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Technology giant Hewlett-Packard’s Enterprise Services division released a business process outsourcing (BPO) solution, AutoFlow, that is designed to enable companies to automate core business processes, including finance and accounting, and to help maximize the efficiency of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
In addition to finance and administration, AutoFlow can be used in other business processes such as human resources, procurement, supply chain, master data management, dispute management and financial services. The platform integrates with the company’s document processing services and the HP invoice automation program to enable electronic receipt, document scanning, data capture and document repository services while allowing integration into clients’ back office systems.
Utilizing a leveraged, private cloud infrastructure, AutoFlow integrates with a variety of ERP platforms and is designed to provide a scalable, unified solution that automates and streamlines finance and accounting processes. AutoFlow combines HP’s BPO experience with the Omniflow workflow solution from business process management and enterprise content management provider Newgen Software Technologies.
“Today’s chief financial officers are plagued with diminishing resources and the growing complexity of processes and technology,” HP’s Enterprise Services vice president of business process outsourcing Danila Meirlaen said in a statement. “HP AutoFlow builds on our strong history in finance, administration and technology to increase process automation and optimize cost structures, so clients can focus on revenue-generating activities.”
AutoFlow can be deployed to support client efforts to reduce the need for manual intervention and shift resources to more strategic projects by increasing automation through improved integration with ERPs and legacy systems, as well as support enablement of e-invoicing to achieve better invoice accuracy and improve on-time payment performance.
In addition, the platform offers drive process transformation through process-modeling capabilities and can help businesses realize improved cost and additional savings by accelerating processing time for accounts payable, thereby increasing opportunities for early payment discounts. Other capabilities include document scanning and character recognition tools, vendor data maintenance, business process management, configurable rule engine and executive dashboards.
“Business processes continue to increase in complexity resulting in delays in processing, a lack of process transparency and manual workarounds to resolve issues,” a company statement explained. “Autoflow helps you increase process automation, lower costs and increase process throughput. The solution allows you to increase the return on your existing ERP while improving functionality.”
Earlier in the week, HP announced the worldwide release of the Officejet Pro X desktop printer, aimed at small to medium-size businesses (SMBs). Powered by the company’s PageWide next-generation inkjet platform, the Officejet Pro X Series can deliver documents at up to 70 pages per minute (ppm), making it the fastest desktop printer available, according to Guinness World Records. Single-function models start at $449, and MFPs start at $649, according to a company release.
HP also announced two Officejet Pro printers, the Officejet Pro 251dw printer and HP Officejet Pro 276dw multifunction printer (MFP), available this spring. The Officejet Pro series is outfitted with manageability solutions, including Universal Print Drivers, Web Jetadmin software and Managed Print Services (MPS).