AmVia, Galdon Data: A case study

Productivity enhancement in Iscor`s SAP environment via the RightFax production fax solution.

AmVia, together with its service partner Galdon Data, has implemented a production fax solution for Iscor Limited`s RightFax environment, allowing Iscor`s SAP users to benefit from automated fax processes.

Iscor is Africa`s largest steel producer, outputting 5.3 million tons of final steel product per year at its works in Vanderbijlpark, Saldanha, Newcastle and Vereeniging. The company already employs an automated RightFax solution in its Windows environment.

In 2001, Iscor implemented SAP at two of its steel operations - Flat Steel Products in Vanderbijlpark and Long Steel Products in Vereeniging.

The materials management divisions at both these sites daily generate about 1 500 faxes, such as requests for quotes, orders and tender documents.

With such huge volumes, Iscor realised the need for tools that would automate the production and dispatch of these documents from within SAP, enabling the user to send documents electronically with the click of a button.

In addition, the steel operations` financial departments wanted to simplify and improve the efficiency of faxing purchase orders, remittances, invoices and other financial documents directly from the SAP application.

Relationship between AmVia, Galdon Data and Iscor: As AmVia`s first and only service partner to date, Galdon Data provides in-depth technical expertise and support services for the entire AmVia product offering to AmVia`s business partners and end-user clients.

Garry Ackerman, managing director: Galdon Data, comments: "Galdon Data not only has extensive skills in the RightFax arena, but also with the systems into which the product integrates, such as SAP, so Iscor`s requirements provided us with the ideal opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities in this regard."

Ackerman says AmVia has established itself as the market leader in providing flexible access to and control of all message types from any communication device, particularly the RightFax solution.

"It also supplies peripheral equipment such as the SAP connector which is used to integrate Iscor`s RightFax server with its SAP environment."

The implementation of the remote function call connection to attach the SAP engine at Iscor to its RightFax system was done independently at the two sites.

"Enabling the SAP users in both the financial and the material management divisions to have an integrated, direct link to Iscor`s RightFax functionality took less than a week, limiting disruption at the steel operations," Ackerman notes.

The solution is working extremely well, illustrated by the fact that Iscor`s SAP users now also apply the functionality to receive incoming faxes, such as tender applications, within the SAP application.

Marcus Brandl, senior SAP basis support specialist: Iscor, says since users specify from within the existing SAP system which documents must be faxed, the RightFax solution required very little training.

"With the high volumes of documentation generated within our SAP system daily, automating the fax process has saved us significantly in terms of time and administration costs.

"Moreover, sending faxes electronically from the SAP application has drastically cut down Iscor`s paper generation, while eliminating delays in supplier and client communications."

He says with the production fax solution, human intervention is really only necessary in exceptional cases, for example when a fax number is incorrect.

According to Brandl, Iscor recently cut down on its number of suppliers, so that a variety of documents from both materials handling and accounting must occasionally be faxed to the same number.

"In the past, this meant several telephone lines would be dialling the same fax number. With the RightFax solution, different faxes dispatched to the same destination are automatically identified and grouped, reducing the cost of external communications."

Brandl says the RightFax/SAP integration has proved exceptionally stable, and the system handles Iscor`s very large fax volumes effortlessly.

"Our SAP users find the system both easy to use and easy to manage. They furthermore enjoy the assurance that complete and secure delivery of critical documents is guaranteed."