DHL/Airborne Express Implements SAP-Certified Archive, Workflow and Retrieval Solution for AP

Accounts payable integration with Oracle 11i and SAP delivers sustainable work force reductions over a five year period.

Case Summary
Airborne Express implemented an integrated document archive and workflow retrieval solution to enhance its Oracle 11i accounting processes. After DHL acquired Airborne Express in 2003, they adopted the solution and began transitioning the design to SAP using ImageSource and Oracle|Stellent certified integrations
with ArchiveLink.

The Challenge
For more than 50 years, Airborne Express has served the shipping needs of business customers around the world. Airborne offers total distribution solutions by providing customers time sensitive delivery of documents, letters, small packages and freight to virtually every US ZIP code and more than 200 countries. Airborne accounts payable department processes volumes of invoices and related documents from over 30,000 suppliers. They wanted to process invoices faster and pay vendors more quickly. In addition, they wanted the ability to retrieve invoices rapidly, research past due amounts, duplicate invoices, indentify fraudulent billing attempts and significantly reduce the likelihood of over payments.

The ImageSource® Solution

The solution was designed and integrated by ImageSource, utilizing Optika® Acorde software for content storage, retrieval and workflow functions. Kofax® Ascent Capture was implemented for image scanning and data entry. The Optika® Acorde Application Link for Oracle, a seamless integration of the Acorde imaging and workflow solution with Airborne’s Oracle 11i financials system to streamline the accounts payable processes. The Acorde integration with Oracle 11i allows companies to process and image enable their Oracle Financials applications for enhanced processing, accelerated cycle times and increased user productivity. The system was able to manage a large variety of document types including EDI, paper forms and corporate procurement cards. The integration helped eliminate duplicate data entry into the Oracle system, and allowed for instant access to data and documents from within the Oracle client desktop.

The Bottom Line
The Airborne payables department includes a number of compliance specialist positions whose job involves researching billing patterns, spending irregularities and in general looking for cost savings opportunities. The integration has enabled the compliance specialists to expand the scope and depth of their audit reviews, yielding additional savings to Airborne. The system gave Accounts Payable staff access to various accounting documents including invoices and journal entries. It eliminated the entire cost and reliance on an outsourced microfilm service company. The system was more efficient and reduced operating costs with a return on the investment in 18 months.

Over the years that I’ve worked with ImageSource they have guided every aspect of our projects with professionalism and expertise, from delivery of hardware, software installation, integration testing, and follow-up support.

– Steve Kissinger, Manager, Accounts Payable

Looking to the Future
In 2003 Airborne Express was acquired by DHL International. In 2004 the accounts payable financial system was transitioned from Oracle to SAP. DHL Americas partnered with ImageSource to transition the Optika Acorde platform to the latest version of Oracle|Stellent IPM and worked with Stellent to create an SAP certified ArchiveLink integration to support the DHL Americas accounts payable process. This solution has been successfully completed and work has begun on further enhancements that will reduce the front end capture and AP data entry processes by 60 percent.