Document Data Capture Best Practices for ERP Systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are core to the operations of modern organisations. ERP systems manage and integrate core business processes, such as managing financial transactions, parse through customer data, and track project progress. ERP systems capture a huge amount of document data of which a large part is generally manually imputed by employees. As a result, it’s important to ensure that the systems are correctly configured and that the business has the right data culture to ensure that the organisation is able to correctly leverage the ERP system. This article provides an overview of document data capture best practices for ERPs so that businesses can unlock actionable insights from business critical documents.

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Standardisation and Consistency

When using an ERP system, the first thing you’ll want to establish is uniformity. Implement uniform formats for data entry across your organisation to ensure data points are entered and referenced consistently for all users. This includes aspects like naming conventions, date formats, and units of measure. Next, begin a centralised data dictionary (or metadata repository) to define terms used in data fields within the ERP system. Finally, perform regular audits of your ERP system, as the data model  may need to change as your team or organisation evolves.

Data Validation Techniques and QA

Robust ERP reporting requires that only valid data is entered into your ERP system. It is therefore essential that your ERP has input controls in place. This can be accomplished by implementing checkboxes or data type restrictions. Also, to ensure high quality data reports, performing regular data audits and practising good error handling can provide actionable insights to fix any data issues that may arise.

Comprehensive Training Programs for Users

Offer intensive training sessions for new users that includes a hands-on practice session with the ERP system and the importance of correct data entry. Correct data entry can streamline the generation of reports and various other tasks they may need to perform as part of their duties which is why the benefits of data entry should be communicated clearly during the training.

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Use of Templates and Forms

Templates and forms are the bread and butter of ERP systems. You can create standardised templates to reduce user error. These forms can be customised based on the needs of the data, but they should also be flexible enough to handle the dynamic nature of data entry. Once you have all of the forms that you need, create a library of ERP templates that is accessible to users.

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For example, if your department works with financial information, you can use an ERP system to create an invoice template. In the fields, you can set the data types allowed, like invoice number, date, quantities, and more. The intention of this template is to standardise the billing process to make sure that all necessary financial information is included. Standardising the metadata of the invoices will also allow the finance department to aggregate the properties of their invoices and identify potential insights. Standardised templates also allow procurement teams to run effective supplier risk assessments.

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Automation and Workflow Integration

Whilst data standardisation and templates can help improve the quality of the data being captured by your ERP system, automation is the key to ensuring your ERP is capturing the right data at scale. Manually inputted data is time consuming and prone to errors which can sometimes lead to users refusing to input the required data. A good solution is leverage automation technology which can minimise the amount of time users spend manually inputting data.

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For example, document data extraction APIs like Vault can ensure that metadata is accurately extracted from documents so that users don’t need to manually extract and input document data into their ERP system.

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The following video shows how document data extraction can be automated using Vault’s AI capabilities.

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About TextMine

TextMine is an easy-to-use document data extraction tool for procurement, operations, and finance teams. TextMine encompasses 3 components: Legislate, Vault and Scribe. We’re on a mission to empower organisations to effortlessly extract data, manage version controls, and ensure consistency access across all departments. With our AI-driven platform, teams can effortlessly locate documents, collaborate seamlessly across departments, making the most of their business data.

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