DocuWare > Case Studies > GOETTFERT Material Test Equipment

GOETTFERT Material Test Equipment

Customer Company Size

Mid-size Company

Region

Europe

Country

Germany

Product

DocuWare
SAP ERP system
TOBIT email application
VGCS Content and Dataserver
Kodak Scan Station 500

Tech Stack

Document Management System
ERP System
Email Archiving
Barcode Scanning
Workflow Automation

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Productivity Improvements
Cost Savings
Customer Satisfaction
Waste Reduction

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage
Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)

Applicable Industries

Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing
Procurement
Business Operation

Use Cases

Supply Chain Visibility
Inventory Management
Demand Planning & Forecasting

Services

System Integration
Software Design & Engineering Services

About The Customer

GOETTFERT is a machinery company based in Buchen, Germany, with subsidiaries in China and the US. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of rheological testing equipment for the plastics and rubber industry. GOETTFERT offers a wide product portfolio with various specifications for diverse applications, tailored to the specific needs of customers. The company focuses on the newest technologies and precision, as well as efficient internal administrative processes. To enhance its SAP ERP system, the company deployed a document management solution by DocuWare.

The Challenge

GOETTFERT, a leading manufacturer of rheological testing equipment for the plastics and rubber industry, was facing challenges with its document management. The company had to deal with a large number of documents such as email, paper documents, drawings, telephone notes, customer correspondence, orders, proposals, order confirmations, shipping slips, and invoices. These documents needed to be assembled, shared, and stored, which was a time-consuming process. The company was looking for a solution to reduce the time and effort spent on document management and improve efficiency.

The Solution

GOETTFERT implemented DocuWare, a document management solution, to enhance its SAP ERP system. The solution was first implemented as a parallel system during the test stage and went live in production mode in January 2014. The company moved completely away from paper-based filing. DocuWare is integrated with SAP via a certified interface VGCS Content and Dataserver. All accounting records sent to either vendors or customers are automatically stored from the ERP System into the central document repository and are then indexed using the SAP data. In addition, all email relevant for order processing is archived with the certified TOBIT interface. A barcode label is assigned to each incoming invoice in the mail room. Then the document gets scanned, stored into the electronic file cabinet and forwarded to the respective department for approval. This launches a workflow: the invoice appears in the electronic inbox of the department head who checks the invoice and places an electronic stamp on it. This stamping automatically sends the invoice to the purchasing department where further verification happens. After the final approval, the invoice is returned to the accounting department which ultimately initiates the payment.

Operational Impact

The workflow ensures that each invoice is quickly moved through the process. They cannot get lost and can be paid quickly. This solidifies vendor relationships helping to get favorable quotes and makes it easy to take advantage of early payment discounts.
An additional workflow helps service technicians in the field to reduce their administrative work significantly. For each service call, an order form with a barcode number is printed from within SAP. After the service call is completed, the form will be scanned and is then automatically indexed and archived by the barcode number. This saves a lot of time. The service technicians not only appreciate the extra time but also the instant overview of all past service and repair calls. They can also have access to all relevant documents and manuals for each piece of equipment.
The success of the document management system can be measured at GOETTFERT based on time saved and additional resources which can now be used by employees for providing customer service.

Quantitative Benefit