Henkel chooses SAPERION for global standardized invoice processing
Lower costs and a lower rate of errors
Berlin, September 23, 2009 – German software firm SAPERION, specialists in enterprise content management, helps Henkel modernize invoice processing throughout the company and get a handle on a flood of invoices. SAPERION 6 enables this manufacturer of pharmacy products, adhesives, and sealants to handle a yearly volume of 1.4 million invoices faster and with lower costs than before. Henkel’s 52,000 employees around the world also benefit from new features like e-invoicing, which will pay dividends long into the future.
Launching of the new software in Europe and North America will serve as the opening bell for a major platform conversion. Since SAPERION 6 went live in June of 2009, more than 20 countries, including Germany, France, Great Britain, and Poland, have begun using the new system. In the first few months, 40,000 invoices have been entered into the system and 16,700 users have been granted access. Henkel plans to expand use of the software to all national subsidiaries in several stages. The old FileNet software was replaced within six months, including two months each of design, development, and internal testing at Henkel.
The high level of standardization enables this international company to convert invoice processing to uniform processes at a global level. The system also completes the processing of invoices with less time spent on agreements and approvals. The new system has many other benefits as well. By guiding the user through the entire process, there is less room for mistakes. At the same time, the software makes procedures and coordination cycles leaner. The results are savings of time and money. Henkel also benefits from SAPERION's completely open interface architecture. Existing or future applications that are developed for highly specialized purposes can be easily integrated. “Our old system simply couldn't keep up with the increasing volumes of invoices. It had gotten to be rather slow, especially during peak times at the beginning and end of each month, sometimes having a direct effect on our profitability. The new solution does everything we need, giving us a highly standardized system that will be able to handle future growth," according to Jaak van Wanseele, Financial Operations Europe at Henkel.
Investing in an open, high-performance ECM solution is an investment in the future because, as globalization continues to accelerate, an ever greater number of invoice processes are moving to the Internet. The benefits of web-based functions are especially evident at international corporations like Henkel. According to a recent study by market research firm TNS Global, twenty-percent of all German companies already send electronic invoices in addition to traditional hard copies, and their numbers are increasing. The new software at Henkel is ready for this challenge. Integrated e-invoicing features give Henkel the tools they will need for future invoice processing requirements. “E-invoicing will eventually allow us to achieve a fully electronic exchange of invoices with our vendors, which will greatly improve the efficiency of the invoice-receipt process," according to Jaak van Wanseele. "Using and maintaining the system requires only a small amount of time, a benefit that will go straight to our bottom line."
According to Rudolf Gessinger, CEO of SAPERION: "An international corporation like Henkel needs to have a highly standardized solution for processing invoices. At the same time, the chosen software must be capable of handling future requirements and have the flexibility to take full advantage of benefits like web-based features. SAPERION is the ideal partner for these situations. We already provide a large number of international corporations with account payable solutions and Henkel benefits from this experience."
