A step-by-step guide and important lessons learned
Martijn Wever - Managing partner / SAP Invoice Management consultant
Introduction
For more than 15 years, OpenText has been the undisputed market leader when it comes to processing incoming invoices within the SAP ecosystem. With Vendor Invoice Management (VIM) as its flagship solution, organizations worldwide have been able to rely on an efficient and reliable way to process invoices. Within this solution, two main variants are available for extracting data from digital invoices:
Invoice Capture Center (ICC) / Business Center Capture (BCC).
Hereafter referred to as BCC.(Core) Capture for SAP Solutions.
The SaaS variant is indicated by the word Core but in terms of functionality there is no difference from the On-Premise variant.
Hereafter referred to as Core Capture.
BCC is the oldest variant and has more than proven its worth, but time does not stand still. As of December 31, 2027, support for BCC will end. This means that organizations using BCC should start thinking now about switching to its successor: Core Capture.
This migration is not just a matter of replacing one system with another. In fact, Core Capture offers significant differences in functionality and capabilities. Therefore, it is critical to begin preparations early so that the transition goes smoothly and organizations can take full advantage of the new capabilities.
Why are you migrating to Core Capture?
The end of support for BCC is a key driver for switching to Core Capture, but certainly not the only one. Core Capture offers numerous benefits that can help organizations further optimize and future-proof their processes:
New functionality has long been added only to Core Capture.
Only Core Capture can be used on the latest versions of SAP S/4HANA.
Only Core Capture is also available as a SAAS/Cloud solution.
Core Capture automatically learns from processed documents. If necessary, specific documents can be trained manually. BCC can only be trained manually.
Core Capture learns header and line data, BCC only header data.
Setting up Core Capture is done entirely in SAP with techniques SAP users are familiar with. BCC must be configured on a separate server with specific BCC techniques.
Supporting Master data (such as supplier data) is only in SAP. For BCC, it must be replicated to the BCC server. This requires a separate SQL database (license).
Core Capture supports more languages and character sets such as Hebrew and Arabic. In addition, more languages can be put into 1 application so less setup is required.
The Fiori app to validate recognized data only works with Core Capture. For BCC, there is only a Windows application that must be installed on each user PC.
How do you tackle migration?
A successful migration to Core Capture requires a structured and thoughtful approach. It is important to consider not only the technical aspects, but also the organizational and operational impact of the switch. Here is a step-by-step guide to ensure a smooth migration:
Planning and preparation
The first step is to prepare a detailed plan. This includes analyzing the current situation, including the existing customization. It also involves making some choices for the Core Capture setup. It is essential to have a clear picture of what is currently working and what can potentially be improved.Validation workshop and documentation
In a validation workshop, the findings and choices are presented to the (representatives of) the users. After this review, the existing design documents are modified to reflect the new situation.Implementation and Testing After preparations are complete, Core Capture implementation can begin. During this phase, unit tests are performed to ensure that everything is functioning properly. This helps detect and resolve any problems early on.
User Acceptance Test (GAT) Before the new system goes live, it is important to conduct a user acceptance test. This gives end users a chance to test the system and provide feedback. Any adjustments can then be made before the system goes live for good.
Preparing Go-Live and Training A smooth transition to Core Capture also requires proper preparation for the go-live date. This includes training employees so that they become familiar with the new system and know how to use it. Proper training ensures that employees feel confident and can resolve any problems quickly.
Support and closure Finally, it is important to provide adequate support after the go-live date. This helps to resolve any teething problems quickly and ensure that the system is running optimally.
Lessons learned: furnishing choices and concerns
During the migration to Core Capture, there are several setup choices and concerns that organizations must consider. Here are some key lessons learned:
Cloud or on-premise?
One of the first choices to be made is whether to implement Core Capture in the cloud or on-premise. Both options have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, a cloud solution offers more flexibility and scalability, while an on-premise solution can offer more control.Clustering of setup
Core Capture can cluster many more different countries/languages into one setup profile. This can reduce the setup and maintenance effort. Note that training of documents then falls within 1 group of people without adjustments and that training by 1 group has an effect on the recognition of others.
Splitting profiles can also be done afterwards while retaining learning data and is relatively simple.Validation activate
The data extraction process has an optional step where a human checks and completes the recognized data. At BCC, it is common practice to skip this step because in many cases it provides no additional value. It is better to transfer the recognized data immediately to SAP where problems are solved directly in SAP.
Since Core Capture automatically learns from Validation, the value of that step increases. By the way, Core Capture can also learn from fully processed documents at the end of the process but the learning opportunities are then somewhat more limited.Pre-training documents
To make the transition smoother, it is advisable to pre-train documents. This means that the system is already familiar with the structure and content of the documents it has to process, leading to higher accuracy and efficiency. Several "learning strategies" are possible.
Specific concerns
When migrating to Core Capture, there are also some specific concerns that organizations should consider:
Custom fields in BCC
Many organizations have custom fields in BCC specific to their processes. When migrating to Core Capture, it is important to carefully evaluate and port these fields. However, it is also a good time to consider whether these fields are still needed, or whether Core Capture's standard functionality is sufficient.
Most of the techniques for creating a custom field are also available in Core Capture. In addition, the 'auto-learning' option becomes available so that a custom field only needs to be created without defining logic beforehand. Through Validation and possibly manual training, Core Capture will automatically learn to recognize the field.
Since defining custom fields in Core Capture is done within SAP. On the one hand nice that customization is then included in the solid transport mechanism of SAP but consider also that customization then also falls to possibly stricter rules and procedures of a Change Control Board.Custom fields in Core Capture
Unfortunately, Core Capture is also missing some fields that were available in BCC. These will be added gradually with new versions but be extra mindful of the master data fields of Company Number (such as name and addressing) and Supplier (non-IBAN bank data and SWIFT code) and the merging of recognized VAT number and other Tax numbers into 1 field.Filtering and Valuation
Core Capture provides filtering and valuation capabilities. For example, it is possible to determine the company number and supplier based on the recognized purchase orders. This can lead to a more efficient and accurate process.
Again, there are functionalities that were somewhat more strongly developed in BCC such as indicating default values (if the value on the invoice is not found) and "tweaking" the recognition of Credit Notes and Attachments. This is something Core Capture should recognize better and better via the machine learning process.
Roadmap and future developments
OpenText continues to work on further development of Core Capture. The roadmap shows a continuous stream of new features and enhancements.
Conclusion
With the impending end of support for BCC, it is no longer a question of whether organizations will migrate to Core Capture, but rather a question of when.
Core Capture has many advantages and additional functionality but there are also areas of concern so start on time.
Learn more
For further questions or information on this topic, or for other questions in the area of SAP Workflow, Fiori or SAP Invoice Management (SIM), please contact Martijn Wever.
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