Rechnungseingang: Vorteile des Freigabeworkflows außerhalb von SAP

Accounts Payable Consolidating AP Workflow Outside the SAP System www.esker.co.uk ESKER ON DEMAND Table of contents Introduction ............................................................................................... 3  Impact on IT infrastructure and operations ............................................ 3  Why businesses automate AP workflow outside of SAP ........................ 3 Accounts Payable Challenges .................................................................... 4  Chasing paper ............................................................................................ 4  Busting the myth of one company, one ERP system ............................. 4  Drawbacks of "inside SAP" invoice processing ....................................... 4 Advantages of Workflow Outside the SAP System .................................... 6  Access anytime, anywhere....................................................................... 6  Extending automation beyond the SAP solution footprint ................... 6 The Esker Solution ..................................................................................... 8  Extending AP automation ......................................................................... 8  Designed for ease of use .......................................................................... 8  Powering shared services .......................................................................... 8 About Esker ............................................................................................... 9  Document process automation leadership ............................................ 9  Solutions ....................................................................................................... 9 2 Introduction Today virtually every organisation running SAP recognises the value of eliminating manual accounts payable processing to gain the efficiencies that automation brings. If any were not convinced, the recent economy and its affect on financing costs should be enough to erase any doubt. Esker research has found that accounts payable automation typically can save organisations 40 to 60 percent of operational and administrative AP costs. Automated processing of vendor invoices helps businesses:  Spend less time and money chasing paper  Improve productivity and resource management to work with less and do more  Shorten reconciliation and payment cycles  Increase visibility of invoice processing and approval status  Improve reporting and audit trails  Connect accounting and procurement functions  Eliminate duplicate payments and fraud  Strengthen credit rating, compliance status and supplier relationships Impact on IT infrastructure and operations Integrating an automated AP workflow solution can have a significant impact on the SAP solution environment. CIOs and SAP system administrators who have done their research recognise the need for a solution that fits neatly into the SAP landscape and leaves the rest of the SAP implementation unaltered. Why businesses automate AP workflow outside of SAP Businesses running SAP have two choices — install a tool inside the SAP system or use a certified solution with data recognition, validation and workflow residing outside the SAP system. At first glance integrating a solution that runs AP workflow inside the SAP system might seem like a logical approach, but there are some important factors to consider. For example, companies running several SAP systems within the organisation must maintain "inside workflow" in each instance. This can cause inefficiencies, additional costs and consistency issues over time. Many companies ultimately choose an external solution for automated AP workflow because of the time, cost and risk involved in implementing a tool that automates AP workflow from within SAP applications. This white paper is intended to assist CIOs and SAP system administrators in evaluating their options and making the best decision for their organisations to benefit from automated AP processing. 3 Accounts Payable Challenges Chasing paper Industry analysts have reported that as much as 80 percent of accounts payable processing time is spent on routing of vendor invoices. Companies that have not automated need too many people to run around and make sure they get the necessary sign-offs to approve payment of invoices. This is a significant time waster and typically results in lost invoices, late payments and missed discounts. Knowing where an invoice is in the approval process and being able to escalate payment of invoices from top vendors are crucial, but manual processing offers little or nothing in the way of visibility and invoice prioritisation. With the value of operational excellence at an all-time high, the need for AP automation is clear. The question is how best to do it. Busting the myth of one company, one ERP system With the ever-increasing complexity of business, the vision of one enterprise/one ERP simply does not reflect today’s reality. LEGACY A one-to-one relationship sounds good in theory, but today companies are going global and mergers/acquisitions have become an almost everyday part of their activities. It is not unheard-of for a company to have as many as five ERP systems ERP in use across its global enterprise. Multiple instances of SAP solutions SAP1 AP Some companies also run different SAP systems. Although they are all based on the same platform, each system can be different enough to require special attention. They may seem identical from a high-level view, but it can be a very different SAP2 picture at the operational level. Even if a company has standardised on an enterprise-wide SAP solution, multiple instances in different locations around the CUSTOM world can require integration of multiple workflow tools in order to automate AP workflow. This can complicate key initiatives such as setup of shared services centres. Drawbacks of "inside SAP" invoice processing Some key participants in the invoice release process may not have access to the SAP system or may prefer not to use the SAP interface for AP workflow. In many cases it is faster and easier for these people to check and approve invoices through a web-based application or a mobile device, particularly when they are working remotely or traveling. Major surgery Like a delicate surgical procedure, opening up your SAP system to add AP workflow automation carries significant costs and risks. Solutions that function within the SAP environment often require a major investment of time and money for installation, integration and maintenance by SAP application engineers. Flexibility and functional limitations Solutions developed to operate within the SAP environment are, by nature, limited in their ability to integrate with multiple systems. Businesses need an AP workflow tool that will work with any AP-related systems they may have now or may add in the future, providing all the necessary functionality regardless of the system. 4 Impact on SAP system performance In the constantly changing IT landscape, it is important to integrate AP workflow automation at a level that maintains SAP system integrity while working seamlessly with the SAP system. Tools that operate from with the SAP environment can tap system resources allocated to core SAP applications and other enterprise systems. The impact is multiplied as companies add systems through mergers and acquisitions, and as additional staff require more resources. Offloading AP workflow from the SAP server to an independent architecture can allow for higher server performance and reduced drain on SAP system resources. Workflow inside means recognition outside "Inside SAP" workflow solutions need data to work with. This data must be extracted from paper invoices, email, faxes, EDI and any other means by which a company receives Audit Trail Audit Trail invoices. Placing this important part of the solution outside of the SAP system while approval workflow is inside the SAP system creates a break in the end-to-end audit trail that companies are looking for to better control business processes. In addition, AP personnel have the burden of dealing with two different applications and interfaces — as opposed to validating recognition and initiating the workflow from the same screen, as they can do if the whole AP solution resides outside of the SAP system. In reality, the idea that workflow inside the SAP system is more streamlined, because all actions can be performed from within the SAP interface, does not reflect what many companies will face in actual practice.Audit TrailAudit TrailAudit TrailAudit Trail 5 Advantages of Workflow Outside the SAP System Access anytime, anywhere With external AP workflow, buyers and managers are notified by email when invoices need to be approved. They can check, comment on, add to, reject or sign off on invoices around the clock, from any location. Web-based workflow offers the ability to create a matrix for automation of the approval process, including support for non-SAP systems and mobile devices. Easy deployment via web browser and a familiar environment helps to simplify training and promote user acceptance.