AP Automation and SAP An Industry Perspective and Lessons Learned in the SAP ERP market
Introduction Ron Kelley Principal and VP Business Development ron.kelley@docusphere.com
Premise The problems we have today cannot be solved by thinking the way we thought when we created them Albert Einstein
A Few of our Clients
Agenda Questions we will address today: What factors are driving AP Automation initiatives? How have companies benefited from automating AP? Lessons learned what works, what doesn t and why? Why isn t everyone automating AP? What are the common mistakes made in an AP Automation project? How much AP Automation do we really need? Examples from real SAP customers
AP Automation Defined Extending and enhancing your ERP systems existing AP functionality with technology and business process change applied to the vendor payment cycle. Generally, moving away from a traditionally manual processing model for data entry and document management by incorporating technologies like optical character recognition (OCR) for invoice data capture, document imaging, workflow and companion technologies to transform the AP process into a more automated model.
Different perspectives and their implications to Accounts Payable CEO Our cost of capital and material costs are too high. Financial Analyst Use of cash discounts is low, cost of capital is rising. CFO My cost of accounts payables is not state-of-the-art and I have poor visibility to key metrics. Purchaser We could lower the cost of goods if we could make systematic use of cash discounts. Accounts Payables We spend up to 50% of our time chasing paper and responding to calls and emails from suppliers requesting status of invoice or complaining about late payment. Accounting We cannot say which invoices we have received across different departments and we have no control over the time-to-payment. Supplier Doing business with that company is difficult as they are unable to tell when they pay their invoices.
Summary of Key Issues Costs of capital, material, and processing accounts payable are too high Lack of visibility to what invoices have been received, their current status and overall financial liability Lack of control over the time-to-payment Use of cash discounts is low Spending up to 50% of time with paper chasing and/or responding to suppliers requesting payment status or complaining about late payment
The Changing Role of Accounts Payable Gone are the days when a large part of the AP function was focused on entering data and processing payments. Now the focus is shifting to analysis and exception handling, which require higher-level problem-solving skills. The result is an AP function that is evolving to best benefit the ever-changing business culture it supports. Source: Are you ready for lean AP? 4 trends to watch in 2012 (IFO) 9
Challenges to AP Efficiency Three main challenges identified by AP departments are: Manual Data Entry Routing for Approval Resolving Errors/Exceptions Source: IAPP-TAWPI 2010
Perceived Benefits *IFO November 2011
The benefit is improved business outcomes *Faster turnaround times *Improved reporting, visibility and control *Drive out costs (lower cost-per-transaction) Avoid duplicate payments Better support for segregation of duties Improved cash management/working capital/liquidity Unrecorded liabilities recognized sooner Prompt payment discounts/negotiate favorable terms No lost documents Improved audit support Fraud reduction Reduce backlog/smoother closings Better data to manage the business using KPI s AP job satisfaction (from clerical to analytical role) Upgrade your work processes to be more agile while upgrading your employees jobs Drive up predictability *IFO November 2011
Lessons Learned Why isn t everyone automating AP? If AP Automation has such great potential benefit, why isn t every company jumping on board? Of those that have, what have they learned that we can benefit from? Let s look at some of the reasons our SAP prospects and clients have shared with us and review some of the lessons learned from their experiences.
Lessons learned in AP automation projects 1. Why do 3 out of 4 implementations take more than 3 months to go live? 2. We want to select and implement a solution in 90 days so send me a quote! 3. We installed a stand alone ECM and workflow solution in AP and are disappointed in the results? 4. The vendor promised we could cut AP staff by 50% and that was not the case. 5. We want to use our existing enterprise-class ECM solution for our AP process workflow is that wise?
Lessons learned in AP automation projects 1. Why do 3 out of 4 AP automation projects take more than 3 months to go live? a. This is usually the result of incomplete planning before beginning the project. Failure to do proper process mapping and design for the application before you search for solutions will protract the project and result in delays and scope creep.
SAP example #1 An electronics manufacturer released an RFP that outlined desired features/functions but included no solid business requirements to make the selection. Lesson learned: a solution was selected that had a slick user interface, appeared to be robust, however did not address the improved business outcomes that were expected, but not identified as a defined new business process. It was installed and then configured in multiple iterations over an 18 month timeframe delivered late and at a high cost. The lesson here is prepare a business case that includes expected outcomes not just features and functions.
Lessons learned in AP automation projects 2. We want to select and implement a solution in 90 days so send me a quote! a. Automating AP is like any other business process challenge. It begins with a problem diagnosis before prescribing a cure.
SAP customer example #2 A large retailer had money left over from their ERP upgrade that needed to be spent this quarter. They requested quotes from several vendors and chose a reseller of a well known solution who promised to put in a turn-key solution without client resources. Lesson learned: shocker - vendors don t always do the right thing! They were sold a promise that could not be delivered on without doing the upfront work and client participation. Be realistic about your project timeline and your resource requirements. The workflow system is complex and supports a production process As with any business process, it requires full time ownership
Lessons learned in AP automation projects 3. We installed a stand alone ECM and workflow solution and are disappointed in the results? 1. SAP integration was not considered important and also seemed too difficult for IT who did not want to add anything more to their workload. Having any document imaging capability seemed better than nothing.
SAP customer example #3 A property management firm in the Southeast installed a ECM/workflow solution that was not capable of connecting with their SAP system. Work was being duplicated in SAP and the ECM/workflow system creating inefficiencies, out of sync data and poor visibility to transactions. Lesson learned choose a solution that can interface to your SAP system through standard, published interface methods. By using standards based integration, IT support can be minimized and upgrade challenges reduced.
Lessons learned in AP automation projects 4. The vendor promised we could cut AP staff by 50% and that was not the case. a. We had a goal to eliminate 40-50% of AP staff as we rolled out the AP automation project. It did not materialize as promised by our vendor.
SAP customer example #4 A medical manufacturer implemented a solution with a vendor who assured them of 50% AP staff reduction in the first 6 months of operation. ROI for the project was based largely on that number. Actual results were less than 10% staff reduction. Lesson learned: don t bank all of your ROI on staff reduction. Redeployment of team members to other departments or to higher level work in analysis, fraud detection and vendor relationships often add many other savings and can be measured in cost avoidance as volumes increase and staffing levels remain constant.
Lessons learned in AP automation projects 5. We want to use our existing enterprise-class ECM solution for our AP process workflow is that wise? a. We have made a huge investment in enterprise document management from a major vendor and skills in house. It seems we have all the ECM capabilities we need for AP automation.
SAP customer example #5 Multinational life sciences company attempts to integrate SAP workflow and their existing corporate document management system as an AP automation solution. This as a 7 figure project failure. Lesson learned: document-centric ECM systems are not necessarily good transaction systems. Select a solution that meets the process centric nature of AP automation. One size does not fit all.
2 great tips from an SAP AP practitioner who has implemented multiple systems 1. Expect immediate benefits, but not all on day one There is a learning curve with the process changes that automation brings It may take 6 months for full user absorption and acceptance of the new process 2. Fit the project implementation to your culture Define for your vendor whether it s incremental improvement, renovate, re-invent Make sure the vendor can support your values and practices
Other common mistakes made in failed projects Lack of full commitment to process change from leadership Failure to involve all affected people and business groups Underestimating or understaffing your resources requirements Failure to focus on the benefits (outcomes) from the process changes AIIM study 2010
Barriers to getting underway *IFO November 2011
Top 5 tips to get an AP Automation project started on the right track 1. Form a project team early on before you even begin to vote on a vendor choice 2. Develop a solid business case 3. Gather requirements from all the stakeholders 4. Develop a scorecard for vendors that is consistent with your requirements 5. Now you can begin to research potential vendor partners
One slide project plan
More tips, techniques and lessons learned Train your team to understand process change Follow a structured process for the project Ask tough questions don t assume Listen to people on the front line Automation alone is never the answer Keep all stakeholders informed
Key-fromimage Option #1 KFI Only with Workflow Primary method of data entry AP automation: not just all or nothing Option #2 Non-PO OCR Also available as required Option #3 PO OCR Summary Level Also available as required Option #4 PO OCR Detail Line Items Also available as required OCR scanning No Summary Summary Detail Workflow Yes Yes Yes Yes PO AutoMatch No No Subtotal Line level AutoPost No Yes Yes Yes Key benefit Common benefits to look for Rapid implementation Cost/benefit Reduced data entry with OCR plus automated posting Match exception handling Certified ERP integration Workflow approval Storage of documents and transaction history Document scanning and capture software Advanced reporting Virtual hands-free *vouchering
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