In this article, we’ll explain the overall benefits of software integration. Then we turn the focus to how a document management system provides significant value to Sage Accounting users.
Table of Contents
Explore the benefits of software integration
What is software integration?
Software integration merges digital tools to enhance their functionality and facilitate data sharing. Without interconnected business applications companies often use more than one type of software to accomplish related tasks. This can cause errors and inconsistencies that make extra work for everyone on the accounting team. Integrating software solutions can unify datasets, enable data transfer and synchronization and ensure that everyone involved is referencing the same information.
Software integration can:
- Provide a single source of truth: Reviewing information from multiple sources related to the same task limits its value. Business data is often interconnected and should be reviewed within an overall framework. A lack of visibility affects decision-making and prevents employees from identifying patterns and insights.
- Create opportunities for process automation: It increases the number workflow options that are open to your company. For example, you can configure an application to automatically trigger a workflow when an event invoice approval takes place.
- Boost productivity: In a 2021 Workgeist survey of 3,000 remote workers in the US and UK, 43% of respondents said they waste considerable time switching between different business tools. On average, people report spending 36 minutes per day going back and forth between applications and noted that it takes about 10 minutes to regain their concentration when they toggle between apps.
Software integration addresses this issue by providing easy access to real-time data from a single source. So, employees aren’t distracted by stopping to consult more than software application. Using more than one source of data can also cause preventable issues. For example, when the total cost on an invoice is accurate in your accounting system but entered incorrectly in your ERP, the supplier may be paid the wrong amount.
- Increase employee morale: The ability to delegate some mundane tasks to an application can significantly boost morale. Constantly dealing with software-switching, wasting hours on information searches, and re-entering data across business tools leads to a decrease in motivation, increased human error, and even burnout. Using integration systems, your personnel can devote their energy to strategic and analytical work instead of mindless keystrokes.
Customer success stories for Sage AP automation
A chain of gourmet grocery stores modernizes AP with DocuWare
Kowalski’s Markets is a chain of upscale gourmet grocery stores with 12 locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The markets feature a variety of local, sustainable, all natural or organic products including meat, seafood, produce, baked goods, and wine and spirits.
As the company grew, managing paper accounting records became very difficult. It took one corporate accounting employee 3-4 days a week to type invoice data into their accounting system. Department managers were also entering invoice information to compile a weekly report.
So, these manual processes were done twice and were taking time away from employees’ core responsibilities. The use of outdated paper and manual processes meant that invoices were stored in disconnected systems, which caused further delays.
With DocuWare, invoices are scanned at each store and automatically indexed using DocuWare Intelligent Indexing which is powered by machine learning (ML) which is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI). When an invoice is indexed, essential details like the customer's name, products, invoice number, and price are extracted and stored as index fields in DocuWare. Index data is imported into their Sage accounting system eliminating duplicate data entry and ensuring that accurate data is available in both systems.
Because of tight integration between DocuWare and Sage, accounting staff have quick access to access related documents stored in DocuWare without leaving the accounting system.
Kowalski’s eliminated more than 40 hours a week of time spent on data-entry due to the tight integration between DocuWare and Sage. In addition, accounting staff no longer spend time looking up information for department managers; every authorized user has self-service access.
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The Owens Group increases efficiency in their procurement and finance departments
The UK-based Owens Group provides transport, warehousing and distribution services nationwide. The company implemented Docuware to improve the transparency of its processes and give employees easier access to documents and data. They also wanted to see the progress of orders in real time, so that they could approve or cancel them, as necessary. The goal was to increase efficiency in the procurement and finance departments.
The project began with the creation of a customized digital purchase order form which DocuWare routes to an authorized staff member, who accepts or rejects the request. If the purchase order is approved, the request is processed, and the goods are ordered. In case of rejection, the request goes back to the sender with a note about why the request was refused.
Thanks to DocuWare, the purchase order process has been drastically accelerated: Now requests are immediately forwarded for approval. Owens also uses DocuWare to digitally capture incoming invoices, which means that all order documentation is organized and searchable.
Customized index fields make it quick and easy to capture invoice information. This allows the finance department to easily find the documents in the digital archive and link related documents via order numbers and customer data. These index fields are also imported into their SAGE 200 accounting system eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Glenkeir Whiskies takes a digital leap with DocuWare
Glenkeir Whiskies Ltd. is the owner of The Whisky Shop, the largest chain of whisky stores in the UK, boasting a network of over 22 branches. Glenkeir grappled with a paper-heavy purchasing process during peak times. The purchasing process was long, arduous, and involved lots of paper. Multiple pieces of paper are linked to the same purchase and the accounts team would manually check the invoice line by line against the goods received.
The purchasing process began with paper purchase orders, followed by manual acknowledgment from clients, leading to goods received notes. The accounts team manually verified each invoice line against the goods received note. Manual data entry into their accounting package ensued, accompanied by physical document handling through printing, scanning, and manual processing, causing notable delays and inefficiencies.
Due to the integration of DocuWare and Sage 200 Glenkeir transformed its purchasing workflow. Purchase orders transitioned to a digital format stored in a shared folder. Goods received notes are stored centrally and accessible to every authorized user on the accounts team.
DocuWare automates the processing of emailed invoices, matching them with goods received notes using key metrics, eradicating the need for manual line-by-line checks. This approval workflow eliminates physical document handling.
Best practices for Sage AP automation
Assemble your project team: The most fundamental requirement for a successful initiative is getting buy-in from your organization’s leadership team. The group should also include a member of your IT department who understands the configuration of your company’s Sage implementation. It’s also important to include department managers and other end users.
You may want to bring in an external office automation professional — either third-party office automation vendor or consultant — to guide the conversation about what is feasible in the short- and long-term.
Determine the requirements and plan workflow processes: Clearly define the integration goals. Identify the data that will be exchanged and how it will be used. Involve business users they will be using the system business process too. You want to make sure what is built is aligned with what they are expecting.
Plan data mapping: Careful data mapping ensures that there is accurate data in Sage and the document management system with consistent naming of both data types and fields to avoid discrepancies. Avoid instances where, for example, the same field is called invoice number in the document management system and order number in Sage
Establish data ownership: Several types of integration software systems handle data ownership differently. Before deciding, find out who is responsible for safeguarding your data and privacy.
Implement strong security: Robust security measures protect sensitive data from data breaches. They should include using access permissions, encryption and other secure authentication methods.
Test drive the system: Conduct thorough testing before going live. This helps identify and resolve any issues without affecting the production environment. Run through different scenarios and make sure that department managers and end users are involved to make sure the system meets their business requirements.
Don't forget documentation: Maintain detailed documentation of the integration process, including configurations, data mapping and any custom code. This is invaluable for troubleshooting and future updates.
Schedule user training: Hands-on training is the most effective way to educate users about how to use the integrated system. Train power users first using a train-the-trainers model. Then they can take part in training their colleagues and answer questions on an ongoing basis.
Why customers choose DocuWare to for Sage AP automation
DocuWare’s ease of use means it won’t take your employees long to learn how to work with it. Its features include DocuWare Intelligent Indexing which eliminates manual data entry and seamless data exchange with other software that prevents duplicate effort. This exchange can trigger workflows in both systems.
Its reporting capabilities allow you to create lists that show, for example, the status of unpaid invoices in the time periods you set up. You may want to know which invoices haven’t been paid in five days, so you can investigate what is holding up payment.
Your staff will not spend time constantly switching between DocuWare and Sage. The solution writes index information to the data records of external data sources. It also uploads information from external data sources like your ERP.
The DocuWare solution is scalable, flexible and customizable so it can be deployed across your organization in departments such as HR, purchasing, operations and finance. All documents are searchable and stored securely. And you can automate just about any workflow on its own or through integration with Sage or your other business software.