EPR – Electronic Purchasing Request
Electronic Purchasing Request enables optimization (automated paperless document processing), standardization (unified method, defined workflow) and centralization (one system available from individual locations) of selected company logistics processes.
Solution description
EPR-Electronic Purchasing Request is an application that electronically handles purchase requisitions from the moment they originate to issue an order request. An electronic request can be created by an authorized user. The request passes through the approval workflow to the individual approvers and, after the last approval, an order request is created in SAP ERP. Applicants are informed about the status of their application form throughout the purchase process.
EPR Technical Architecture
The EPR application communicates directly with SAP ERP. The presentation interface for common users is implemented as a web application and the user only works with a web browser (MSIE). The administration part is accessible via the SAP GUI client. EPR as a web application retains the advantage of easy availability and maintenance.
User roles and permissions
The Electronic Purchase Request application distinguishes three levels of authorization. Level in the role of the Applicant has the authority to create, edit, and search for purchase requisitions. The Approver is authorized to approve, search and modify electronic requests. The administrator enters the system unlimitedly. All changes in the electronic request are recorded in the system.
The Approver can display requests for approval in the system. In the enumeration list, the approver is allowed to approve, reject and view the attached files. Among of other things, the date of establishment, the applicant’s name and the total value of the request are displayed to the approver at the first sight. It is possible to adjust and make additions in the request details. All changes are recorded in the history.
Benefits of EPR – Electronic Purchasing Request
- Ensuring the flow of approval processes according to company needs
- Clear layout, simple operation, concise messages and alerts
- “Intelligent” behavior (displaying options according to progress or authorization)
- Direct and immediate integration with SAP ERP (no error rate, no need to transport data off-line)
- After the approval process is completed, the ordering request is automatically established in SAP MM, the system dynamically assigns approvers according to the structure and approval scenarios of SAP HR system and EPR application.
- The possibility to send a request for approval with a warning (the system informs the relevant user to complete the data in the application form or in SAP ERP) and monitoring the processing of the request form, incl. change history
- Monitoring of users in the application (user access, changes in requests, approval process)
- Possibility to make changes in the request during the approval process
- Restricting access to data using authorization resources (on material groups, plants, warehouses, …)
- Possibility of searching and immediate checking according to current data in SAP ERP (eg plants, warehouses, purchased materials, cost centers, purchasing groups and other material properties or subject matter of order)
- The ability to view the stock supplies of ordered materials
- Other types of checks to ensure data integrity and consistency, reporting, search, filtering, and data sorting.
- Convenient system administration (user deployment, deputy setup, application customization, error requests management, …)
- Possibility to add attachments (word, excel, pdf, txt, …)