Given the enormity of document management problems in most growing and large organizations, you might think ERP systems such as Microsoft Dynamics NAV and AX would be available “out of the box” with sufficient – if not advanced – document management capabilities. You’d be wrong. Document management functionality is barely an afterthought for most ERP systems, including Microsoft Dynamics. This creates its own problems, especially for users with high transaction levels, complex document processing workflow or significant industry regulation.
Many companies have found that implementing an ERP system—without also addressing the documents and other content related to an ERP system’s transactions—actually extends the inefficiencies and risks inherent in their paper-based processes. Even “partial” document automation, such as scanning documents with barcodes, will break down in a production environment with relatively high transaction volumes (think hundreds per day or more) or not work at all. How do you know you have a document management problem? Document management issues are so common within organizations today they are often accepted as a cost of doing business. But left unchecked these issues can compile and spread, becoming extremely costly.
You likely have a document management problem if:
You’re constantly searching for or recreating lost documents.
Your managers waste hours waiting on documents to be found, or delivered from local or costly off-site storage .
Assembling documentation for an internal or external audit is a time consuming headache. Invoices make their way to accounting haphazardly, without regard to their need to be paid on time.
Managers keep copies of documents “just in case” their customer, vendors, or internal staff lose them.
Who is most at risk?
Although any company can experience ERP-related document management problems, organizations that operate in these industries often have more complex document management needs:
Distribution Manufacturing
Retail Pharmaceuticals
Healthcare
Add-ons to the rescue... Fortunately, the lack of document management functionality in Microsoft Dynamics is easily addressed by incorporating an add-on document management application. Available add-ons run the gamut from extremely simple to highly sophisticated. At the low end there are utilities that address a narrow set of functionality, such as scanning and storing documents electronically. These utilities often provide enough document management capability for smaller, low-transaction users. For the higher transaction, multi-location organization that typically use NAV or AX, there are fully-functional solutions that include OCR and electronic workflow.
The most compelling solutions drive maximum value for your organization by embedding this sophisticated functionality into the interfaces that users already know, such as Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft Outlook.
For more information about how incorporating embedded scanning, OCR, and workflow capabilities into your NAV or AX implementation can save you significant time and money, consult with your Dynamics partner, visit http://www.datahaven4dynamics.com and call us at 757-222-2000.
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