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Upload SAP Financial Data Easily with GLSU: Z Option Customers
Share Their Experiences
Tim Curtin – Heritage Propane
Amy Broadway – Avocent
Ken Meyer – ConAgra Foods
Sponsored Educational Session
Moderated by
Jim Halepaska and Trish Woods – Z Option
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In This Session ...
Find out how Z Option customers leverage the GLSU (FI Spreadsheet Uploader) solution to streamline everyday accounting tasks.
Learn how the use of GLSU can improve the efficiency of financial data entry functions, everything from importing cutover data to everyday FI postings to processing vendor invoices.
Understand how GLSU complements standard SAP® functionality by using Microsoft Excel to validate and post more than 1,000 lines, attach source documents, utilize pick lists, create flexible user-defined templates, etc.
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What We’ll Cover …
• Z Option Information
• Panel Participants – Information
• Panel Discussion – Q&A Session
• GLSU Information
• Wrap-Up
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What We’ll Cover …
• Z Option Information
• Panel Participants – Information
• Panel Discussion – Q&A Session
• GLSU Information
• Wrap-Up
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• Located in Lewisville, Texas
(Near Dallas, TX – U.S.)
• Formed in 1998 by accountants
and programmers
• SAP software solutions partner
• World-class products and
support for customers of all
sizes and industries
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GLSU (FI Spreadsheet Uploader for GL, AP, and AR)
• Easy user interface
• Leverage existing Excel™ skills
• Directly posts from the spreadsheet
• Flexible layouts
• Pre-validation of data before loading
• Post more than 1000 line-items
• Attach source documents
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What We’ll Cover …
• Z Option Information
• Panel Participants – Information
• Panel Discussion – Q&A Session
• GLSU Information
• Wrap-Up
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Customer’s Point of View – Tim Curtin – Heritage Propane
Tim Curtin – Project Manager
• Tim Curtin has been with Heritage Propane for the past 18 years,
serving in many different roles. In addition to his current
position, Tim has also served as a Budget Analyst, Regional
Accounting Manager, and Manager of Operational Partnership
Accounting.
• Heritage Propane is the 3rd largest retail propane company in the United States. Along with its sister company, Energy Transfer Company, Heritage spans both the natural gas industry and retail propane industry. The company was founded in 1989 and is traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ETP.
• As Project Manager, Tim manages both the IT and functional needs of Heritage as it relates to SAP and overall business process improvement.
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Customer’s Point of View – Amy Broadway – Avocent
Amy Broadway – Senior Accountant
• Amy Broadway has been with Avocent Corporation since 2007 in
the General Ledger Accounting Group. As a Senior Accountant,
Amy works primarily in general accounting with a focus in
intercompany transactions and report painter.
• Avocent is a US company offering IT solutions that provide a
single interface to manage IT infrastructure.
• Avocent was acquired by Emerson, a Manufacturing &
Technology company, in late 2009 and now offers a more robust
portfolio of data center infrastructure management solutions.
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Customer’s Point of View – Ken Meyer – ConAgra Foods
Ken Meyer – Manager Finance
• Ken Meyer has held both IT and business positions in his 19+
years with ConAgra Foods. Ken currently holds a position with
the Corporate Finance Group’s Business Services Center where
he manages a Systems Support team.
• ConAgra Foods, Inc (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America’s
leading food companies with brands in 97 percent of America’s
households.
• ConAgra Foods also holds the distinction of being the first SAP
customer in the Americas to achieve SAP’s Customer Center of
Expertise Advanced Certification.
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What We’ll Cover …
• Z Option Information
• Panel Participants – Information
• Panel Discussion – Q&A Session
• GLSU Information
• Wrap-Up
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Customers - SAP Environment & Process Before GLSU
Customer: Heritage Propane – Tim Curtin
• First implemented SAP R/3: 2004
• Current SAP version: SAP ECC 6.0
• SAP Modules: FI/ CO/ SD/ MM/ PM
• GLSU Customer since: 2007
• Process Before GLSU: Manual process of journal entry
via transaction FB50, error discover upon posting.
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Customers - SAP Environment & Process Before GLSU
Customer: Avocent – Amy Broadway
• First implemented SAP R/3: 2004
• Current SAP version: SAP ECC 6.0
• SAP Modules: SD/ FI/ CO/ PR/ PO/ IC/ WM
• GLSU Customer since: 2006
• Process Before GLSU: Avocent manually input each
journal entry individually.
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Customers - SAP Environment & Process Before GLSU
Customer: ConAgra Foods – Ken Meyer
• First implemented SAP R/3: 2004
• Current SAP version: SAP ECC 6.0
• SAP Modules: FI/ CO/ TR/ SD/ MM/ BW/ PS/ BPC & More
• GLSU Customer since: 2007
• Process Before GLSU: When ConAgra implemented
SAP, they realized that due to the volume of manual
entries each period, it was necessary that they have a
solution for uploading these entries.
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Customer Point of View - Typical Uses of GLSU
• Customer: Heritage Propane – Tim Curtin
Users post all general ledger entries through GLSU.
Quote: “We require that users attach any supporting
documentation to that template and store it within the ERP
system.” – Tim Curtin
• Customer: Avocent – Amy Broadway
Journal uploads/ mass data uploads
Quote: “With GLSU, there are so many checks and balances so
you don’t waste time” – Amy Broadway
• Customer: ConAgra Foods – Ken Meyer
The finance team routinely uploads GLSU journal entries.
Quote: “It’s sort of the best of both worlds. We get the
functionality of SAP software and the user-friendliness of the
Microsoft Excel front-end.” – Ken Meyer
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Customer Point of View – Favorite Benefits of GLSU
• Customer: Heritage Propane – Tim Curtin End-user satisfaction
Consistent journal entries
Attached documentation
Pre-validation of journal entries
• Customer: Avocent – Amy Broadway
Mass data uploads
Pre-validation of data
Customer support
Attached source workbook feature
• Customer: ConAgra Foods– Ken Meyer
Excel-based front end
Easy to modify templates to meet ad-hoc business needs
SAP file upload/document attachment feature
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What We’ll Cover …
• Z Option Information
• Panel Participants – Information
• Panel Discussion – Q&A Session
• GLSU Information
• Wrap-Up
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Top 10 Customer Favorites About GLSU
1. Easy end-user
interface
2. Post directly from
the spreadsheet
3. Flexible layouts
4. SAP Document
Numbers returned
5. Attach source
workbook to posted
document in SAP
6. Pre-validation of data
before posting
7. Master Data lookups
8. Post more than
1,000 lines
9. Post multiple
documents from
one worksheet
10. Free Trial Period
Customer Comments Regarding GLSU
• “With GLSU, we save time and money.” – FI Project Manager
• “We’ll have been using GLSU for two years and I cannot tell you what
a positive impact it has had on our finance users.” – Director
• “Since implementing GLSU, we’ve managed to achieve our goal of a
14-day monthly closing, down from 8 weeks.” – ICT Officer, FI Unit
• “There is simply no limit to how you can use GLSU if you’re familiar
with Excel.” – SAP Business Analyst
• “We use GLSU to improve overall productivity.” – Senior Accountant
• “SAP is dynamic, my clients’ businesses are dynamic, and they need
dynamic tools like GLSU.” – Independent SAP Consultant
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What We’ll Cover …
• Z Option Information
• Panel Participants – Information
• Panel Discussion – Q&A Session
• GLSU Information
• Wrap-Up
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Resources
• Microsoft Excel™ Functions
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP052042111033.aspx
• Z Option Online Presentations & Customer Success Stories
http://www.zoption.com/myfilesform.aspx Download Presentations & Success Stories From Our Customers Including:
Kellogg
Powell Electronics
Rail America
SNV
Catalyst Paper
Visit our website for more!
• ECOHUB Partner Page
https://ecohub.sdn.sap.com/
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7 Key Points to Take Home
1) Use Excel™ and Z Option’s GLSU to automate manual accounting
processes.
2) Work with 3rd party to provide data in an easy-to-use format.
3) Streamline FI document posting process. Does your process take
hours or minutes?
4) Make Excel™ work for you by using standard functionality.
5) Increase accuracy, reduce time and effort, shorten month-end close
cycle.
6) Use Excel™ automation to improve other accounting processes.
7) Use GLSU to enhance your SAP experience (post more than 1000
lines, post multiple documents from one worksheet, attach source
documents in SAP).
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Looking For More Information – Here’s Your Next Step!
Visit the Z Option Booth
Financials 2011 Premier Sponsor
Booth #635
Schedule a No-Obligation
WebEx Demo
Set Up Your Free 30-day Trial
Contact Z Option
www.zoption.com
877-653-7215 (US & Canada)
972-315-8800 (Outside US)
*Dropped Header feature may be used on most header fields of supported transactions
GLSU - Multiple Misc. Vendor Invoices*
Additional Resources – GLSU Templates (cont.)
Disclaimer
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