Electronic records and document circulation system in METAL TRADE COMAX was solved by MS SharePoint

METAL TRADE COMAX, a.s., based in Velvary, Czech Republic, has been using the Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP software since 2001. The software has been implemented in all four production plants. In order to have a sophisticated document management system, a solution based on the Microsoft SharePoint platform and the product NavSherpa, which facilitates the advanced integration between the ERP and the DMS system, was selected. The whole project started in the middle of 2016 with a detailed analysis and design of the solution. The implementation began in February 2017.

Before the implementation of the MS SharePoint platform, document circulation at METAL TRADE COMAX was carried out in paper form only. This included printing documents that were received by the company in electronic format, too. This way of documents processing led to delays in the approval process since there was a requirement for the paper form acceptance by the person in charge. At the same time, there was an increased risk of errors in the processing of documents by the users. The selected solution completely covers document processing from the moment of receiving them in electronic or paper form, scanning and automatic uploading to defined SharePoint structures, transferring information from Dynamics NAV to SharePoint, and at the end running and completing the approval process.

During the project it was necessary to describe and subsequently transfer a relatively robust and wide-branching process with many exceptions into a digitized form. Therefore, the implementation of electronic records and a document circulation system in the first phase included only invoices, delivery notes and other documents from suppliers. In the next stages a similar system of automation will be used for all other types of documents.

The main benefits of MS SharePoint implementation are more transparent document circulation as well as speeding up the approval process. Responsible employees and company management now have insight into the current factors in the approval process and on all documents that are approved or in the approval process. Users have access to documents from anywhere, from any mobile device which makes the time necessary for their overall processing significantly shorter.

In May 2017, the DMS system was put into operation in METAL TRADE COMAX. The customer uses the implemented platform as an application that is to be continually developed. That is why analyses of other partial requirements are being carried out these days, aimed at making the work of end-users in existing solutions even easier and to exploit the potential of MS SharePoint on other agendas.

About METAL TRADE COMAX a.s.

METAL TRADE COMAX, a.s., is one of the leading providers of continuous coil coating in Europe and the only producer of continuously coated metal sheets in the Czech Republic. The company is also a producer of foundry alloys, master alloys and non-ferrous metals based on aluminum and copper, thin-walled profiles made of zinc coated strips and a producer of aluminum, zinc coated and metal coils cut into strips and sheets. Since 2015, it has become the only company in the Czech Republic which offers not only the delivery of ingots, but also the delivery of molten aluminum. METAL TRADE COMAX has four production plants and employs 560 people. Over 190 000 tons of products are sold every year while over 50% of production is sold abroad. Products of METAL TRADE COMAX are sold to 26 markets all around the world.

About NAVISYS

NAVISYS was founded in 1997. With successful implementations and high-quality services, NAVISYS has quickly moved among the top Microsoft Dynamics NAV vendors and implementers. Traditionally, the company is ranked among the Top 5 most successful Microsoft Dynamics partners in the Czech Republic. At present, NAVISYS acts primarily as a supplier of vertical solutions. It has a team of professionals, not only in the field of Microsoft Dynamics products but also professionals with theoretical and practical experience from the industries to which its products and services are directed. In 2013, we extended the Microsoft SharePoint product portfolio for document management and the Office 365 cloud solution. In 2015, we acquired a license to sell and implement the PlannerOne Production Planning System (APS) from the French company Ortems. In September 2017, we launched our own NavSherpa integration module designed for worldwide sales within the Microsoft partner network.