Success Story: Automation of FDI Enterprise Program Management

Automation of FDI enterprise program management is a key solution helping enterprises completely solve the burden of data processing related to promotion programs, customer contracts, and invoice accounting. Manually managing numerous incentive programs, cross-checking sales, and drafting acceptance reports consumes immense resources, is prone to errors, and delays accounting work and cost control.

Current Operations and Challenges in Managing FDI Programs

The Accounting department in FDI enterprises, especially distribution and retail companies, must handle three main processes related to customer programs: Program Creation and Sending, Invoice Information Extraction, and Program Management.

Massive Data Volume and Absolute Accuracy Requirement

These three processes focus on handling large volumes of data related to customers, invoices, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Diverse and Complex Data: Requires processing data related to customer volume, thousands of invoices, and various performance indicators.
• Fixed Calculation Logic: The logic for calculating support amounts or business results is fixed but complex, requiring continuous cross-checking between different data files (e.g., cross-checking between supported product catalogs and activated products).
• Repetitive Work: Tasks such as downloading files, filtering data by store, filling information into templates, and sending emails are repetitive actions performed daily or monthly, easily leading to staff monotony.

Service Time Pressure and Compliance Risk

The program management process is particularly subject to high time pressure, governed by internal service level agreements (SLAs).

• Strict Service Time Requirement: Reports and acceptance minutes must be completed promptly to ensure compliance with regulations on cost accounting and disbursement. Delays can directly affect end-of-period financial reports.
• High Risk of Errors: Manually processing large data volumes under time pressure easily leads to errors in calculating support amounts or confusion in sending program notifications, affecting customer relationships and cost accuracy.

The solution of Automation of FDI Enterprise Program Management is a comprehensive answer, addressing all three processes simultaneously.

Description of Processes and Effectiveness When Implementing Automation of FDI Program Management

The project for Automation of FDI Enterprise Program Management was implemented over 3 months, involving the simultaneous automation of three core processes, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the Accounting department.

2.1 Program Management Process

This is the most critical process, where the robot completely replaces the task of cross-checking and drafting acceptance minutes:

1. Bot accesses the document management system (Sharepoint) and downloads the input file.
2. Bot performs cross-checking between two data files: the supported product catalog and the activated product catalog.
3. Bot calculates the precise support amount for each product/model.
4. Bot cross-checks actual business results against committed key performance indicators (KPIs).
5. Bot creates the acceptance minute according to the standard template.
6. Bot creates the email body.
7. Bot sends the email with the acceptance minute to the predetermined email address.

2.2 Program Creation and Sending Process

The robot handles the task of accurately and quickly announcing promotion programs to each store:

1. Bot accesses the document management system (Sharepoint) and downloads the input file.
2. Bot opens the downloaded file and filters the data by corresponding store.
3. Bot fills detailed information into the program notification template.
4. Bot creates the email body.
5. Bot sends the email with the program notification to the accurate email address of each store.

2.3 Invoice Information Extraction Process

This is the foundational process, ensuring invoice data is digitized accurately and promptly:

1. Bot accesses the document management system (Sharepoint) and downloads the invoice file.
2. Bot automatically uploads the invoice to the intelligent data extraction system (OCR).
3. Bot makes an application programming interface (API) call to extract the information.
4. Bot fills the extracted information into the master data file.
5. Bot creates a folder corresponding to the customer’s name.
6. Bot saves the invoice to the created file.

Overall Automation Implementation Effectiveness

After 3 months of implementation, Automation of FDI Enterprise Program Management delivered superior efficiency:

• 100% Process Automation: All three main processes are entirely handled by the robot, eliminating manual intervention.
• Time Savings: The time spent on repetitive tasks is significantly reduced, allowing staff more time for higher-value analytical work.
• High Accuracy Assurance: Cross-checking between files, calculating support amounts, and data entry are performed consistently by the robot, eliminating errors.
• Improved Employee Experience: Frees the Accounting staff from the pressure of overwhelming and monotonous work, increasing job satisfaction and productivity.

Roadmap and Successful Implementation Experience for Automation of FDI Program Management

The success of the Automation of FDI Enterprise Program Management project within 3 months relies on a clear implementation roadmap and professional methodology.

Projected Implementation Roadmap (3 Months)

The roadmap is divided into three main phases, with a commitment to adhering to the schedule:

1. Survey & Preparation Phase (1 Week):
   • Process survey, detailed business analysis of all three processes (Acceptance, Program Creation/Sending, Invoice Extraction).
   • Process standardization if necessary, ensuring logic is fixed.
   • Preparation of process description documents and setting up development and production environments.
2. Development & Testing Phase (8-10 Weeks):
   • Requirements analysis and robot solution design for each process.
   • Robot development and internal testing.
   • User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with the Accounting department to confirm the robot operates accurately according to business logic.
3. Official Operation Phase (1 Week):
   • Support for robot installation and deployment on the end-user system.
   • Detailed guidance for users on robot operation and monitoring.

Lessons Learned for Project Success

To ensure this complex automation project achieves its goals in a short period, the following lessons should be noted:

Ensuring Conditions for Automation Implementation

The prerequisite is business and technology preparation:

• Business Process Standardization: Absolute consensus is needed on the calculation logic, report templates, and exception handling processes for all three procedures.
• Environment Preparation: Ensure the robot has stable and secure access to all target systems (Sharepoint, OCR system, email, etc.).

Reasonable Project Implementation Methodology

Applying a professional methodology helps optimize time and resources:

• Thorough Survey: Evaluate the suitability of each process for automation, complexity, and the value delivered, determining the priority order.
• Clear Business Requirements & Solution: Document clear business requirements and robot solution designs before development.
• Strict Testing: The User Acceptance Testing (UAT) phase must be strictly executed to ensure the robot correctly handles complex cross-checking and calculation logic.

Akabot (part of FPT Corporation) is a reputable partner helping FDI manufacturing enterprises successfully implement Automation of FDI Enterprise Program Management with deep expertise in financial operations and customer program management within the FDI environment.

The implementation of Automation of FDI Enterprise Program Management is a strategic move helping FDI enterprises optimize costs, enhance the efficiency of promotion program management, and ensure the accuracy and timeliness of financial data.