Challenge.
VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH in Verden/Aller in northern Germany has been a pioneer in the manufacture of filling machines for the food industry for 75 years and has also made its mark in vacuum filling machines. Today, the company offers modular system solutions for industrial use that seamlessly integrate into even the most complex production lines, supporting all processes in the production of food, doughs and mixes. VEMAG made the decision to go digital in order to boost efficiency and facilitate the sharing of information between departments by optimising communications channels and ensuring data integrity across all platforms and locations. VEMAG’s objective, therefore, was to fully digitalise its business processes and roll out a user-friendly and efficient interface. Instead of a physical archive and having to manually process and send documents, these processes were to be digitalised and automated with the aim of increasing efficiency, minimising errors and boosting customer satisfaction through faster processing times. The company was on the look out for a modular solution that could be adapted to suit its processes using pre-made elements—similar to VEMAG’s machines.
The ELO rollout went without a hitch. I’ve seldom experienced a project this size running so smoothly. We remained within budget, which is also quite unusual for a big project. Our specialist departments backed us every step of the way with Bechtle supporting them as they got to grips with the new processes, which had been analogue for so many years. The collaboration between the departments, IT and Bechtle was second to none and went a long way to ensuring the project’s success.
Andreas Koob, Head of IT, VEMAG GmbH
Solution.
ELO presented VEMAG with the perfect solution while Bechtle proved to be the ideal partner for implementing a document management system (DMS). VEMAG and Bechtle had already been collaborating for many years and the IT provider was an expert in DMS systems. ELO’s expansion and SAP integration capabilities were a draw for VEMAG and initial discussions with Bechtle sealed the deal. ELO offers audit-proof archiving on existing iCAS storage technology and digitally maps all workflows meaning VEMAG no longer has to send paper orders and invoices around the company with the whole approval process now digitalised. Bechtle analysed VEMAG’s analogue processes during a series of workshops with its departments before implementing the new system step-by-step, starting with the basic infrastructure which laid the foundations for seamless data integration with SAP and other systems. In addition, Bechtle introduced specific solutions for incoming invoice processing (ELO Invoice), digital contract management (ELO Contract) and HR management (ELO HR Personnel File) and integrated accounts receivable, purchasing and facility management, too. Gone are the days of duplicate documents. Instead, ELO manages the files and displays the digital links in SAP. By interlinking ELO with the existing SAP ERP system, Bechtle also established automated workflows with which invoices, orders and customer sales orders can be processed at a considerably faster pace. Bechtle also set up the approval process in ELO so that authorisations can now be granted with just a few clicks rather than having to go through the internal post. What’s more, Bechtle’s experts developed e-requisitions, which are not yet available as a standard ELO module. This means employees create a specific request as a workflow, which is then approved, procured and seamlessly linked to the incoming invoice process. VEMAG sets great store in user-friendliness and wanted to ensure that its staff could use the new system intuitively. With this in mind, each employee received a briefing on ELO and the departments were specially trained.
Business benefits.
VEMAG’s new DMS system has optimised pretty much every workflow. ELO minimises errors, shortens processes and documents every step to make everything much more transparent. Thanks to ELO, processes can be carried out much faster, more securely and regardless of location, compliance requirements such as signature policies are met thanks to reliable digitalisation and documents no longer have to be physically stored. The digital solutions implemented by Bechtle for invoice, contract and HR management have also revolutionised in-house processes, making them faster and more transparent to boost in-company efficiency and enabling VEMAG customers to benefit from faster order processing.