Rfid and Barcode Solutions Company Improves AP Workflows with Knowledgelake Ecm Solution
Data2 is an RFID and barcode tag manufacturer that wanted to eliminate cumbersome paper-based workflows from its accounts payable department. It deployed an enterprise content management solution using KnowledgeLake software along with Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics GP to create a powerful system that is helping the company automate workflows while delivering greater visibility and controls over payments and financial planning.
Business Needs
CUSTOMER PROFILE:
Data2 is a manufacturer of RFID and barcode solutions to numerous industries. The company is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
WEBSITE:
LOCATION:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
INDUSTRY:
Manufacturing
Data2 provides innovative RFID and bar code identification product solutions in markets such as retail jewelry, tire manufacturing, libraries, healthcare and electronics to companies around the world. Data2’s value added solutions include electronic data exchanges, simplified online ordering, and automated manufacturing processes. National retail chains consistently turn to Data2 for solutions for managing point of sale and inventory processes.
The company began in the 1960s, and in the intervening years established various business processes that were based on paper documents. In the accounts payable department, this eventually led to the transmission of hundreds of supplier vouchers each month between corporate headquarters and two branch locations. Many of these documents required internal approvals prior to being entered into the company’s Microsoft Dynamics GP enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Managers needing to approve them were often at separate locations, creating delays. Additionally, system-generated receipts had to be manually matched up to ensure accuracy, data was being entered multiple times, and there were no visibility of eventual posting accounts.
"The KnowledgeLake ECM solution has seamlessly integrated into our enterprise platform, creating more efficient and productive operational processes than we could have achieved with just our ERP system alone."
-Michael Borgna, CFO
Data2
“While we pride ourselves in the efficiencies we bring to our own customers, our paper-based accounts payable process was fraught with inefficiencies, and was time-consuming both within the approval and document retention processes,” says Michael Borgna, CFO. “We needed a workflow and document management solution that could leverage the information already in our Dynamics GP ERP system. Ideally, it would provide pending notifications to approving managers, eliminate duplicate keystrokes, reduce potential errors caused by manual data entry, and be easily accessible from our enterprise platform.”
Data2 already had a Microsoft SharePoint intranet in place, so it also sought a document management solution that would integrate with SharePoint and other Microsoft products, enabling employees to access information stored in SharePoint from within their daily business productivity software.
SOLUTION
To streamline its supply chain processes, Data2 deployed a KnowledgeLake Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solution using several KnowledgeLake software products. The company uses KnowledgeLake Unify for SharePoint, which lets Data2 users search for, reference, and archive SharePoint-based documents from within business applications such as Dynamics GP, Outlook, and Excel. KnowledgeLake Imaging for SharePoint is used for searching, viewing, routing, and annotating documents. KnowledgeLake Capture works with the company’s Fujitsu scanners to digitize documents. KnowledgeLake Connect for SharePoint gives users the ability to upload documents into SharePoint directly from within business software without needing to open a separate application.
Data2 also deployed KnowledgeLake Accounts Payable, an AP automation solution designed to help accounting departments streamline workflow processes. It handles both standard and non-standard documents, provides automated meta-tagging capabilities, and offers tight document control functionality to help companies enhance compliance to internal and external policies and regulations.
Additionally, Data2 created custom Microsoft InfoPath forms for several different functions, such as credit memo requests and internal purchase requests.
BENEFITS
By deploying a KnowledgeLake ECM solution, Data2 has been able to improve how it handles large volumes of accounting documents. The rich functionality of the solution is delivering benefits such as faster, more streamlined workflows. There is greater visibility, structure, and control with approval processes.
“The KnowledgeLake ECM solution has seamlessly integrated into our enterprise platform, creating more efficient and productive operational processes than we could have achieved with just our ERP system alone,” says Borgna.
Ready to find out how KnowledgeLake can work for you?
Request to speak with KnowledgeLake today.
The KnowledgeLake platform helps automate other processes such as:
Intelligent Financial Services
Manage financial documents in the cloud to reduce costs and drive new revenue.
