Interview of TAdviser with the manager of IT projects of PSA Peugeot Citroën Anna Mlotok

Anna Mlotok: After entry into force of the law in 2012 which defined an electronic format of the consignment note TORG-12 and invoices in our company the decision to use the present possibility was made at once. We are the international company, and, as we know, in Europe electronic document management between legal entities is very widely developed and is for a long time used therefore our management understood all benefits of these changes. After successful experience of implementation of electronic document management within exchange of primary documentation with dealer network we faced a problem of lack of uniform point of entry for document retrieval and the subsequent providing them in the tax inspection. Also we understood that we have problems in our internal processes which proceed on paper: papers are not shifted from a table to a table, search of papers appears quite long process, and the most terrible - papers were lost.

Anna Mlotok: Cost reduction on storage of financial archive was primary task. As a result, it caused the idea of creation of the uniform centralized storage of finance documents. Also having looked at the internal processes, we came to a conclusion that we need to optimize process of approval of contractual documents, process of approval of requests for a business trip and expense reports and to lay the foundation for further process automation.

Anna Mlotok: Due to the need of project implementation in enough short time we looked for solution SaaS or to it similar. Also on start of the project, knowing our difficult technical structure, we assumed that we can face the technical restrictions connected with the proxy-server. Because our ERP system consists of a set of systems, one of which, of course, is SAP, we needed to consider all possibilities for future integration, as by means of API, and more primitive options, for example, file sharing, unloadings in Excel, etc.

Anna Mlotok: Due to the effective objectives we created the working group which part the main users of a system within the automated processes were. In the company the closed tender was started. We analyzed all offers in the market. Demonstrated systems to the main users. During demonstration special attention was paid to the system interface: it had to be to intuitive main users. Still existence of the localized version for foreign users and also an opportunity to manage independently localization of the set-up solution was important aspect when choosing. In addition we carried out tests by a technical part for response time of a system and also on a possibility of start of a system from our network, considering technical features and the fact that the EDMS server actually is in a cloud.

In terms of requirements to the company integrator to us positive experience of implementation of similar projects in other international companies was important.

The working group carried out the complex assessment of all offers in the market as a result of which the TESSA system and Syntellect company as vendor and the supplier of the solution was selected.

Anna Mlotok: In such project which is directed to rather big reduction of labor costs it is very difficult to do without explicit sabotage of employees. Unfortunately, I cannot tell what at us was without it. But in connection with the high involvement into the project of leadership team which, by the way, participated also in the working group we could overcome these difficulties in a short time.

Anna Mlotok: In terms of the user interface problems with adaptation were not, the interface simple and clear.

I would tell so: many employees considered that we have no problems in processes which we were going to automate, and they and without EDMS work ideally. Someone did not believe that transfer to e-document flow will solve really problems and will accelerate processes. However, after holding the obuchayushche-explaining meetings and also receiving independent experience with TESSA, all doubts in efficiency of EDMS were removed.

Anna Mlotok: For search of any finance documents and those which came to the company in paper form and then were scanned, and those which came via the EDMS, there is a uniform electronic storage now. It is very convenient.

Using a system we reduced labor costs by providing primary documentation in the tax inspection for 50%. Processes of approval of agreements, business trips, expense reports became transparent. Time of approval of agreements was reduced by 20%, business trips and expense reports - for 50%, labor costs on financial accounting of business trips and expense reports were reduced by 15%.

It should be noted that using EDMS TESSA we completely got rid of paper forms of expense reports and, according to the Letter of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 03-03-06/2/48232 of 8/20/2015, we will approve them exclusively in electronic form using the electronic digital signature now.

Agreements can be signed with our dealers and other partners who use the EDMS Diadoc in electronic form (in the presence of consent from the partner). In that case the paper version in process does not arise at any stage. As an indicative example our first electronic agreement in TESSA was signed with our vendor – Syntellect company.

Anna Mlotok: At the moment a system is completely integrated with the certified operator of e-document flow the Diadoc regarding exchange of documents and data on partners. It allows to sign, send and receive the documents signed by the partner directly from/in EDMS.

Interaction with the accounting system of SAP, so far, unfortunately, only in a semi-automatic mode because of technical difficulties in completion of SAP on our party is also configured.

Anna Mlotok: Yes, of course. When choosing a system we initially looked for a product which will be able to give us a basis for further development of e-document flow in our company. It and new document types for financial archive, and new business processes. At least 3 processes already stand in a queue on automation using TESSA.

Specialists of our company underwent the certified training in setup and development of solutions at the TESSA platform therefore, perhaps, we will execute a part of works on automation by our own forces.