Manufacturing Case Study
Major Manufacturer Image-Enables Core Systems to Accelerate Paper-Intensive Processes with Anacomp Capture and DocHarbor Online
One of the largest manufacturers in the
The Situation: The need to leverage core ERP, HR and AP
systems to streamline operations across disparate business
units
The manufacturer's business groups operate as distinct
units, each of which process, file and store large amounts
of paper documents.
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As is the case with many large corporations, each of the
manufacturers business group accounts payable (AP)
departments became overwhelmed with invoices and
supporting documents that were routed through and
between their divisions. With the high volume of
incoming documents, the company needed a streamlined
operation in which invoices were directly integrated
into its Oracle Financial accounting system.
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Each group's human resource (HR) departments was also battling
massive amounts of paper documents generated from its workforce of
over 10,000 located in 300 offices. Employee files, benefits,
pension plans and specialty trade licenses needed to be easily
accessible throughout each employee's tenure. The HR departments
needed on-boarding information to be expedited for new hires and
integrated with the manufacturer's PeopleSoft system that was
already implemented throughout the company.
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The manufacturer desired to expedite and improve customer
interactions, easily availing the proper documentation being
exchanged. The company's energy group, for example, sought an online
repository in which key documents could be uploaded to clients' websites to help ensure quality manufacturing processes were
followed and proper components utilized.
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Its rail groups purchasing department was continuously routing
supplier purchase orders and contracts for review and approval. With
terms and conditions constantly changing, the group was mired in
documentation pertaining to third-party manufactured mechanical
parts essential for fabrication and leasing.
The Solution: Anacomp document capture and online document management
For a solution to its needs, the company turned to Anacomp,
a leading business process solutions company with 40 years
of experience in managing customers paper-intensive
operations. To automate and accelerate its business groups
operational needs, Anacomp created a solution that combined
its document capture services with its robust online
document management repository, docHarbor Online, to scan,
capture and host more than 55 million images. Over 50
document types were targeted for scanning, with ranging in
size and even in material from card stock to onion skin.
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For its AP departments, accelerating
procurement-to-payment processes, avoiding penalties and
taking advantage of early payment discounts were the
central objectives. First, Anacomp scanned and
archived of all AP documents dating back to 2003, and made these
easily accessible through docHarbor Online. Anacomp also facilitated
the transition of all invoice data entry through an offshore
process, which included scanning incoming invoices and creating a
custom application to enable a streamlined payment process. A key
part of the solution included integration with the companys Oracle
Financial system to help ensure timely invoice approval and payment.
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For the companys HR departments, docHarbor Online
was integrated with the manufacturers PeopleSoft HR
platform and utilized to host sensitive documents.
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Anacomp leveraged docHarbor Online for the rail
groups purchase orders and leasing certificates,
and also designed an application empowering the
company to personalize purchase order documents and
enable its suppliers to log in and retrieve purchase
orders and accept terms and conditions.
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DocHarbor Online was also utilized by the firms
energy group to archive manufacturing and quality
records for secure storage and easy retrieval, and
to help ensure product quality on fabricated
structures.
The Results: Easy document access, accelerated
processing and reduced storage space
Thanks to Anacomps document capture and hosted document management
solution, which has imaged enabled its core ERP, AP and HR
applications, the manufacturer has seen significant automation and
streamlined processes for its document-intensive business transactions.
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For its AP departments, procurement-to-payment processes are now
significantly accelerated, and the instant online accessibility of
invoices has made any type of audit or verification easy, and has
saved time and resources.
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For its HR departments, employment records are now easily accessible
for instant verification by the appropriate individuals throughout
the company, eliminating the retrieval of forms and maintenance of
stored hard copies. DocHarbor Online has imaged enabled the
companys PeopleSoft HR platform and enabled the group to get more
value from it.
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The companys rail group is now able to ensure all vendors are
operating within compliance and has limited liability on rail car
components. With its agreements archived in docHarbor Online and
easily available as needed, the units now-streamlined document
process has empowered the group to be in complete control of its
workflow.
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Leveraging docHarbor Online, Anacomp developed a process to allow
the companys energy group to easily comply with the documentation
requirements of its major clients, such as General Electric (GE). In
the process, selected information can be extracted from
documentation and merged into a PDF file for upload onto GEs
product website. The resulting solution enables the group to provide
a higher level of customer service to this crucial customer.
Finally, by converting paper documents into streamlined electronic
content, Anacomp was subsequently able to drastically reduce the amount
floor space dedicated to cabinets and storage throughout the company.