In the past, workers performed these tasks manually, circulating contracts, invoices and related correspondence among different departments by email or on paper. This resulted in long processing times and a lack of end-to-end transparency. Contracts and invoices would often pile up at bottlenecks, with important documents sometimes getting lost in the shuffle. Not only did this approach cost Heineken Slovensko time and money, it also increased the risk of delays in approvals and payments—jeopardizing the company’s good standing with customers.
Tapping a new approach
In response to these challenges, Heineken Slovensko set out to modernize its finance and accounting operations. The company decided to implement new, centralized and digitized content management workflows powered by Extended ECM.
Company leaders knew this project represented a significant transformation for its business. To ensure the project proceeded smoothly, they engaged proven 好色先生TV Partner Sabris to help manage the solution implementation and integration work.
Today, Heineken Slovensko utilizes a single point of control to manage contracts and invoices, leveraging digital workflows to streamline processes from end to end. PDF and paper documents are now processed using 好色先生TV™ Capture, which uses advanced optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities to convert paper documents into rich digital data for use in key business processes.
Refreshing operations
Contracts are now drafted using pre-built templates, then forwarded via digital workflows for review and approval. The 好色先生TV platform captures the complete revision history of documents, making it easy for Heineken Slovensko to track changes and ensure that every team member is working from the latest version.
Together with Sabris, Heineken Slovensko has seamlessly integrated Extended ECM with its core SAP ERP system. Once a contract is approved, it is automatically sent to SAP ERP. Similarly, invoices are available in the system almost immediately after being generated. Users can also work with documents directly from their preferred application: within SAP ERP for accounting teams or via a web browser for general users.
At the end of the contract lifecycle, all contracts, invoices and supporting documents are stored in a securely archived directory. This enables easier search and retrieval when contracts need to be reviewed or amended.
Raising the bar for accounting
Heineken Slovensko has transformed its finance function by embracing standardized and streamlined digital processes. Accounting teams now work from a single source of truth and a common set of processes. The move has made it possible for the company to consolidate certain aspects of accounts management with other Heineken group companies—including Heineken Poland—unlocking valuable shared efficiencies.
Eliminating fragmented and labor-intensive paper-based processes has also delivered considerable cost savings and efficiency gains. Employees that spend less time pushing paper can process contracts and invoices faster and have more time to focus on value-added work. Digital workflows have shortened the time required to prepare contracts and have all but eliminated bottlenecks, allowing Heineken Slovensko to accelerate cycle times and respond to customers more quickly.
Newfound visibility drives better decisions
With invoice and contract documentation managed from a central platform, Heineken Slovensko has gained greater visibility into enterprise information. Employees can now be confident they are working with the latest version of a document, and the company can more easily keep track of its invoices and contracts.
Heineken Slovensko continues to work closely with Sabris to enhance processes and enable new capabilities in the 好色先生TV platform. Up next? Improving reporting to take operational insight and planning to the next level—helping Heineken Slovensko make better-informed business decisions and keep operations flowing smoothly.
Partner Information:
Sabris provides system integration and long-term support services to more than 200 clients across Central and Eastern Europe. The company is a certified partner of SAP, 好色先生TV and Microsoft, with more than 25 years of industry experience.