tasks.

TAdviser: The Russian market of the EDMS systems already rather mature, systems is offered quite a lot, and the largest of them are functionally very perfect. Why you stopped the choice on the Directum platform?

Ekaterina Udaltsova: Initially we had specific requirements to a system among which, for example, convenient storages and easy document retrieval, flexible routing, creation of analytical reports, the high level of security and also ability to integrate with already used systems of business process modeling "Business Studio" and "Galaktika ERP". As partners in implementation first of all the companies with wide experience of implementation of electronic document management systems and also having experience with the Galaktika ERP system and experience of integration of these systems were considered. After expert market research of software products a choice for benefit of an electronic document management system and interaction of Directum was made. Rendering implementation services of a system was entrusted the official partner of Directum company and Galaktika corporation – Tyumbit-ASU Ltd.

TAdviser: As far as we know, after the initial meeting with integrator, Tyumbit-ASU Ltd, you made the decision to keep the project far off, and not only successfully solved assigned tasks thus, but also organized distance learning of employees. Tell, please, in more detail about this unique experience.

Ekaterina Udaltsova: Specialists of system integrator met us and conducted necessary examination "internally", and the joint decision to keep the project far off was really made further. Modern technologies allow to conduct remote work. As our company is territorially distributed, for us was not a problem to transfer this experience for work on the project. All work passed on our servers, through terminal access, and here training took place using the Microsoft Lync Server program which allows to organize conferences about use of audio-, video means of communication and demonstration of the PC screen. We even set up a record in communications - training of group of 40 people using Microsoft Lync Server by two trainers at the same time. I can tell that this experience was very successful.

TAdviser: Let's talk about functionality of the implemented EDMS. What can it at the moment? What divisions use it in daily work? As far as I know, ASCON has branches in the different cities how the connectivity of a system with them is provided?

Ekaterina Udaltsova: At the moment in a system the following functionality is implemented: Work with organizational and administrative documentation I using system modules "Management of electronic documents", "Management of business processes", Office. Also started in a system processes of preparation and approval of agreements in the module "Contract management", configured process approval of requests for payment and transferred archive of finance documents to an electronic form.

One of the most important issues which needed to be solved during the project - delivery of images of documents from the user to a system. The company is located in all territory of Russia. Access for users to resources of the company is provided via the terminal. Therefore for delivery of documents it was decided to use service of input of documents from e-mail. A system receives through mail documents on the specified types and document numbers ties to cards, in case of failure sends notices for error correction.

In daily work of EDMS use all divisions of the company without exception. At the same time the majority of documents are not accepted in work without approval in EDMS Directum.

TAdviser: The EDMS and ERP systems in your company are integrated. How close this integration what data they exchange and what it gives?

Ekaterina Udaltsova: Really, we needed to resolve an issue of optimal work with reference books. In the unrolled EDMS there is, probably, no reference book where there would be less than one hundred records. And the biggest of reference books – on clients, includes more than 200 thousand records. Therefore synchronization of the main reference books of EDMS "Directum" with the Galaktika ERP system was implemented, namely: partners, agreements, items of expenditure, employees, centers of responsibility, division. For integration used the mechanism of a call of system interfaces "Galaktika ERP" through COM objects. For convenient and operational management of process we added the notification, corrected existing and made new specific reports.

TAdviser: Whether were during the project some technical moments over which the project team had to break the head? Perhaps, some unique functionality was implemented? Please, tell about it in more detail.

Ekaterina Udaltsova: We consider our project rather difficult and unique. First, it covers several thousands of employees and also interaction from nearly 220 thousand clients: only their loading in a system continued more than a day. The second feature consists that EDMS covered very big extensive network of our divisions. It is non-standard how I already told above, there was also a cooperation with our partners in implementation: as our head office is in the city of Kovrov, and partners – in Tyumen, we conducted the most part of the project far off. Also it would be desirable to note that work of employees is organized via the server of terminals (for attachment of files to cards of documents the service of input from e-mail was used. A system processes more than 1.5 thousand primary documents a day.

TAdviser: May you designate the real advantages reached from transition to new EDMS already now?

Ekaterina Udaltsova: Advantages on the person, today the company does not represent the work without EDMS, it became one of the major information systems, we use the greatest possible functionality of a system. The company suffered practically at once advantages of work in a system. Fall forward of approval of documents for 50% and also speeds of delivery of tasks to final contractors for 50% became one of the first reached advantages. All tasks are delivered to final contractors in day of an exit of a task.

We note fall forward on document retrieval for 80%: now time expenditure on search of the necessary document does not exceed 1 minutes. Risk of loss of information it was reduced by 99%. The labor productivity level of one administrator was not less than 1 thousand documents a month. Now this time is spent on accomplishment of other more important functions. Thus labor productivity increased by 25%.

TAdviser: Do you have plans for development of a system? What would you like to finish in it?

Ekaterina Udaltsova: In the next plans implementation in the Directum system of more advanced instruments of work with clients. In particular, we plan that functioning of regional representative offices with the uniform customer base, control of work of responsibles for customer interaction will be ensured. Also in a system carrying out the automatic marketing companies and promotion actions will be implemented that as we calculate, Askona in general will bring work with clients to absolutely new qualitative level.