Welcome to Five Fast Minutes, a quick monthly briefing from Optura. Five Fast Minutes is a summary of news, highlighted Optura product knowledge and crucial insights to help you tackle business process optimization.

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Optura Participating in America’s SAP Users Group 2003 Annual Conference and Vendor Fair:

Located in New Orleans this year, the SAP Users Group Conference is highly regarded as the “must attend” conference for those companies and individuals who want to improve their understanding of SAP and its applications. Keynote speakers range from motivational performance coaching to board members and chief executives of SAP America. The core of this conference are the more than 450 educational sessions scheduled to be presented. Attendees at the ASUG Annual Conference will focus on building their educational experience and discovering ways to improve performance. Given by other SAP users, these sessions also provide an ideal environment where attendees can learn how to leverage solutions and incorporate a multitude of best practices.

Optura’s contribution to these scheduled sessions will focus on their “Prepackaged Business Process Optimization Solutions for Financial Shared Services and Master Data Management.” Presenters from Optura and their topics are:

Material Creation Process Optimization
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
10:00 AM - 11:10 AM
Content Area: Inventory Management
Tom Walker, Senior Process Architect for Optura, will demonstrate how the complex material creation process can be optimized using an SAP workflow solution. He’ll review how this solution can increase profits by decreasing cycle time, increasing accuracy and eliminating rework. Another benefit from this solution is the centralized and visible data that provides audit trails and managerial productivity/frequency reporting. An ROI calculator, best practices, workflow screens and a review of common process problems will round out this session.

Case Study: Best Practice Workflow between Procurement and A/P
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
11:00AM – 12:10PM
Presentation Category: Accounts Payable
This case study will be given by Sam Ahuja, Chief Solutions Architect from Optura, and senior partners at Pilgrims Pride, the second largest poultry company in the U.S. This vendor invoice resolution case study will cover: workflow for problem invoices; dashboards to streamlining communications between Accounts Payable, Buyers, Receivers and Requisitioners, uses of workflow reports for invoice status and process visibility, and ROI analysis.

Best Practice Workflow between A/P and Procurement
Monday, May 19, 2003
4:00PM – 5:10PM
Presentation Category: Accounts Payable
Sam Ahuja, Chief Solutions Architect from Optura will also be presenting this best practice session with a partner from Baker Hughes, a leader in oilfield services and technologies. Topics covered and live demonstrations in this session include: imaging and workflow for problem invoices; non-PO invoice approvals; dashboards to streamlining communications between Accounts Payable, Buyers, Receivers and Requisitioners; uses of workflow reports for invoice status and process visibility; ROI analysis.

Best Practice Workflow for HR Processes
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
10:00AM - 11:10AM
Presentation Category: Workflow/Webflow
Dave Ulin, Senior Process Architect for Optura, will focus on how companies can optimize HR processes, such as promotions, demotions and reclassifications, thereby obtaining more value from their SAP investment. This presentation will also demonstrate a web-based solution to gather and validate required information at the initiator level, automate routing for approval and background population of data into SAP HR, and reduce cycle time.

Efficient Setup and Changes to Customer Masters using SAP Workflow
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
10:00AM – 11:10AM
Presentation Category: Credit/Accounts Receivable
Sam Ahuja, Chief Solutions Architect from Optura will show how Nestle has utilized workflow technology in R/3 to optimize the creation and change process Customer Master Records and Group Hierarchies. The session will focus on how using an automated workflow process has allowed Nestle to setup customer masters faster with more accurate data. This has also resulted in smoother customer orders and the ability to invoice customers in a timely manner. The session will include a live demonstration of the workflow process.

Optura will also be exhibiting at the ASUG Conference and showcasing their RapidFlow Prepackaged Business Process Optimization Solutions for Financial Shared Services and Master Data Management. Optura’s “Financial Shared Service Solutions” provide answers to AR and AP financial process challenges:

1. RapidFlow AP Invoice Exception: Streamlines Accounts Payable operations using imaging to facilitate paperless processing of invoices in A/P, and then routes problem invoices into the organization for resolution and approval.
2. RapidFlow AR Collections Control Console : Provides collection personnel and management with an automated and integrated method of identifying, documenting and following-up on delinquent receivables;
3. RapidFlow AP Link: Improves productivity and throughput in imaging-based Accounts Payable processes. It also allows for efficient processing of paperless invoices, thereby improving A/P efficiency.
4. RapidFlow AR Credit Management: Automates manual processes associated with soliciting and monitoring customer credit information, substantially reducing the time and cost of maintaining information critical in the credit evaluation process;

Optura’s “Master Data Management Solutions” include RapidFlow Material Master Data and RapidFlow Customer Master Data. These solutions facilitate the setup of material and customer masters in the ERP system. Set up and editing of new products, routings, and customer data happen in a timely and accurate manner with these solutions.

Please join Optura at this year’s 2003 ASUG conference, which promises to have something for everyone who values business process enhancements and increased knowledge of SAP. Visit their booth (#564), and talk to the process experts and see live demonstrations.

After visiting Optura’s booth and hearing their sessions, you’ll see how Optura sets itself apart in the SAP universe—by offering companies that want to enhance their SAP business processes the perfect prepackaged solution. This is a solution that lives inside SAP, incorporates best practices and leverages a company’s existing ERP investment.

More info can be obtained on the ASUG website

Optura drives ahead with quick and efficient approach to SAP business process optimization

World-class swimmers have a simple goal—get from one end of the pool to the other in the fastest time possible. Many companies want this same streamlined effort when implementing a new business process solution. They want set goals and organized management of the project scope. They also expect documented delivery practices that are proven to be effective and efficient and clear communication every step of the way. Upon completion, they want to have confidence in their improved business process.

Optura has addressed these needs by developing an approach called Forward Motion. The goal with Forward Motion is to effectively manage each step of the business process optimization to provide a quality experience and result. This methodology ensures the right steps are taken so the new process is designed according to customer needs. This delivery system capitalizes on Optura’s in-depth knowledge of enterprise business process and focuses powerful process-enhancing technologies on specific business challenges. It also provides smooth knowledge transfer and usability for employees.

The approach begins with the Three-Step Visioning Cycle:

1. Business Process Architects from Optura begin by working with customers to pinpoint process improvement opportunities and a clear vision of this finished product. Any proposed enhancements are situation and customer specific.
2. An ROI analysis is then designed to detail how quickly the improved process will pay for itself. This ROI is given in hard and soft benefits along with a timeline for the improvement rollout. Technical tool suggestions are also made as this timeline is formulated.
3. A Visioning and Planning Report is then presented to the customer with a business case and a graphic illustration of the current and improved processes.

Implementation Cycle

Traditional delivery methodologies tend to be long on promise and arrive at the clients’ doorstep with an inordinate amount of documentation. Forward Motion is a results oriented approach that strives to fulfill expectations of the project and cut down on unnecessary paperwork.

Prior to go-live, the solution is tested to ensure it is fully operational and Optura’s Quality Certification assures that every aspect of success has been validated. Onsite engineers intimate with the building of the solution assist the organization with knowledge transfer and communicate with key process users. At go-live, the result is smooth transition and clear communication on the implementation of the improved business process.

A highly trained and experienced Client Services Manager coordinates each implementation. They will guide a customer through this process from the goal-setting phase to the final ROI analysis audits.

Platinum Services

Forward Motion can be further enhanced with Optura’s Platinum Services, a series of audits performed to extensively test the results of the new, improved process. The ROI is further validated with fine tuning and ensuring that the completed project achieves success beyond workflows and systems—these audits measure acceptance of the new system and aid user familiarity with them.

The Forward Motion approach is for any company that desires a new and better way to scope and implement business process optimization solutions. From start to finish, this delivery method will provide clear deliverables, readiness assessment of the project, full knowledge transfer and a clear understanding of responsibilities for all parties involved.

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