Automation of invoice processing in SAP at the Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising e.V.

Automation of invoice processing in SAP with inPuncto SoftwareInvoices without reference to the order are processed automatically thanks to the inPuncto software

In order to implement the automatic capturing and processing of paper and electronic invoices at Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising e.V, we implemented the following SAP add-ons in the existing SAP system as early as 2013: the scanner client biz²Scanner, the inbox processing server biz²ScanServer and the workflow tool biz²DocumentControl.

Before the introduction of the inPuncto software, all incoming invoices (paper and electronic) had to be scanned or saved manually, then checked and finaly released. This manual invoice processing was not only time-consuming, but also very error-prone.
“We were therefore looking for a solution that would relieve us of time-consuming invoice entry and automate the invoice verification,” reports John Schopfel, head of application support for finance and accounting. He found our inPuncto software: ” The SAP add-on software from inPuncto offered exactly what we were looking for and thanks to the possibilities offered by the software, we were also able to improve other processes at the same time,” recalls John Schopfel.

Invoice workflow automation for electronic and paper invoices

Invoices still arrive today at the Cariatasverband in paper form or in electronic form as PDFs by e-mail. The paper invoices are first provided with a barcode, captured individually or in bulk with the scanner software biz²Scanner and forwarded to the incoming mail processing server biz²ScanServer.

Electronic invoices are transferred directly to the biz²ScanServer via Drag&Drop. There, the invoice data is read out via OCR text recognition and compared in the background with the SAP master data and preassigned invoice data is determined using the customer number. Then the release approval workflow starts with the workflow tool biz²DocumentControl. If an invoice cannot be assigned to a vendor, you can create it directly using transaction FK01. The invoice is released corresponding to a release matrix according to the invoice amount and the principle of dual control. Process participants can also be included in the approval process via e-mail.

Validation by the individual agents can also be carried out offline. After the transfer order has been released by all departments, the booking takes place and the responsible approver receives an info mail.

New standards for inPuncto software thanks to Caritas

“We found two functions, namely the infomail to the approver and the direct creation of a vendor with transaction FK01, so useful that we have been delivering our software with these two functions as standard since then,” reveals Jürgen Uhllrich, project manager at inPuncto Ltd.

Special requirements of the Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising e.V. for invoice processing

A special feature of the Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising e.V. is the use of so-called transfer orders. With these forms, for example, account assignment values are printed, read out by the OCR and automatically preset in SAP for the invoice. These forms are available in two different versions: with electronic approval and without electronic approval.

The variant with electronic release is comparable to the normal verification and release workflow for invoices without purchase order reference, the form without approval workflow also contains fields for signatures, which are then read out via OCR. If all required signatures are included on the form, the invoice can be booked immediately.

Another special feature of the Caritas Association was the extension of the audit of SEPA mandates. Since the introduction of automated invoice processing coincided with the SEPA obligation from February 2014, SEPA mandates also had to be integrated for the invoice verification process within the Caritas Association. Together with ZALARIS (at that time LBU-Systemhaus) this was realized.

Short training period and seamless integration of the inPuncto software into the existing SAP system

The employees of the Caritas Association did not need extensive training in our software and its functions, as everyone could continue working with the familiar SAP GUI. “SAP is and remains the leading system”, explains Dr. Frank Marcial, CEO of inPuncto Ltd. “Our add-on products and solutions can be seamlessly integrated into the existing SAP system so that an expensive third-party system is not necessary and, thanks to our lean software, the existing system can be adapted precisely to the functions of the existing system.

About the Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising e.V.

The Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising e.V. was founded in 1922 by the Catholic Elisabethenvereinen, Vinzenzvereinen and welfare institutions in order to better help people in need. Today the Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising e.V. is the largest social employer in the archdiocese of Munich and Freising (Upper Bavaria). The approximately 7,200 permanent employees and the same number of volunteers offer a wide range of social services for people of all ages, social classes and denominations in over 350 facilities and services.