Tech that saves time

India-based Sonalika International Tractors Ltd. has ushered in a new era of digitalization thanks to intelligent technologies from European software company SAP.

The tractor manufacturer streamlined its inbound logistics operations by adopting an automated accounts payable (AP) solution that has replaced formerly manual processes with a productivity-enhancing digital approach, company leaders say.

“Implementing AP automation is a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey,” Sunil Kumar, group CFO and project owner at Sonalika, said in a statement describing the project. “This has streamlined our financial processes and will improve efficiency. This investment in automation technology will enhance inbound logistics efficiency, reducing manual effort and errors.”

Specifically, the automated solutions from SAP have simplified Sonalika’s gate entry and accounts payable processes, eliminating time-consuming tasks and boosting overall operational effectiveness.

ELIMINATING STEPS AND SAVING TIME 

The Sonalika/SAP project was implemented with the help of Crave InfoTech, an independent software solutions vendor and SAP reseller. Working together, the three companies decided on a solution that eliminates the paper-based inbound logistics processes in use at the manufacturing company. Essentially, the solution automates the invoicing entry process for more than 800 vendors by “templatizing” invoice formats. Supplier invoices are now scanned and stored in a document management system (DMS) folder, for instance. Gate entries are automatically posted via the use of optical character recognition (OCR) technology and business process automation tools that are part of the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). On top of that, accounts payable processes such as invoice posting are managed via SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation (iRPA) tools. 

All of these tools help companies build, manage, and deploy applications and connect data and business processes on one integrated platform. 

“Implementing RPA with OCR in our gate entry and invoice process … has been a [transformational] project, and we are a front-runner in utilizing these cutting-edge [technologies] in [the] tractor industry and large manufacturing [environment],” said Vikas Yadav, head of IT applications and digitalization at Sonalika, in the statement. “I appreciate our implementation partner Crave InfoTech for [its] BTP expertise, impeccable efforts, and unwavering support, which made the AP automation effortless and efficient.”

The partners also introduced a token system at the gate and implemented digital stamps for material document creation, actions that automated formerly manual steps and reduced execution time from two to three hours to just 10 to 15 minutes. This has essentially eliminated redundant and error-prone manual activities, bringing greater accuracy and efficiency to operations across the board, the companies said.

The digitalization efforts have also given the company real-time visibility into its inbound logistics processes, enabling better planning, execution, monitoring, and management control. Dashboards with comprehensive insights have allowed Sonalika Tractors to make data-driven decisions and ensure streamlined operations, according to Crave Infotech.

“We constantly strive to innovate and push the boundaries of process automation, utilizing the power of BTP and industry-specific intelligence,” Shrikant Nistane, CEO of Crave InfoTech, said in the statement describing the project. “Leveraging our expertise in digital supply chain and enterprise intelligence, we were able to bring this Industry 4.0 and RPA vision to reality.”