ERP has been around for a long time (including its evolution from "Accounting Systems"). Document Imaging has also been available for quite a while. However, fully integrated ERP with Document Imaging — without needing customizations or third-party add-ons — is relatively new but is proving to be tremendously successful. Therefore, you shouldn't buy a Document Imaging system that is not thoroughly interfaced with your ERP, and you shouldn't buy an ERP without a fully integrated Document Imaging system.
So what should you look for?
1. You should be able to search for and launch documents from either system. A good Document Imaging system, using optical character recognition (OCR), will allow you to search based on any word contained in a document. If the ERP system has populated metadata with each document, you can also search for any ERP-related data within the Document Imaging system. There will be times when it is extremely convenient to perform an extended search from within the Document Imaging system using both OCR data and ERP metadata. Equally important, you should be able to launch documents from within the ERP system. For example, if you're drilling down on a voucher (vendor invoice) in your ERP system, you should be able to launch the image of the vendor's invoice without having to separately look it up in the Document Imaging system.
2. The ERP system should be able to create a reservation for a document in the Document Imaging system. If the payables clerk receives a paper vendor invoice, they should be able to enter it into the ERP system, which then creates a reservation in the Document Imaging system and populates metadata. You should then be able to scan documents in bulk later in the day when time permits. It is disruptive and inefficient to scan documents one at a time while entering vouchers. Be wary of any system that doesn't allow bulk scanning and proper parsing of individual documents.
3. You should be able to enter a document into the ERP system while looking at a scanned image. It's not uncommon for vendors or remote employees to email invoices directly to the Document Imaging system. The payables clerk can then launch these documents and enter the ERP transaction. It is very important that the ERP system update the Document Imaging system at this point with metadata to allow more advanced searches.
4. Know who will maintain the interface. New versions of ERP systems and Document Imaging systems are released all the time. If the interface is built by a third party, you may have trouble upgrading until that third party gets around to updating it — assuming they are still in business. It's best to have an interface maintained by either the ERP manufacturer or the Document Imaging manufacturer, who are far more likely to keep it current.
You will be amazed by how much efficiency can be gained from a Document Imaging system that is fully integrated with your ERP. After many decades of talk, the paperless office is finally becoming a reality.