Process Automation
Process automation with measurable results
Goal:Automate routine work
Before we automate a process, we agree with you on the metric you will use to measure success, for example the lead time per incoming invoice. We automate how your existing systems work together, so the benefit is traceable in your own figures.
At a glance
- What
- Recurring work steps are automated; exceptions and approvals remain transparently regulated.
- For whom
- Companies whose accounting, order entry or purchasing teams capture data several times and reconcile it by hand.
- Outcome
- An automated cross-system process with documented business rules, agreed system connections and monitoring.
- Getting started
- Initial consultation, then a Strategy workshop with process measurement
Specialists spend their time on tasks that require knowledge and experience.
In your accounting department, incoming invoices are captured, matched against the purchase order and delivery note and forwarded for approval. Similar routines exist in order entry and purchasing. Automation therefore takes over duplicate data entry and matching, while control over rules, exceptions and approvals stays within the company.
What we stand for
We are convinced that specialists should spend their time on tasks that require their knowledge and experience, rather than entering data several times and reconciling it by hand. Automation must therefore improve how systems work together, noticeably relieve employees and create economic benefit. Control over rules, exceptions and approvals must remain within the company.
A typical starting point
In your accounting department, incoming invoices are captured, matched against the purchase order and delivery note and forwarded for approval. Similar routines exist in order entry and purchasing. This work takes up time every month, and errors can mean that early-payment discount deadlines are missed.
Architecture
How we proceed
In the connected process, your systems match invoice, purchase order and delivery note, so only the cases that need a decision reach your team.
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Capture
Together with your team, we capture processes, data flows and exceptions.
Example: checking incoming invoice R-4711
- Process
- Checking incoming invoices
- Exceptions
- Price deviation, partial delivery
Outcome
What you receive
You receive an automated cross-system process with documented business rules, agreed system connections and monitoring, for example invoice checking from reading the invoice through matching to preparing the approval.
- Automated cross-system process
- Documented business rules
- Agreed system connections
- Process monitoring
- Exceptions routed to the responsible person with a reason
- Metric with baseline and target value
- Enabling your team to monitor the process and maintain the rules
Comparison
Three approaches compared
The table shows at which point in a process each approach comes in.
| Criterion | Standard software | Custom development | datadice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting point | the product's standard process | the project's specification | a specific, clearly defined process |
| Connection to existing systems | via the vendor's existing interfaces | depending on the contract | your systems, such as DATEV or your ERP |
| Your own business rules | within the configuration options | freely implementable | documented business rules, exceptions routed to the responsible person with a reason |
| Quality assurance | by the vendor | as agreed in the project | parallel operation and comparison against a jointly agreed metric |
| Operation and further development | with the vendor's releases | by separate agreement | process monitoring to the agreed extent |
| Enabling your team | product training | as required | your team maintains the rules and monitors the process |
Starting point
- Standard software
- the product's standard process
- Custom development
- the project's specification
- datadice
- a specific, clearly defined process
Connection to existing systems
- Standard software
- via the vendor's existing interfaces
- Custom development
- depending on the contract
- datadice
- your systems, such as DATEV or your ERP
Your own business rules
- Standard software
- within the configuration options
- Custom development
- freely implementable
- datadice
- documented business rules, exceptions routed to the responsible person with a reason
Quality assurance
- Standard software
- by the vendor
- Custom development
- as agreed in the project
- datadice
- parallel operation and comparison against a jointly agreed metric
Operation and further development
- Standard software
- with the vendor's releases
- Custom development
- by separate agreement
- datadice
- process monitoring to the agreed extent
Enabling your team
- Standard software
- product training
- Custom development
- as required
- datadice
- your team maintains the rules and monitors the process
Application
Exceptions and approval
Your business rules determine the process, and approvals remain with your employees, so you keep control over rules and exceptions.
The straight-through processing rate is the share of cases that run through without human intervention, in our processes up to the point where the approval is prepared. Further metrics: lead time per document, processing minutes per case, error rate. Before the start, we define the metric and the target value.
Related use cases
Process Automation
Checking incoming invoices, with approval staying with people
An automated process with documented rules and monitoring. After go-live we measure the same metric again: you see the effect in your own numbers.
See the exampleCustomers, Quotes and Orders
Quotes and orders according to your own rules
A module for customer records, follow-ups, quotes and orders. Your team sees the process from first contact to order.
See the exampleFrequently asked questions
An objection we often hear
„DATEV already reads our documents.“
What does datadice automate?
A cross-system process with documented business rules, agreed system connections and monitoring, for example invoice checking from reading the invoice through matching to preparing the approval.
Who decides on exceptions?
The responsible person, with a stated reason. Approvals remain with your employees.
How do you measure the benefit?
Against a metric we agree with you before the start, for example the lead time per incoming invoice. The baseline and target value are fixed before anything is automated.
What is straight-through processing?
Straight-through processing is the share of cases that run through without human intervention. In our processes it extends up to the point where the approval is prepared; the approval itself stays with a person.
Getting started
Which recurring process noticeably ties up your team's working time every month?
In the free initial consultation we show the calculation using invoice checking as an example, and afterwards you receive a short playbook. In the Strategy workshop, following the current-state analysis, the Process measurement measures a clearly defined process and creates the economic basis for deciding on its automation.
Starting point:Strategy workshop with process measurement