We are on the verge of having to implement mandatory electronic invoicing in SAP, which has presented a significant challenge for many companies: how to naturally, legally, and efficiently integrate the sending and receiving of invoices within their SAP environment.
We know that the SAP ecosystem offers multiple paths, and choosing the right technical architecture can sometimes raise doubts. On the one hand, we have to comply with tax regulations by connecting to public platforms. On the other, we need to ensure that, once the invoice is received, our finance team doesn’t have to input data manually and the accounting process flows smoothly.
To solve this puzzle, at ImagineRight we work with three fundamental pieces. Understanding what each one does is the first step:
- SAP DRC (Document and Reporting Compliance): It is the official SAP standard. It acts as the major tax connector, taking charge of receiving the electronic invoice and communicating the legal statuses to the supplier.
- SAP VIM (Vendor Invoice Management): The quintessential engine within SAP to automate the posting and approval of these invoices once they have entered the system.
- DocuCenter: Our centralised cockpit. An agile solution that can act both as a connector (managing communications with external e-invoicing platforms without leaving SAP) and as an accounting automator.
What is the best combination to implement electronic invoicing in SAP for your company?
To make it easy for you, we have summarised the four most common scenarios that we find in finance departments:
| What is your current situation? | Recommended technical architecture |
| You do not have SAP VIM, but you want to take advantage of the power and standard of DRC as an official connector. | SAP DRC (as an e-invoice platform) + DocuCenter (to automate the posting of the supplier’s invoice). |
| You have neither SAP VIM nor DRC, and you prefer to opt for a comprehensive and centralised solution. | DocuCenter taking on a dual role (e-invoicing connector + accounting automator). |
| You already use SAP VIM for accounting and simply need to integrate the official SAP connector. | SAP DRC (as a tax connector) + SAP VIM (as an accounting engine). |
| You already have SAP VIM for accounting, but you prefer a more agile ecosystem as a connector. | DocuCenter (as an external connector) + SAP VIM (as an accounting engine). |
Whether you decide to rely 100% on the SAP standard, or you prefer the agility of DocuCenter (or a combination of both worlds), the ultimate goal is the same: for your finance team to stop managing paper and PDFs so they can focus on data analysis and control.
