One very important conclusion emerges from our SaldeoSMART implementations: the system delivers the greatest value when a document is not merely stored in the system, but actually triggers the appropriate process. It sounds simple, but in practice, this is where the most important part of the implementation process begins.
A company may use SaldeoSMART, utilize KSeF, receive documents, store invoices, use OCR, or employ basic workflow functions. All of this is important. The question, however, is what happens next. Who sees the document? Who is responsible for describing it? Who knows the cost? Who should approve the expense? What data should be generated along the way, and what will eventually be sent to accounting or the financial and accounting system?
Only the answers to these questions reveal whether a company has merely a document management system or a truly well-organized process.
A document in the system is just the beginning
In the case studies we’ve published, we showcase different aspects of the same mechanism. SaldeoSMART can operate within a company or accounting firm within a specific scope, and it is only by expanding the configuration, launching additional workflows, organizing data, or integrating with the accounting system that its full potential can be realized. This isn’t a matter of “fixing the system.” It’s a matter of adapting the way you work with the system to how your organization actually operates today.
One example of how this mechanism works is illustrated by a case study of a company that used SaldeoSMART primarily as a document repository. The documents were in the system, but they had not yet triggered the full process of approval, description, and preparation of data for accounting. It was only after transitioning to a broader operating model that the company was able to build a process starting with the document, through verification and approval, all the way to data ready for use in further accounting work.
This clearly illustrates the difference between a system as an archive and a system as a work environment. An archive answers the question: Where is the document? A process answers many more questions: Who should review it, who should approve it, what needs to be added, what data is generated along the way, who should have access to it, and what should happen next.
SaldeoSMART is well-organized—but what does that mean?
A well-designed SaldeoSMART system does not mean activating the maximum number of modules or building the most complex workflow. A well-designed system is one that reflects the organization’s actual way of working.
At one company, the most important thing will be getting invoices approved quickly. At another, the key will be linking costs to projects, construction sites, and departments—that is, to specific budgets. In an accounting firm, the greatest value will lie in preparing data for bookkeeping and ensuring a well-configured export to the financial accounting system. In a group of companies, multi-company operations, data segregation, and a consistent workflow model may be important. In an organization handling sensitive data, it will be crucial to determine who sees what and at what stage.
That is why implementations should not start with a ready-made blueprint. They should start with an understanding of how the company or accounting firm operates today.
What types of documents are generated within the organization? Who has the expertise needed to review them? When is a decision by the board of directors required? When is approval from a subject matter expert sufficient? What information should be prepared before a document is sent to accounting? Should the data be transferred to the financial and accounting system? Should users be able to view all documents, or only those related to their responsibilities?
These are implementation questions. And they determine whether SaldeoSMART will actually support day-to-day work.
KSeF delivers the invoice, but its work isn’t done yet
In discussions about document digitization, the conversation increasingly turns to KSeF. Invoices will be generated electronically and available in the system; there will be no need to scan them or enter them manually from scratch. This is a major change, but it’s not the end of the process. For accounting, the mere presence of an invoice in the system isn’t enough. The document must be described and assigned to the appropriate categories, ledgers, accounts, payment methods, and sometimes tax brackets, MPK codes, or other parameters. If the data is inconsistent, the accounting department still has to correct it, supplement it, or work on it directly in the financial and accounting system.
That is why, in implementation projects for accounting firms and accounting departments, we treat KSeF as the starting point of the data flow, rather than the end of the document processing workflow.
In one case study, an accounting firm using WAPRO ERP Fakir didn’t need just another place to view invoices, but rather a process that integrated KSeF, accounting settings, document import, and banking services. The key was to prepare the data, account assignments, and dictionaries in such a way that they could be transferred from SaldeoSMART to the accounting system in a usable format. That is an important distinction. An invoice from KSeF can be imported into the system automatically. The amount appears when the document is forwarded along with data that is relevant for accounting purposes.
Data should be generated where the knowledge is
Accounting often operates at the end of the process, but that is not always where the most important insights about a document are generated.
If an invoice relates to a specific construction project, the project manager or site manager often has the information needed to determine whether the cost is justified. If the document relates to a delivery, information from the warehouse and the PZ/WZ documents may be crucial. If an invoice relates to an order, contract, department, budget, or project, the subject-matter expert often knows more than the accounting department does at the initial stage.
If this information remains in emails, phone calls, or notes, the accounting department has to reconstruct the context later. They have to ask questions, check details, wait for answers, and correct data. This lengthens the process and takes up the time of people who should be focusing on verification, accounting, and analysis—not on searching for information.
A well-designed EOD changes this structure. Information can be generated during the process, at successive stages of the workflow. A subject matter expert describes the document, the appropriate person approves the expense, the accounting department sees the data earlier, and management can gain greater transparency into what is happening with costs even before they are posted to the books.
That is precisely why it is so important in our projects to determine who has knowledge of the document and at what stage that knowledge should be entered into the system.
Electronic document workflow must reflect the actual process
EOD does not deliver its full value if it is limited solely to the accounting department, while the substantive part of the process continues to take place outside the system.
In operational industries, it is very clear how important it is to include people who actually know the costs in the workflow. In one of our projects for the construction industry, the workflow was expanded beyond accounting to include site managers, project managers, and logistics. As a result, documents could be verified at the point where the cost was incurred, assigned to the correct project and cost estimate line item, and compared with delivery documents. This wasn’t just an additional formality. It was a way to organize information that would have had to be compiled anyway, but had previously been outside the system.
If EOD involves an actual process, the accounting department doesn’t have to wait for the document to be returned in paper form or via email with a description. The document is visible in the system from the moment it is registered, even if its substantive verification is still in progress. This provides better control, fewer questions, and a clearer picture of costs.
Permissions are part of the process, not an afterthought
In electronic document workflows, it’s very easy to focus on speed. Will a document reach the approver faster? Will the accounting department receive the data sooner? Will management make a decision more quickly? These are important questions, but there’s another factor besides speed: information security.
Not every user should be able to view every document. Access to documents, as well as the ability to edit, approve, revert, delete, or preview them, must be based on responsibilities within the organization. Otherwise, while the system may streamline workflows, it may also create risks related to data confidentiality or integrity.
That is why, when designing an EOD, we consider roles, user groups, workflow stages, and visibility scopes. Users should have access only to the documents and fields they need to complete their tasks. Nothing more.
This is particularly important in organizations that operate across multiple departments, subsidiaries, projects, or financial data with varying levels of sensitivity. Properly configured permissions are not a hindrance. They are a way to ensure that the process is secure, transparent, and aligned with users’ responsibilities.
When set up properly, SaldeoSMART is a system that people understand
Even the best setup won’t be fully effective if users don’t understand what they’re supposed to do in the system. A well-implemented process should be straightforward. The user knows which documents require their action. They know what information to provide. They know when their stage is complete. They know where to add a comment, when to forward a document, when to send it back for clarification, and what the document’s status means.
The accounting department sees the document from the start of the process and can monitor liabilities. Management has insight into the status of costs and documents. Subject matter experts describe documents in areas where they actually have expertise. The accounting firm can work with data prepared in advance, rather than having to reconstruct the context from scratch. This isn’t a matter of a single function. It’s the result of a well-structured process.
Schedule an implementation consultation with Hakon Software. We’ll analyze your company’s document workflow, identify areas where the process is inefficient or lacks transparency, and show you how to integrate accounting, operational, analytical, and supervisory tasks into a single, streamlined process.
Start with a conversation.
📞 +48 532 454 856
📧 saldeo@hakon.pl
Editor’s Note: This article was prepared by Hakon Software based on the company’s own implementations, case studies, and the team’s experience. AI tools assisted us in organizing the material and editing it, while Hakon Software is responsible for the substance, content verification, and publication.
