Too many businesses get bogged down with old-school, manual workflows—slamming the brakes on productivity and missing out on SAP’s real automation magic. Without a solid system for handling documents, mistakes creep in, costs balloon, and decisions slow to a crawl. Let’s cut the busywork and set you free: it’s time to unleash the power of automation and leave manual processes where they belong—back in the past. In this blog, we will go through those challenges and discuss how Qellus helped an American multinational food corporation get access to the data they needed exactly when they needed it.

Why Manual Processes Are Holding You Back 

Imagine you have a state-of-the-art SAP system, but your teams still spend hours each week handling routine tasks like invoice approvals or contract reviews. If that sounds familiar, you’re certainly not alone. Even as automation tools become more accessible, companies often find that these tools don’t “click” with their existing processes. It’s like buying a fancy coffee machine only to realize you’re missing the right coffee filters—everything’s there, but it can’t run as intended. 

The root of the problem often lies in inconsistent document workflows. Automation can only thrive when the underlying structure is sound. When departments store files on separate drives, label documents differently, and follow different approval paths, it’s nearly impossible for automation to do its job effectively. 

The stakes are high: stay bogged down in manual effort, and you risk ballooning labor costs, delayed decisions, and an increasingly frustrated workforce. On the flip side, streamline your processes, and you position yourself to scale up, respond faster to market changes, and even boost employee morale. 

Understanding Why This Happens 

For many organizations, the assumption goes something like this: “If we invest in automation software, our problems will disappear.” In reality, software alone can’t fix disjointed systems or unstructured data. Suppose your sales team uses a different naming convention than finance for the same types of files. In that case, any automated workflow designed to route invoices to the correct person is going to stumble—or fail altogether. 

Companies might also fall into the trap of ignoring cross-departmental needs. You might automate a small piece of a process that benefits one team but leaves everyone else behind. As a result, your overall organization never gets the synergy (and savings) that come from enterprise-wide automation. 

This complexity can remain hidden in plain sight. You’ll see certain tasks speed up while others stay stubbornly manual. Over time, you’re left with a patchwork of fixes—some automated, some not—and a growing sense of frustration that the big, transformative promise of SAP never truly materializes. 

The True Cost of Under-Utilized Automation 

If you’ve ever watched a slow, manual process eat up an entire afternoon, you know the immediate toll it can take. Repetitive tasks like entering the same data in multiple systems or chasing down department approvals waste time that could be spent on more value-generating activities. This manual drag also introduces more chances for error—those small typos or missed entries can snowball, leading to costly cleanup later. 

Over the long haul, the impact grows exponentially. As inefficiencies stack up, they create technical debt that drags on your organization. What if you want to scale up, launch new products, or open a new market? Expanding your operations on top of unstructured workflows can be like building a skyscraper on sand—unsteady, risky, and prone to cracks when the pressure mounts. 

A Tale from the Field: How Qellus Helped an American Multinational Food Corporation 

To see just how dramatic an effect a structured approach can have, consider the journey of an American multinational food corporation. They were grappling with separate repositories for critical documents and an unmanageable volume of invoices in their Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR) processes. It was like having a thousand favorite songs scattered across ancient MP3 players, dusty hard drives, and random CDs—finding the right track (or file) at the right time was next to impossible. 

This chaos led to delayed approvals, overworked staff, and a rising risk of compliance issues. But the problem wasn’t just a lack of automation tools. the company needed a consistent framework that would let these tools actually deliver on their promise. 

That’s where Qellus came in. Rather than jumping straight to new software, the Qellus team started by mapping out the company’s existing workflows. By identifying where documents were stored, who needed access, and how approvals were typically handled, they were able to redesign a more unified approach. Then, using Extended ECM (xECM) and OpenText Vendor Invoice Management (VIM), Qellus integrated this new framework directly into SAP. Suddenly, the same tasks that had once taken days and required endless paper trails became streamlined, traceable, and even automated. 

The result? Invoices flowed through the system with minimal human intervention, approvals became quicker, and everyone—whether they worked in procurement, finance, or another department—had access to the data they needed exactly when they needed it. Think of it as taking all those scattered songs and uploading them to a single, organized music streaming service—effortless to browse, share, and enjoy. 

Qellus’s Approach: From Assessment to Continuous Improvement 

Stories like the company’s illustrate Qellus’s broader methodology. Before introducing any automated solutions, Qellus performs a thorough audit of your existing SAP landscape. This isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about understanding every touchpoint where data or documents might get lost. Once they know your terrain, they help you streamline and standardize workflows. That means establishing universal naming conventions, defining department-wide rules, and ensuring a singular approach to archiving. 

Only after that foundation is secure does the real magic of automation begin. Qellus integrates automation tools that mesh seamlessly with SAP, thereby addressing inefficiencies without adding unnecessary complexity. Finally, the process doesn’t end with going live; Qellus stays in the loop, monitoring performance and providing ongoing guidance to make sure automation continues to add value as your business evolves. 

Why Now Is the Time to Automate Smarter 

In a world where speed and agility are paramount, relying on manual processes is a sure way to fall behind. Automation offers a powerful alternative, but only if it’s built on a solid, well-structured foundation. By taking the time to address document control, unify departmental practices, and implement the right tools within SAP, organizations unlock the next level of efficiency. 

Qellus has proven that the difference between a stalled initiative and a sweeping success often lies in the groundwork you lay before flipping that automation switch. So if you’re ready to reduce manual effort, eliminate bottlenecks, and see a tangible return on your SAP investment, the time to act is now. 

Looking to streamline your SAP processes and set the stage for genuine automation? 

• Schedule a consultation with Qellus to assess your document workflows and identify opportunities for optimization. 
  

• Explore our resources on best practices for managing content, integrating extended ECM solutions, and leveraging automation effectively. 
  

Automating business processes in SAP isn’t just an IT upgrade; it’s a game-changing move for the entire organization. With the right strategy in place, you’ll see more than just faster invoice approvals—you’ll witness a cultural shift toward innovation, efficiency, and sustained growth.