Growing digitally: integrated solution for documents at Cremer Oleo

CREMER OLEO GmbH & Co KG is a manufacturer and supplier of oleochemical specialties that are used in pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and foodstuffs. The oils and fats, which are all plant-based, are also used in technical applications.

Just like CREMER Holding, CREMER OLEO has grown strongly in recent years, expanding its business activities and generating sales of 239 million euros at three locations in Germany and international sales offices. With the growth and integration of the various production and administrative locations, the demands on the efficiency of business processes have increased.

The integration of new locations and the interaction of workflows require a higher level of digitalization of business processes than before. Christian Reich, Head of IT at CREMER OLEO, relies on integrated, future-proof software solutions that support the long-term growth strategy.

The main goals for the process optimizations are therefore

• Seamless integration of processes and document exchange across locations
• Faster and more secure workflows
• Efficient processing of incoming invoices
• Store and retrieve documents based on processes
• Archiving of all ERP documents from Microsoft Dynamics NAV
• Organization of documents in file structures in SharePoint

CREMER OLEO uses Microsoft Dynamics NAV at each of its German sites with its own clients, which are currently still on different versions. At the two production sites, the industry solution from Yaveon extends the ERP system. This solution has already been in use in Wittenberge for some time. In Witten, the Yaveon industry-specific ERP solution based on NAV 2009 was introduced in just three months to replace the previous SAP system. Irrespective of a future standardization of the ERP versions, CREMER OLEO wanted to organize document management consistently along the business processes.

CREMER OLEO opted for a document management solution from Yaveon based on SharePoint. This means that CREMER OLEO not only relies on an end-to-end Microsoft platform, but also has the benefit that all applications can be implemented and supported by Yaveon. "This intensive collaboration allows us to ensure that the synergies between the applications and the overarching workflows really work," says Mr. Reich. The experienced NAV Senior Consultant and Process Consultant is well aware that some of the upcoming tasks can only be fulfilled by the company itself. This is the only way to reduce friction losses, speed up processes and reduce training costs in the long term.

CREMER has made great progress by consistently archiving and managing all ERP documents and process-relevant files. All documents that are now generated in NAV are archived electronically and stored in files. Digital filing is largely automated by generating the corresponding metadata, which enables SharePoint to create the file structures. There may well be different views and file structures for the same data.

A direct jump label from the masks in the ERP system enables access to all documents associated with the process. For example, the purchase order, quotation, pro forma invoice, delivery bill and invoice for an order can be displayed. It is also possible to jump directly to all documents assigned to the customer. In SharePoint, all documents are structured in corresponding folders. Other documents that are not generated from the ERP system, such as e-mails, can be added to the files via a drag & drop sidebar in Ecspand and can also be called up from the ERP system. Depending on the context, the metadata is added either automatically or via menu navigation. This means that the files are always easy to find, grouped by process and can be called up directly.

Furthermore, CREMER has used the SharePoint environment to build a so-called "House of Quality" based on Yaveon's ideas, in which all documents relating to quality assurance, quality management, REACH and work instructions etc. are stored.

We use a protected workspace in which the quality documents are created and finalized via an approval process. They are then published in the employee portal, which ensures that employees always have access to the latest documents. In this way, almost all documents created at CREMER, from product development and the product life cycle to merchandise management, order processing and quality management, are stored in a structured manner, securely archived and easily accessible.

Another area of business process digitalization is the processing of incoming invoices. "The invoice approval process was too slow across the locations, so it was often not possible to take advantage of the discount and it was not transparent where invoices were in the approval process," says Mr. Reich, explaining the initial situation. Similarly, audit-proof archiving also needed to be integrated into the process. For this purpose, Mr. Reich decided to introduce the invoice receipt processing of ecspand and SharePoint. Yaveon also provides the interface to Microsoft Dynamics NAV and offers cross-client workflow support. This also ensures that CREMER OLEO has a standardized process across all locations. Invoices from suppliers in Witten, Hamburg or Wittenberge are now scanned or, if they are electronic invoices, stored in the electronic inbox. The invoice data is then read electronically and the invoice header is generated with reference to the purchase order.

After verification by the clerk, a defined workflow ensures that the invoices are now forwarded in NAV for release to the requisitioner, for posting in the accounting department and for payment release in the central financial administration. The original invoice, which is now stored in the document archive in an audit-proof manner, can be accessed at any time. Invoice processing now forms a closed process without media discontinuity, where the current status can be queried for each invoice and, above all, approvals and postings can be made without delay.

To enable the system to largely automate the reading process, the master data first had to be checked and updated. Furthermore, the system initially learns to recognize the various supplier invoice documents better and better. To do this, fields that are not recognized are simply marked in the PDF and assigned to the correct field in the NAV system. After a few documents from the supplier, the system automatically recognizes the field. Of course, reading errors still need to be corrected, especially with poorly printed invoices, which is why each individual invoice is checked before it is created in NAV.

CREMER OLEO has taken an important step towards the digitalization of business processes and reduced the throughput times of approval processes. Another benefit is that implicit processes become explicit and existing knowledge is digitally available to everyone. New and young employees in particular are very happy when relevant documents are linked to processes in the application and long searches are no longer necessary. Even if the digitization of the documents initially caused skepticism among some employees, the benefits of this digital, quickly accessible type of filing were quickly recognized. It quickly became apparent that this modernization of the process would save time-consuming searches for documents.