Industry:
Construction, Transport & Logistics
DHL Express worked with Basware to automate every element of its entire procure-to-pay process, in 100+ countries around the world.
DHL Express’ goal was to standardise and automate its entire procure-to-pay process across more than 100 countries around the world. Basware was chosen to reduce the company’s team workloads and simplify reporting on a global scale.
DHL is a leading global brand in the logistics industry. It offers an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services, ranging from national and international parcel delivery to industrial supply chain management. With about 350,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably to enable global trade flows. DHL Express, a division of DHL, believes that automation and standardisation can improve efficiency.
So, having successfully implemented Basware for DHL Freight in Norway back in 2013, DHL Express recognized the value of Basware solutions to help standardize the P2P process and gain consistent reporting for KPIs.
Key takeaways
100%
Invoice recognition
4+
ERP integrations
50+
Countries on boarded
DHL'S Challanges
DHL Express’ overarching aim was to standardise global policies and processes.
Standardisation would be based on defining a core model and process template. The template would determine how systems could be configured and how processes would be run globally, though some adaptations would be necessary to comply with local regulations in certain countries.
As well as standardising invoice processing, DHL also needed to be able to create standardised reporting on KPIs. Previously, this was a time-consuming process that involved gathering relevant information from all workflow systems.
How Basware helped DHL globally reduce team workloads and simplify reporting
With its global presence, multi-ERP solution and proven track record at DHL, Basware was chosen as the best tool to globalise DHL’s P2P process, including invoice automation.
At the end of 2014, DHL began rolling out Basware AP for DHL Express in two pilot locations, Singapore and Taiwan, with a view to continuing implementation in phases throughout around 100-120 countries. With agreed configuration established and a set of best practices instituted the rollout was quickly expanded to additional locations. Since then, DHL has successfully implemented Basware in 50 countries, with anywhere between two and six more countries being switched over each month.
Working together for three years, it’s rolling out smoothly. That’s key to success – working with people who are there from the beginning and understand the product very well. It sometimes feels like one team.Gabrielle Philippens, BPO Consultant, DHL
With the process being repeated again and again, the transitions in each country are proving to be smooth, efficient, and always delivered on time. They’re also often completed hand-in-hand with ERP upgrades, which reduces down-time and further streamlines efficiency.
When it comes to implementation, the DHL team has learned some valuable lessons through its phased approach. Keeping scope creep at bay is key when it comes to timely implementation and maintaining a global standard. DHL put in place a global scope that they have been careful not to deviate from for each country. Changes are deemed necessary if they are a legal requirement or have a strong business case to support them.
Rollouts are happening smoothly and on time. We can do this hand-in-hand with an upgrade, or while moving to another ERP. Basware is seen as a work package within the whole project, never as a bottleneck.
Gabrielle Philippens, BPO Consultant, DHL
Results
For DHL, the biggest benefit of Basware is automation. Workloads have been reduced because invoices are automatically matched rather than being manually handled by AP, and e-invoices are fully recognised
Sometimes we face challenges, like legal requirements or withholding tax issues, but Basware is always able to find a solution. We’ve never endangered a go-live so far, and I think that’s pretty amazing.”Gabrielle Philippens, BPO Consultant, DHL
Reporting has also dramatically improved with DHL able to instantly extract reporting data globally, meaning that like-for-like comparisons between countries now couldn’t be easier. All the KPIs are measured and are comparable across entities, which helps decision-makers improve the process even further
A close working partnership between DHL and Basware has been critical for meeting every implementation deadline. Basware has now been integrated with SAP, Oracle, SUN, and JBA System 21, all from a single Basware installation.