The first 100 days with SEMINE

Those companies that invest in SEMINE are not left to their own devices. We develop a customised start-up programme to give each customer the shortest possible path to achieve maximum impact for the entire organisation. 

Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s time, there has been a lot of emphasis on what a US president can accomplish in their first 100 days in office.

Although choosing the SEMINE platform might not be comparable to taking over the White House, we think it is important to get out of the starting blocks quickly and make the most of the enthusiasm that finance department employees tend to feel in the initial period after the system is up and running. It also shows the rest of the organisation the benefits and effects the new system can bring.

Easy setup

Despite what many people think, getting started with SEMINE is not some complex IT project. We start with a kick-off meeting, make some technical preparations and set up the various integrations. Then we run a day of setup and training for superusers, and you’re good to go. If your company uses one of the most common cloud-based financial systems with relatively standardised integrations, you may to be able to go live less than a month after signing the agreement.

To get good results quickly, there are a few things that you can do in advance. Since SEMINE uses artificial intelligence and machine learning, there are some trade-offs that need to be made: Which tasks should be prioritised first in order to free up as much time as possible and as quickly as possible? Should the algorithm be trained based on how invoices have been posted in the past, or is it better to start with a clean slate to ensure that you don’t teach the AI engine using previous errors. Should you set strict automation rules for how the algorithm learns, or should it be given as free rein as possible?

There are many things you can do before the system itself is up and running. For example, if you make an effort before project start-up to ensure your suppliers send properly specified invoices in PEPPOL format and/or establish standardised procedures for invoice processing, it won’t take long before you achieve a high level of automation. All this will give the artificial intelligence a stronger basis and shorten the path to a successful outcome.

In the period immediately following start-up, some companies are surprised that it is sometimes best to let the AI do its thing for a while without introducing a lot of rules. The algorithm learns through repetition, so it needs to try a little on its own before improving itself based on more specific feedback. However, this varies from company to company – in certain cases it may be best to give the algorithm a more defined framework for training the AI engine – but we will figure this out together during the start-up phase.

Threshold values and new ways of working

The goal of any SEMINE project is always to achieve as full automation as possible. Usually, the degree of automation reaches 70–90 per cent fairly quickly but can then become a little more demanding.

Each step frees up time to take the next step: Which invoices from which suppliers does the algorithm always get right, and can the authorisation workflow for those invoices be automated? Which suppliers should be asked to provide greater detail in their invoices? What internal processes should be adjusted to better facilitate automation?

Throughout this work, SEMINE closely observes what works and what should be improved. The details are presented in a simple overview that makes it easy to see what the next step should be and what measures should be prioritised at any given time – depending on the effect it will have or how easy or difficult it will be to address. This overview tool also has functionality to simplify all necessary tasks, making the transition to hyperautomation as easy and painless as possible.