Avoiding paper - During invoicing solves space problems
Document management and electronic workflow instead of scanning services
Tupperware's invoice archive was taking up valuable space and did not allow staff to search for stored information quickly, so the company made plans to digitise it. Instead of contracting a scanning service provider, Tupperware opted for an electronic invoice-processing system in combination with a legally compliant digital archive.
Now Tupperware has not only regained some space, but is also able to process invoices faster and from any location. Both invoice information and related documents can be digitised and the files easily found when needed.
Saving space as the main goal
Comprehensive process planning is essential
Current invoice status clearly visible at all times
In addition to having done away with physical archives, Tupperware benefits from increased transparency in that invoice statuses can be called up at any time from any location. "While paper-based invoices previously had to go through different folders depending on their processing status, you can now see at the touch of a button which invoices have been received, processed, approved and paid, and which are ready for archiving", says Moser, who relies heavily on the location-independent electronic workflow, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This makes it easy to process, approve and automatically forward invoices to the next person from any location, including home offices. "Otherwise we would have to post invoices from employee to employee, which would certainly be just as inefficient as leaving the invoices in the company office until employees could return. The exceptional situation caused by COVID-19 has immediately revealed the advantage of the work process's flexible design."
Benefits
- The invoice archive is gradually shrinking every year, meaning that storage space for paper documents will no longer be needed after seven years.
- Digitisation has made processing invoices and finding information faster.
- All employees can process invoices from any location whilst maintaining compliance, meaning that employees can work from home when needed.
Challenge
- Digitise the paper-based invoice archive in a legally compliant manner to gain space.
- Map internal company process chains in a digital IT process, taking all application scenarios into account during the planning phase.
- Find a balance between adapting the company's processes and adapting the software.
Solution
- Introduce a document management system with invoice workflow to avoid creating paper files.
- Any supplier can digitally send invoices to a general email address without the need to use a specific format or change the format further down the line.
- Paper-based invoices that arrive by post are scanned using a desktop scanner and processed in the same way as incoming digital invoices.
Peter Moser
Operations Manager, Tupperware Austria
Thanks to using document management, our paper archive is shrinking by one accounting year every year. This means that after seven years, it will be completely emptied automatically.