The automated system of input of documents works in Sabmiller with RUS

The TerraLink company completed an implementation project of an automated system of input and archiving of primary financial documentation for Sabmiller RUS LLC

At once to a result

The Sabmiller RUS LLC company accepted the automated system under approval and archiving of primary financial documentation constructed based on the SAP products Document Access and SAP Workflow in operation.

A system saves time of processing of financial documentation, provides online access to documents during audit and allows to control process of approval of the document at any stage. The solution successfully functions at the central office of the company in Moscow and in three regional departments: Kaluga, Ulyanovsk and Vladivostok. At the moment processes of passing of payments, transfers of prepayment are automated, process of scanning and archiving of contracts is implemented.

Customer Feedback

Roan Kammingz, the director of finance and control of Sabmiller RUS LLC, noted: "Thanks to full translation of payment processes in an electronic form, including stages of approval and a statement, system implementation allowed to reduce time of processing of accounts significantly. Because need to send originals of documents by mail through the whole country disappeared, and the automated processes of a system allowed to consider and control each stage, the efficiency increased, and control amplified. Improvement of these indicators, in turn, led to reduction of number of the employees involved in processing of primary financial documentation for 40%, having saved at the same time former volumes of document handling (7000 sets a month)".

Integrator about the project

In opinion Oleg Fedotov, the head of practice SAP TerraLink, the solution for the company Sabmiller RUS LLC based on a product SAP Document Access allowed to solve successfully the main objectives on process of passing of payments, and after two months of operation to see serious business result. Within the project the uniform transaction hub on document handling based on the Kaluga branch was created that allowed to reduce the price of process of passing of payments significantly.

The TerraLink company offered the automation system of management of primary payment documents of suppliers based on the SAP products Document Access by OpenText (including Archive Server by OpenText) and SAP Business Workflow.

Functionality of a system

The solution implemented using specified a component automates transactions of scanning, archiving of images of primary accounting documents, their subsequent binding to SAP ERP business objects and also managements of originals of documents of corporate archive on paper carriers. During implementation of the solution development and setup of such functions as printing and scanning of barcodes, management of flows of works (workflow), the reporting was required.

Important part of functionality of the solution is the possibility of a mass press of documents at the request of the user. In the resulting selection documents on the set partner, payment dates and other criteria, regardless of the document format can be selected.

Criteria for benefit of the choice of the solution:

Being division of global corporation where SAP ERP is the standard of management of corporate resources, the Sabmiller Rus LLC Company considered solutions only on the SAP ERP platform. The choice for benefit of the SAP product Document Access by OpenText was determined by a complex of technical and organizational factors which the following is among:

• The accessibility to an image of the business document directly in a working human window of SAP ERP without an exit from GUI in applications of the third producers;
• Existence of the mechanism of dynamic folders which allows to display business content in a direct connection with a business context of work of the user;
• Unlimited scalability by the number of users, structure of tasks and copies of flows of works, types of the processed documents;
• Implementation in basic functionality of a product of all regular scenarios of work of SAP ArchiveLink on archiving of primary documents;
• Existence of the built-in industrial system of scanning supporting recognition of barcodes of the main formats;
• Possibility of expansion of functionality, implementation of specific tasks of the user using means of ABAP and existence of API;
• Delivery and technical support of a product from the uniform center – the Moscow office SAP CIS;
• Existence of the qualified command which is capable to implement and support effectively the solution – TerraLink companies.

Feature of the project

Professional use of all product capabilities. This Russia's first SAP implementation of Document Access by OpenText in which all basic functionality of a product was most fully used. Extremely short terms of implementation. Phase 2 was implemented only in 3 months, at the same time all project tasks of the Phase were carried out completely – key business processing of payment documents was implemented

Project Steps

Each phase (stage) of the project received code names according to industry specifics of the Company. The project was implemented in 4 phases:

• Golden Barrel (Phase 1) - Analysis of a current status, structuring and formalization of needs of business users.
• Golden Barrel 2 (Phase 2) - Development and deployment of the solution, automation of business processing of payment documents.
• Golden Barrel Universal Process (Phase 3) – Scaling of the solution, its unification and adaptation for processing of other types of business documents.
• Golden Barrel Records Management (Phase 4) - Development of the system of management of corporate archive of originals of documents on paper carriers, completion of processing of primary accounting documents according to new requirements of the customer.

Success factors

• 1. Interest from business. The business guide of the Customer continuously controlled the project course, gave all necessary organizational and technical support. During the project there were never any idle times in connection with non-presentation of necessary information in due time, delays of approval and document approval, etc.
• 2. Readiness of the Customer for project implementation. The project was well prepared from the Customer. In the structure of project team qualified employees of the Customer were selected. By the time of the beginning of the project the Customer formulated his main objectives and tasks and also a functional and organizational framework was defined. All this significantly reduced time costs on the first project phase and simplified system implementation in general at the subsequent stages.
• 3. Harmonious work of a command. Specialists of the Customer and the Contractor worked as a uniform command. The project manager from the Customer managed to create the creative working atmosphere that was shown in everything – from planning of meetings before successful work on acceptance tests.
• 4. Qualification of the Contractor. From the Contractor on the project were the necessary number of employees who had the corresponding qualification and experience of similar projects is selected, there took place the corresponding trainings, were not afraid to solve the arising technical problems.

The solution successfully functions at the central office of the company in Moscow and in three regional departments: Kaluga, Ulyanovsk and Vladivostok. At the moment work with a System:

• accountants who use the Solution for review and processings of payment documents
• linear and leading employees of the Company which provide primary finance documents and/or are involved in processes of their approval, approval, adjustment and control
• managers of purchasing departments, sales
• marketing departments, production, administrative and others.

The total quantity of users of the Solution exceeds 200 people.

The solution for Sabmiller RUS LLC company based on the SAP product Document Access by OpenText allowed to solve successfully the main objectives on processing of primary financial documentation, and after two months of operation to see serious business result.

The main metrics for efficiency evaluation of the project became:

• wages fund of accounting and financial services,
• the overheads connected with transfer of paper documents from regional departments
• average time of payment of accounts.

By all criteria significant cost reduction is observed. An important organizational project deliverable is standardization of process of registration, input and processing of primary finance documents in all divisions of the Company.

The task to provide high efficiency of functioning of the implemented Solution was also set for the Contractor. For its solution Contractor provided training of employees of the Customer and organized service support of the Solution.

Business benefits of a system

• Reduction of time of processing. After implementing solution time of execution of payment process of accounts, processings of other documents was reduced by 1.5 - 2 times. Now it is not required to send the document by mail or to the fax for acceleration of its processing – it is available to viewing directly from the SAP ERP interface.
• Visualization of a status of the document. All process of passing of the document from the moment of its receipt of input in a system before transfer on processing to the responsible became absolutely transparent. Always it is possible to know on what processing stage there is this or that document.
• Simple procedures of the reporting. The accountant should not spend time for a manual selection, scanning, registration and document transfer at the request of the controlling services now – search, formation the report, printing and transfer of documents (optionally) can be executed automatically.
• Clear document registration. The single system of registration, input and processing of primary documents is implemented and works that allows to simplify and strengthen control, reduces time and costs for preparation new and retraining of the existing employees.
• Increase in job satisfaction. The satisfaction of work of employees from work with a corporate automated system increased, processings were reduced during audits and checks.

Quantitative results: Reduction of number of the employees involved in processing of primary financial documentation for 40% during the preserving and even increase of volumes of document handling – not less than 7000 sets a month.

Qualitative results

• Significant reduction of time of processing of the entering accounts.
• Significant overhead reduction, the paper documents connected with transfer from regional departments.
• Control procedures became simpler, there were more opportunities for control of financial discipline and obligation fulfillment before partners.
• Part of employees is reorientated to more productive, in terms of business of the Company, work.
• Increase in reputation of the Company, improvement of its relations with partners.
• Increase in efficiency of accounting, financial services, Companies in general.