Basic Functionality of OpenText VIM
VIM (vendor invoice management) is currently using by lots of entities in which organize, simplify, and manage vendor invoices. Before we talk about VIM we need to ask one question; why?
Why we need to install VIM or any other module for vendor invoices? How it organizes the process or simplify it? Who is responsible for vendor invoice processes? Is it possible to run this process without human interaction? Can we use this module for internal posting audit?
Above questions are well known process question we need to ask ourselves before implement any technology to our system. Even the technology is fancy, nothing can make your business easy if your business process is not ready yet.
To start with, this blog is going to give you feedback for the questions and enlighten you about the process and implementation at all. Invoice processes are running by lots of department and it occasionally causes problem during payment and duplicate invoice check also causes redundancy in payment too. Fraud management, manual check or parked document process seems fair for the process but those are not simplifying but making heavy going on the business. This might be one of the biggest problems in which the company have lots of vendor and invoices during the accounting process.
VIM Consist of following components:
Document processing is one of the SAP process for checking duplicate invoices and handle suspected duplicate invoices and collaborate others.
Invoice approval process is one you can approve or reject the invoice or assign processors during this process.
Exception handling is handling the exceptions that arise after a SAP invoice is created.
Approval portal is the final step to create accounting document.
In order to post vendor invoices :
Error! Filename not specified.
Before Customizing in SAP :
VIM approval process and error process running by parking document process therefore we need to be sure that there is no conflict in the system for parking document. Before starting the customizing user exit’s and BADI’s (like INVOICE_UPDATE) should be checked and adjusted by the business design.
Role Determination:
Role determination in VIM is simple, all role creation should be done by product codes:
005
Document Processing (DP) based product codes
LIX
LIV based product codes (both for PO parking and PO blocking workflows)
PIR
Product codes for Non-PO parking workflows
In VIM processes you cannot create role directly in SAP roles options because of that there are some customizing that you must done, role template is the key factor to create template based on company code, plant, document type or any other component sufficiently supported by the VIM.
How to maintain template? you can maintain template using by following parameters:
Function Module Based If you select Function Module Based, the agents for the role are determined using a function module. Org Unit If you select Org Unit, the agents for the role are determined from a fixed org unit (User, Position, Work Center etc.)
Key Determination Based If you select Key Determination Based, the agents for the role are determined using runtime values of fields in the object data.
Not only using VIM standard solution for role template you still have ability to create your own rule by Function Module.
Document Processing: Document processing probably is the most importing part of VIM based on end users in which is affecting validation, invoice posting and payment processes.
Document processing comprises the following main concept:
- Document types
- Process types
- Business rules
- Roles
- Options and option types
- BDC IDs
- Duplicate check infrastructure
As a conclusion, VIM refers to process invoices from ICC machines to SAP by using validation and swim lane processes derived from business roles we define in the system. The latest trend on financial accounting is central financial control and posting which is proved by new departments in which are recently activated globally like SSC (shared service center’s). In addition, recent development on accounting interfaces also initiates central management on finance, for instance central finance – central payment etc. OpenText VIM provides comprehensive solution of vendor invoice management, also evolving itself based on the technological development.
