The biggest challenge in implementing a document workflow in a company isn’t choosing a system, but designing the entire process. Even if a document is already in the system, details may still be exchanged via email, phone calls, and Excel files, and knowledge of what’s happening with an invoice may remain solely in employees’ heads.
The company receives a supplier invoice. Before it is posted and settled, someone must verify what it is for, assign it to the appropriate department, project, or budget, and then forward it to the relevant individuals for approval. If the process isn’t well-organized, questions quickly arise: Who has the document right now? Has it been approved? Which budget should cover the cost? And has the payment deadline already passed?
Implementing a document workflow in a company using SaldeoSMART allows you to integrate all activities into a single process. However, this requires proper planning of the implementation. It’s not about simply transferring existing workflows to a new tool, but about creating a workflow that takes into account the needs of the accounting department, subject-matter experts, budget managers, and supervisory staff.
The accounting department shouldn’t have to search the entire company for information
One of the most common mistakes is treating the Electronic Document Workflow system solely as a tool for accounting. Accounting is involved in the process, but does not have the full picture of why a purchase was made, which project the expense relates to, and who made the decision to incur it. This information is held by the operational departments. Therefore, the substantive description should be created where the knowledge about the actual purpose of the expense resides.
With SaldeoSMART, invoices are recorded in real time. They can be downloaded automatically from the National e-Invoice System or uploaded to the system as a PDF file or photo. They are then forwarded to the people responsible for reviewing and approving them.
The employee specifies what the invoice is for and assigns it to the appropriate project, department, location, cost category, or MPK. By the time the document reaches the accounting department, it already contains the information necessary for its proper recording.
This reduces the number of questions, messages, and clarifications over the phone. The accounting department doesn’t have to spend several weeks figuring out who ordered a service and what it was for. It can focus on its core work, using data prepared by people who understand the business context.
A single process for accounting and line-of-business staff
A well-configured workflow should not hinder work. Its purpose is to indicate who is responsible for the next step and what information needs to be provided.
A staff member handling day-to-day operations does not need to know the chart of accounts or the rules for account assignment. They should be provided with a simple form that allows them to specify the purpose of the expense, the project, the budget, or other information relevant to the company.
Once a document is filled out, it is automatically routed to the appropriate person. The routing path may depend on the type of expense, department, project, amount, or other rules in place within the organization. The approver receives a notification and can approve the document from a computer or mobile device.
Each participant in the process can view the current status of the document within the scope of their permissions. There’s no need to email back and forth to determine who has the invoice at the moment or to manually remind people to take the next step.
SaldeoSMART thus becomes a shared work environment. Accounting, operations, and approvers all use the same document, the same history, and the same up-to-date information.
Cost data is available in advance
In the traditional model, complete cost information is often analyzed only after the documents have been posted. This does not mean that the accounting department does not provide reports or that it prepares them too late. The problem is that the data in the accounting system reflects documents that have already passed a certain stage of the process.
SaldeoSMART provides an additional layer of information. The data is available as soon as an invoice is registered, before the document is finally approved and posted.
Automation and AI mechanisms can support data extraction and the initial classification of a document. An invoice can be assigned to the appropriate department, cost category, project, or other analytical dimension. The user verifies this information and provides additional context that the system cannot assess on its own.
This allows those responsible for finance, controlling, and budgeting to see costs in advance that are still going through the approval process. They can check what liabilities have arisen for the company, even if they have not yet been formally recorded in the accounting system.
Data prepared in this way can then be used in management reporting and analytical tools, such as Power BI. Its value stems not only from its earlier availability but also from the business context assigned to it from the outset.
Integration with an accounting system/ERP
SaldeoSMART is not a replacement for an accounting system. Its purpose is to organize documents and data before they are forwarded to the accounting department.
The system can be integrated with the company’s existing financial and accounting software or ERP system. Data from SaldeoSMART can then be transferred to systems such as Symfonia, enova365, Comarch ERP Optima, and many others. This reduces the need to manually re-enter customer data and amounts and, most importantly, ensures data consistency across these systems.
A well-designed integration therefore bridges these two areas. SaldeoSMART handles document receipt, description, approval, and analytical information, while the accounting/ERP system is responsible for its subsequent recording in accordance with accounting and tax principles.
Supervision without constantly monitoring employees
An electronic workflow system provides management and supervisors not only with access to documents, but above all with insight into the process. The audit trail shows who registered the document, who described it, what changes were made, and who approved the expense. As a result, accountability does not rely on employees’ memories or on arrangements left in email inboxes.
Proper access management is also essential. Users should only be able to view the documents and information they need to do their jobs. The accounting department will have one set of access rights, the project manager another, and the management or auditor yet another.
Multi-step approval also helps reduce the risk of paying for an invoice that has not been previously reviewed or approved. If the process includes purchase requests and purchase orders, the invoice can be linked to a prior purchasing decision.
The system does not make decisions for people, but it clarifies responsibilities and provides a clear record of every action.
What does the implementation of a document workflow system look like at a company using Hakon Software?
Simply activating the license is not enough to implement a document workflow in a company. The system should be tailored to the organization’s actual work processes. At Hakon Software, therefore, we start with a process analysis. We examine how documents enter the company, who enters them, who approves expenses, what data is needed by accounting, and what information is used by those responsible for budgeting and oversight. Based on this, we design workflow paths, roles, permissions, and analytical dimensions. We then configure SaldeoSMART and prepare the integration with the existing accounting/ERP system.
Role-specific training is an important component. An administrator needs different knowledge than an accountant, a project manager, or an employee who processes invoices. Everyone should know what they are responsible for and how to perform their tasks efficiently.
After the system goes live, we also provide technical support and maintenance services. Business processes change over time, so the configuration should be able to evolve alongside the organization.
When is a reimplementation necessary?
If a company is already using SaldeoSMART but employees are still approving documents via email, permissions are hindering their work, and approval workflows are too complicated, the problem is often not the system itself. The cause is frequently a configuration that does not align with the company’s current operations.
Reimplementation involves reanalyzing the process, simplifying workflows, streamlining permissions, and improving integration. It is not always necessary to start the implementation from scratch. Sometimes it’s enough to remove solutions that don’t add value and adapt the system to the organization’s current scale and needs.
EOD should organize work, not digitize chaos
Successfully implementing a document workflow in a company isn’t just about replicating every existing task in the system. It’s about creating a process in which the right person receives the right document at the right time.
SaldeoSMART can integrate the work of accounting, operations, budget managers, and senior management. However, the success of the implementation depends on analysis, configuration, and user training.
Schedule a consultation with a Hakon Software engineer. We’ll analyze your company’s document workflow, identify areas where the process is inefficient or lacks transparency, and show you how to combine accounting, operational, analytical, and supervisory tasks into a single, streamlined process.
Start with a conversation.
📞 +48 532 454 856
📧 saldeo@hakon.pl
