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Cyclical reporting from ERP systems is a task that consumes a lot of valuable time and causes sleepless nights for those who wish to increase efficiency and eliminate this tedious work.

ERP systems do not always provide the capability for automatic reporting. This is where automation steps in, eliminating monotonous tasks in these cyclical processes. Not enough? Let's add increased accuracy of the prepared reports and timely delivery. Just imagine! An auditor arrives, and you have all the reports ready...

In this article, I will briefly present solutions that enable full automation, freeing you from repetitive tasks in favor of better efficiency. I hope to convince the skeptics by providing several examples from implementations I have had the opportunity to work on.

Regardless of the ERP system used, robots can be configured to automatically retrieve data from specified transactions. This process is fast, accurate, and eliminates the risk of errors associated with manual data retrieval. At Arc, we are developing our own tool, Archee, which is compatible with the most popular ERP systems: SAP, PeopleSoft, QAD, and others.

The frequency of reporting depends on the client's needs, and the ability to adapt to these requirements is crucial.

The most popular options include:

• Monthly Reports – Ideal for standard reporting cycles
• Weekly or Daily Reports – Suitable for more dynamic business environments
• Hourly Reports – For even more detailed monitoring
• Quarterly Reports – For long-term analysis
• Ad-Hoc Reports – Generated on demand, whenever the need arises

After retrieval, the data is processed using formulas and pivot tables. Robots are capable of:

• Consolidating data from various sources
• Enhancing reports with static mapping data, making them more comprehensible for the end recipient

• Shared Drive: Ideal for teams working in a single location.
• MS SharePoint / MS Teams: Facilitates easy sharing within the organization.
• Email: Allows for direct sending of reports to relevant individuals.
• Local Drive: Preferred by users who prefer local data storage

Once all previous steps are completed and reports are ready, the most enjoyable part of automation can finally begin: notifying decision-makers about the finished reports.

There are several methods to do this:

• Email / SMS – standard email notifications or messages
• MS Teams – notifications through the messaging platform
• Request – automatic generation of requests in management systems
• Database Update – updating the report status in the database
• Workflow Step Forwarding – automatically moving to the next step in the workflow process

Our solutions support employees across multiple business sectors. Finance and accounting, as well as HR, benefit significantly from digitalization and automation due to the specific nature of their processes. However, there is immense potential in logistics, IT, sales, and many other sectors where operations are based on consistent rules and steps outlined in procedures.

In recent years, we have conducted numerous successful trials of ERP reporting automation. How do we know they were successful? Measuring the progress of completed tasks is a crucial part of the project.

Here's an example: a robot retrieves reports from SAP for several companies to conduct monthly audits. Within each company, it retrieves over 1000 reports monthly detailing account operations. Each report is enriched with additional information extracted from other transactions, such as basic data about counterparties. Due to the volume of reports, they are generated using SAP's SPOOL mechanism. The reports are saved in a defined folder structure, then compressed into a password-protected file and stored on OneDrive. Finally, a summary report is created and emailed to decision-makers.

Average cumulative runtime of the generator: 77 hours and 19 minutes of continuous robot operation per month.

Number of reports: over 2000 per month.

For the same client, we also implemented an order for reporting purposes within the HR teams. The tool was designed to allow the execution of reports based on user specifications. Users select the SAP transaction code (TCODE) for each report, input data into the filtering view fields in SAP, and define a variant. Reports can then be automatically emailed to designated recipients. Users also have the option to choose the file type and name for each report. Additionally, macros can be defined to process each report immediately after extraction from SAP.

Number of reports: 140 monthly.

Automating ERP reporting processes not only saves time but also ensures that reports are delivered on time, without unnecessary delays. Moreover, manual reporting carries the risk of human errors. Automation ensures that data is processed accurately, significantly enhancing the reliability of reports.

It is known that robots operate faster than humans, enabling quicker report generation, which facilitates decision-making based on the latest data.

Our tools are flexible and can be tailored to your unique requirements. Whether you need daily, weekly, monthly, or ad-hoc reports, our robots can meet individual needs effectively.

Automating cyclical ERP reporting is a step towards greater efficiency and time savings. Our solutions are flexible and customized to meet diverse client needs. Contact us to learn how we can streamline your reporting processes.