Interview with the project manager of automation of data entry "Gazprom Gazenergoset" Alexey Kasatkin

Alexey Kasatkin: We consider the most effective creation of the uniform center of scanning and verification that would allow regions and the central office to work with the general electronic archive

TAdviser: How do you estimate the Russian market of software products for automation of electronic document management? As far as solution, provided on it, are adequate to real requirements of the companies and enterprises?

Alexey Kasatkin: The market of products for the organization of electronic document management is rather big, and for the last ten years he strongly grew up. It is characteristic that the majority of solutions Russian (though platforms often foreign). The direct contact with domestic developers considerably simplifies implementation of their software products.

Pleasantly and what in a pursuit of necessary functionality developers do not forget about modern design and the friendly interface – the fact that in a circle of specialists "usability" is called. The majority of the software products presented at the market are quite presentable, convenient in work and are pleasant for an eye.

As for adequacy, – yes, software products quite correspond to business needs. Within the last research we analyzed about 20 products. Found out that on any of them it is possible to implement a corporate system of electronic document management. Naturally, not on boxed option, and with necessary for commercial operation completions in the specific company.

TAdviser: Whether the Gazprom Gazenergoset company has specifics in respect of the organization of electronic document management and what it consists in?

Alexey Kasatkin: The specifics, of course, are, as well as at any company. The first feature – lack of a single system of workflow automation. Historically the situation developed so that in the company three EDMS on three different platforms function. One automates internal document flow, the second – contract activities in the company and the third – accounting document flow. One more feature is that the main source of all key data for the information systems functioning in the company is a system "1C: Management of manufacturing enterprise" (further "1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management"), therefore close integration with this system – one of the main requirements to the implemented EDMS.

TAdviser: Let's talk about projects which you implemented. Recently you announced the project on data entry automation. What task faced you?

Alexey Kasatkin: We needed to automate processing of the entering and outgoing primary accounting documentation. After preproject inspection the decision to implement a system "EFSOL was made : Loading of documents CORP" based on the system of stream input of data AbbyyFlexiCapture.

The main objectives implemented in this system:

• Scanning of the processed outgoing documents on paper carrier and attachment the scan copy to the relevant electronic document in "1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management";
• Scanning, recognition and formation of electronic documents in "1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management" from incoming documents;
• Comparison the scan copy of the incoming document with the relevant document in "1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management".

TAdviser: With what solutions / products of other vendors the system of stream input is integrated? What problems it was necessary to face at an integration stage how they were resolved?

Alexey Kasatkin: Integration with systems functioning into the companies, certainly, one of the most difficult stages of implementation of the new software product. Often, as in our case, not only completion of the implemented product, but also completion of the systems which are in commercial operation is required.

In this project only integration into "1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management" was required for us. All integration problems were successfully solved thanks to flexibility of the implemented product and professionalism of a project team.

TAdviser: How does all technology chain which there passes the document look to appear in electronic archive?

Alexey Kasatkin: In a system several scenarios of work are implemented. The standard scenario looks as follows:

• All entering primary documents are marked by barcodes;
• The responsible gets for these documents of a card in the 1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management system;
• Further all document package is scanned and is included in the AbbyyFlexiCapture system for recognition;
• A system automatically selects the necessary fields, will recognize them, controls correctness of information: existence of obligatory details, data validation from a table part of the document. If the name of the nomenclature in the document does not match the name in the reference book, the program offers the most suitable option from the reference book that allows to avoid the errors connected with a human factor;
• Data retrieveds are exported to "1C: Manufacturing Enterprise Management" and wiring forms.

For some document types automatic recognition of key fields with the subsequent entering of results in a card is also implemented. Such documents in addition undergo the procedure of verification before preserving.

TAdviser: What divisions also for what purpose use electronic archive of primary finance documents today?

Alexey Kasatkin: The main customer and the user of a system - Management of accounting and taxation in management company. This division uses electronic archive first of all for quick search and preparation of documents during audits, and checks of IFTS. By our estimates, by the way, search time thanks to implementation of electronic archive was reduced approximately twice. The possibility of the organization of similar technology and in subsidiaries is in the long term considered.

TAdviser: There are specific plans for replication of the solution on regional network?

Alexey Kasatkin: We consider this project as pilot. In the next few years we are going to replicate the implemented solution on regional divisions of the company. In what configuration it is still finally not solved. We consider the most effective creation of the uniform center of scanning and verification that would allow regions and the central office to work with the general electronic archive. But this solution requires additional inspection.

TAdviser: What difficulties it was necessary to face at an operational phase of a system of stream input? Whether additional personnel training was required?

Alexey Kasatkin: Training was required. We planned it even during initiation of the project. Today the staff of three departments works with the AbbyyFlexiCapture program, and each department works according to the scenario that needed to be considered during training preparation.

The first complexity which we faced in the first month of commercial operation – the underestimated volume of documents with which our users work. Because of it it was necessary to buy in addition quickly software licenses, and afterwards also the additional scanner for stream scanning.

TAdviser: What volume of electronic archive? Its growth rates? How often upgrade of a storage system at the hardware level is required?

Alexey Kasatkin: The electronic archive includes about 1 million documents today and occupies 120 GB of disk space. The actual monthly gain – about 100 thousand scans (50 thousand documents). Need of upgrade of a hardware component is estimated every year, but on average upgrade is performed every two years – in a planned order.

TAdviser: Whether there are problems with ABBYY FlexiCapture performance?

Alexey Kasatkin: We spent a lot of time for thin setup, search of the correct balance between quality of the scan and time of scanning and also accuracy and time of recognition of documents. It was quite difficult process – it was necessary even to change several business process that employees had not to wait for completion of scanning or recognition of documents. But we found golden mean, and now there are no problems with performance. We regularly hold additional system testing.

TAdviser: Whether it is possible to estimate cost efficiency of technologies of electronic document management in digits?

Alexey Kasatkin: This question regularly emerges at a stage of making decision on project implementation. Quantitative efficiency evaluation in projects of workflow automation practically is always under construction on two indicators: economy of costs for office supplies and economy of working time of employees. However, when you speak to Business how many man-hours you will save, it is necessary to be ready to a question – how many people you will be able to reduce? Therefore emphasis needs to be placed on qualitative indexes nevertheless: increase in controllability of the company, transparency of business processes, reliability of information storage etc. And the released working time of employees can be directed to solutions of other operational tasks.

TAdviser: What plans for upgrade of technologies of electronic document management in the company? In what directions development is planned?

Alexey Kasatkin: At present the project on workflow automation in subsidiaries is initiated. We are going to organize a single system for all group with automation of all key business processes affecting document flow. The pilot project starts in 2016.

At a stage of the idea there is a project of the organization of the uniform center of scanning and verification. If everything works well as we plan, and the project will be initiated, then for its implementation, relying on successful experience, first of all we will consider products of Abbyy company.