FTS Russia implemented EDMS M-Files in Montazhpromstroy

FTS Russia implemented EDMS M-Files in the company "Montazhpromstroy". At the first stage which started at the beginning of 2014 work with suppliers, purchase orders and requests for payment was automated. The second stage included solution integration on the basis of M-Files with ERP- a system Deltek Maconomy and with an accounting system "1C". The project came to the end in the middle of 2014. In a system work both the customer's purchases managers, and the employees who are responsible directly for logistics of specific construction objects – only about 50 employees. The integrator estimates this project as one of the most interesting and difficult ECM projects executed by FTS in 2014 - both in respect of technical implementation, and in terms of business processes which were automated by means of a system.

Prerequisites of the Project

The rapid growth of Montazhpromstroy company for the last years connected with increase in number of projects, volume of the performed works and number of staff imposed new, increased requirements to the information management system business processes. The new information system had to provide increase in management efficiency as a result of reducing costs for accomplishment of business processes, increase in transparency of business processes of the enterprise and also qualitative information for heads of all levels, necessary for acceptance of management decisions.

After studying of needs for automation and approval of representatives of the main divisions of the company, the management Montazhpromstroy determined as priorities sale of IT management tools by purchases of goods and services for construction projects and for internal needs of the organization and also information support of documentary and financial maintenance of purchases, accounting and control of a funds expenditure.

The choice was stopped on M-Files as on powerful, but at the same time to a simple electronic document management system in use. The solution is proposed by a full range of tools for content management, including quick full-text search, tracking of versions, differentiation of access rights of users, business process automation with a possibility of application of the electronic signature, support of the scanned paper documents with the system of optical text recognition (OCR), integration into e-mail, ERP and CRM-systems, web access and mobile access. As integrator the FTS Russia company which has 20 years' successful experience of business process automation of the companies with the project organization of activity was invited.

Project Progress

Process of system implementation of business process automation and document flow in the company is performed step by step. At the first stage which started at the beginning of 2014 work with suppliers, purchase orders and requests for payment was automated. It allowed to deliver under strict control a funds expenditure both for construction projects, and for administrative activity of the company and also strongly facilitated planning process of expenses and cash flow.

Within the first stage of the project specialists of consulting company FTS implemented the solution on the basis of the M-Files ECM system with the following functionality:

• formation of purchase orders and requests for payment with a binding to cost centers and budget items, approval of orders and requests by authorized persons;
• process control of the choice of the optimal supplier;
• registration of information on suppliers;
• creation and approval of agreements of suppliers;
• storage of history of purchases - requests, offers, orders, agreements and their approvals;
• possibility of obtaining statistics and reports on purchases and payments.

In a system creation and approval of purchasing requests of materials, goods and services for production and for administrative activity of the company was implemented. Access to creation of requests was open as the employees working at office and the employees who are on construction objects of the company.

The approval of requests was implemented on in advance configured approval chains: responsibles receive automatic notifications on the requests submitted for approval, and on the basis of the approved purchasing requests supplier orders and requests for payment which also undergo reconciliation procedure in a system form.

The approval of requests for payment in the M-Files ECM system

The approved requests for payment are transferred to the accounting program of 1C in the form of payment orders for sending to bank. The carried-out payments according to requests are loaded from 1C into a purchasing system.

The solution was also integrated with the ERP system of Maconomy used in the company regarding maintaining reference books of suppliers and projects, accounting of the movement of inventory items and money, control of project budgets and administrative expenses.

In a management system for purchases support of automatic creation of tasks for accomplishment by responsibles and also formations of email notifications was implemented.

Thus, the second stage included solution integration on the basis of M-Files with the ERP system of Deltek Maconomy and with an accounting system of 1C. The project came to the end in the middle of 2014. All works were carried out at the central office of the customer in Moscow.

Project Results

Now in a purchasing system of Montazhpromstroy company work both purchasing managers, and employees who are responsible directly for logistics of specific construction objects – only about 50 employees. Employees estimated convenience of receiving in the system of information on the approval of their requests, about a delivery status and payments, earlier for obtaining similar information they had to make a set of phone calls and to conduct active electronic correspondence.

A system is available to work by means of any device (desktop and laptops, tablets, smartphones). Remote access to a system was convenient for the mobile employees working at different building sites of the company. This solution allowed to increase efficiency of supply of construction objects with necessary material resources.

Mobile access to the M-Files ESM-system

The data security issue during the work of remote users was resolved due to restriction of their information access in a system (they can work only with the requests) and also due to use of the protected HTTPS protocol.

Use of a management system for purchases on the basis of M-Files will allow Montazhpromstroy company to achieve additional benefits among which:

• Saving of time and increase in efficiency of process of purchases – reduction of manual transactions with paper documents, the automated approval process, automatic formation of purchasing documents;
• Accurate expense control – the obligatory statement of expenses, automatic budget test, the built-in process of carrying out the tender for the choice of the optimal offer;
• Increase in transparency of purchases and the best compliance to corporate rules - setup of processes of approval of purchases and templates of purchasing documents in compliance with corporate standards, the automated control of observance of rules, the complete history of purchases and approvals.

The company management Montazhpromstroy considers investments into the IT system quite justified as use of modern IT technologies allows to improve considerably efficiency and control accuracy and also to increase transparency of business for top management and owners of the company. The approximate amount of investments into the project was about 1 million rubles, such projects, according to FTS Russia, less than for 1 year pay off.