Business process automation on work with primary consignment documents

The complete solution integrating possibilities of Docsvision, SAP R3 and ABBYY Recognition Server.

About Ferrero company

Ferrero's companies – one of the world's largest producers of confectionery products which is present at more than 100 countries of the world. The Ferrero confectionery in Russia is in the Vladimir region (village of Vorsha) - it is a modern production and logistic complex with a total area of 80,000 sq.m where the last achievements of Ferrero in the field of the organization of high technology production are used.

Premises of development of the project

Systematic increase in intensity of transactions in transport logistics, expansion of the list of transport companies – logistic partners and also need of operational providing documents on demand were premises for automation of process of accounting of return of consignment documents. Tasks of this project were simplification of an archiving process of documents, reduction of long terms of request processing on information and copies of documents and also minimization of errors at manual entry and data processing. All transportations of goods to direct clients and distributors from a warehouse of Ferrero are performed by the logistic partner companies. The general scheme of interaction is provided on fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Scheme of sending goods to customers and distributors from a warehouse of Ferrero

The scheme of processing of logistic documents to solution development looked as follows:

The company management made the decision on need of automation of the routine processes connected with processing and storage of consignment documents. Optimization of work with main types of the documents received from the customer was required: the consignment note, the commodity-transport delivery note and printed forms of the documents received from clients. It was necessary to develop the solution which would simplify work and facilitated process of interaction of the interested divisions (department of transport planning, group of warehouse administration, accounting and operators of archive) and also provided the solution of the following tasks:

• creation of electronic archive of documentation;
• automation of input and processing of document packages;
• a possibility of fast report generation (both at office, and on production);
• possibility of operational providing copies of documents on demand.

The choice of the platform for solution development

Since 2012 at the Moscow office and on Ferrero confectionery in the Vladimir region the solution "Approval of Agreements" on the Docsvision platform which included 150 workers Moscow and regional offices successfully functions. Therefore the stage of the project on automation of work with logistic documents is also decided to be implemented on the Docsvision platform.

Uniqueness of the project solution

The complete solution for Ferrero was developed by specialists of Artayti Consulting company with the assistance of Syntellect company; both companies are partners of DocsVision.

Integration of three systems became unique line of the project: Docsvision, SAP R3 and ABBYY Recognition Server. It allowed to automate as much as possible process of input and processing of a packet of consignment documents and also further sending them in the created electronic archive.

What is made within the solution:

• The electronic archive is organized
• The system of barcoding is applied to identification of documents
• The ABBYY Recognition Server system is applied to recognition of barcodes and preparation of documents for export to electronic archive
• Stream scanners are installed

As process is constructed

Process begins with registration of the fact of shipment of goods in the accounting system of SAP R/3 then the notification the onovy document with certain attributes is transferred to DocsVision by means of standard integration scenarios. Record about the new document in DocsVision archive expects receipt of primary documentation.

When from transport company the signed originals of documents arrive, during their processing by the employee of archive integration mechanisms between the systems of ABBYY and Docsvision get into gear.

ABBYY Recognition Server solves a problem of correct identification of paper documents and their automatic translation in an electronic form. At this stage the possibility of formation of exceptions and notifications to the user about need of repeated data entry or decision-making based on recognition is also provided.

After recognition of the file and its correct identification, there is an installation of compliance between the document and record in [1] EDMS Docsvision archive.

Then there is an attachment of the electronic copy of the file and putting down of the corresponding marks about receipt of documents of the client on this delivery.

The automated section of process was critical in the cost plan of efforts and time.

Fig. 2. The scheme of interaction of systems within the solution.

Results of Implementation

Positive results of implementation of this solution became noticeable already at a stage of trial operation. It is possible to refer automation and significant increase in processing speed of documents, acceleration of terms of report generation and providing data on a request to the main and expected results. Besides, communication between departments of the company is qualitatively improved.

The annual amount of the documents passing through a system – about 10,000 documents of the general document flow and 60,000 sets primary consignment. By calculations of developer companies, economy of temporary resources on transactions with these documents due to implementing solution makes till 4000 o'clock in a year.

Terms of implementation of this stage of business process automation in Ferrero company were about 4 months.

Vadim Tambovtsev, project manager, Artayti company:

"As a result of the implementation performed by specialists of Artayti not only control and a clear understanding of what happens to primary documentation amplified, but also life of non-management employees (department of logistics, warehouse workers and archive) became simpler, influence of a human factor at accomplishment of a number of transactions decreased".

Artyom Gvozdev, manager of the applications "Ferrero Russiya":

"Ease in operation, flexibility in the solution of the current tasks and also assessment of results of final benefit of its use was the main selection term of the platform for this project. The DocsVision system already proved as the good platform for automation of corporate document flow within big/medium-sized companies, and also successfully she coped with a specific objective in Ferrero company.