Finally, away with the paper!

This is not a new finding, but it is a very tangible one: digitally well-positioned companies find it much easier to successfully continue their business in times of crisis. The study cites the automated processing of invoices as a typical example of digital processes in ERP.

Automated receiving and posting of incoming invoice documents is an important step towards digitization. But the path, we think at Tangro, goes further. It is true that accounting is often the starting point for optimizing document-based processes. But a closer look reveals much greater potential for improvement.

For example, when our customer Atlas Copco IAS wanted to automate invoice processing, it very quickly became apparent that the flood of documents in purchasing and incoming goods was also almost impossible to manage manually. The company, a supplier of innovative joining technologies, therefore opted for a holistic approach.

Not only invoices, but also preceding delivery bills and order confirmations are now processed automatically with Tangro. The documents are received by mail, fax, e-mail or EDI and are automatically recognized by the software and compared with the SAP master and transaction data.

This has resulted in comprehensive optimization effects: "We have accelerated the processing of order confirmations from three to one minute. We now process delivery bills twice as fast as before" says Maximilian Schröder from Atlas Copco IAS. The pre-completed audit processes also facilitate invoice processing as the final step.

Purchase-to-Pay

Comprehensive transparency and traceability provide additional improvements in purchase-to-pay. Thanks to the direct storage of the transaction, the entire process chain remains in view - from the order to the order confirmation and goods receipt to invoicing. Maximilian Schröder concludes: "Automation of document processing is another step towards digitalization and Industry 4.0."

Digitization can go even further in purchase-to-pay. Intelligent solutions such as Tangro support end-to-end process optimization. The software already records requirements electronically and thus clarifies approval and account assignment at an early stage. The order is created directly. This further reduces the manual portion of invoice processing - or eliminates it altogether, if desired. If the system detects no deviations from the purchase order, the invoice is posted directly in the background.

At Tangro, we also understand holism in technological terms - just as the Bitkom study propagates. Tangro is fully integrated into the SAP Business Suite and SAP S/4 Hana and accesses SAP data directly. A huge advantage for Atlas Copco IAS as well.

Another added value: Thanks to the SAP-embedded property, the conversion to S/4 can be carried out with little effort. This makes the transition to end-to-end process support with simultaneous modernization of the software infrastructure as smooth as can be.