EDITEL Journal EN 2/2019 by EDITEL Group

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EDITORIAL

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Going digital In Austria, electronic invoices to the federal government are already a reality. Our German neighbors are next, and the switch is keeping companies busy (see Gerd Marlovits page 1). Even though it is a chalCEO lenge for many businesses, e-invoicing has a lot of potential. It is important to look into the issue of process digitalization because it forces us to rethink and streamline our internal business processes, which will ultimately make them more efficient.

The “Blockchain Initiative Logistik” working group has a similar approach. EDITEL is part of this initiative created by Ernst&Young. Its goal is to use blockchain technology to make processes in the logistics industry more efficient, safer and more transparent (see page 4). Don’t miss this eye-opening glimpse into the world of future supply chain developments.

XRECHNUNG: THE CLOCK FOR GOVERNMENT SUPPLIERS IS TICKING IN GERMANY What used to be an optional process will soon be mandatory: since 27 November 2018, federal agencies and constitutional bodies in Germany have been required to accept e-invoices from their suppliers and service providers. No later than 27 November 2019, all other federal bodies must be able to accept such invoices and by 18 April 2020, the same requirement will become effective for federal states and local authorities.

or service providers to the government (suppliers and/or invoice issuers), the most important deadline is 27 November 2020. Before then, they can opt to provide their invoices electronically. After that deadline, they will be required to do

so. This applies both to German companies and to Austrian companies that have a business relation ship with German authorities. A few exceptions exist, for example for direct transactions that do not exceed EUR 1,000 (excluding VAT).

IN BRIEF New PackAGEing - ECR Tag 2019 https://ecr-austria.at/ecrtag/

ODETTE Conference Prague https://www.odette.org/

EDI for field service employees https://www.editel.eu/solutions/web-edi/buyit/

How to implement EDI? https://www.editel.eu/what-is-edi/first-steps-edi/

Integrated Supply Chain Finance https://www.editel.eu/solutions/e-discounting/

Efficient archiving is key https://www.editel.eu/solutions/digital-archiving/

Coming back to the present, it is our mission to provide the very best support to businesses that want to automate their information flows. One thing is for certain: the more thorough the analysis, the more successful and swifter the implementation will be. Among others, this is true when it comes to legal provisions imposed by public authorities and for the American health authority FDA (see page 4). I have no doubt that digitalization is an issue that has come to stay. Let’s make it work for everyone. Happy reading! Gerd Marlovits

ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE Rechnung in Germany 1 XTime to act n brief IOther news from the EDITEL Group Rechnung in Germany 2 XTime to act JLV uses EDI services by EDITEL Grupa Ahastlantic automated processes Web EDI 3 Ftorom the cloud elia D invests in digitalization 4 Bforlockhain the supply chains of the future ungarian Nelson H uses PDF e-invoice builds a data bridge EtoDITEL the American FDA

The EDITEL JOURNAL is published as a supplement to GS1 Information in a total of 13,000 copies. It is available in German, English as well as in Czech, Slovak, Hungarian and Croatian for our international clients. To download the Journal as an epaper, please visit www.editel. eu/press/publications. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at info@editel.at

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BRIEF OVERVIEW: E-INVOICING TO GERMAN AUTHORITIES andatory for service providers effective 27 M November 2020, earlier voluntary start is optional Applies to jobs from government agencies of EUR 1,000 net and higher Invoice data must be converted to the XRechnung format Invoice submission to the authorities handled by EDITEL

The only legally acceptable e-invoice standards are the XRechnung format that only consists of structured data and the hybrid format ZuGFeRD 2.0. which is not widely used. Simple PDF invoices without structured data and scanned paper invoices will no longer be accepted after the 27 November 2020 deadline. It is essential for invoices to include structured data because it allows authorities to process them automatically. The challenge suppliers face is that they must first create invoices in their ERP system, then convert them to the XRechnung format and subsequently submit them to the pertinent authority. Depending on the agency, there will be different channels for submitting in-

ON-BOARD EDI SERVICE ON THE TRAIN

voices. Suppliers and service providers to the federal government can use ZRE, an online application. The most convenient, swiftest and most secure way of submitting invoices, especially if the transaction volume is high, is the fully automated transmission via the PEPPOL network that will be supported by all authorities in Germany. EDITEL offers its clients access to German authorities via PEPPOL and will, upon request, be more than happy to check invoices, convert them to the XRechnung format and submit invoices automatically. n editel.at

BRIEF OVERVIEW: E-INVOICING TO AUSTRIAN AUTHORITIES H as been a requirement since 1 January 2014 for invoices sent to federal government agencies F ederal states and local authorities do not require e-invoicing. However, at a minimum, all invoices must be machine processable. Invoices sent via fax will not be considered as submitted. I nvoice submission to the authorities handled by EDITEL Flags: © daboost – iStockphoto.com

EDITEL ADRIA HAS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED E-INVOICING AT ATLANTIC GRUPA

LV, a.s. provides a wide range of services for restaurant cars, sleeping cars and couchettes for a railway company; it also provides catering services. The company wanted to streamline the exchange of business documents and get a good overview of interconnected messages for individual business exchanges. JLV uses KARAT ERP without an EDI interface. In the course of the EDI implementation, KARAT ERP was linked to EDITEL’s EDI integration system. Business communication with clients includes the exchange of the following EDI messages: INVOIC (invoices) and APERAK (application acknowledgement). Thanks to EDITEL’s EDI integration service, EDI messages are ad-

apted for the interaction with ERP. JLV receives the invoices and sends out the acknowledgement messages APERAK and AUTACK. The straightforward connection between all messages for individual business exchanges saves time and money, and the error potential is kept to a minimum because no manual operations are required. “Our cooperation with EDITEL is clearly beneficial for us; they are true experts in their field. EDITEL is our partner of choice for the implementation of EDI messages and onboarding new partners,” said Filip Briaský, Business Manager at JLV, a.s. n

jlv.cz

s a member of the EU, Croatia must comply with the Public Procurement Act on e-invoicing in line with the European Directive (2014/55/EU) that came into effect on December 1, 2018. The directive stipulates that all public authorities, including regional and autonomous regional authorities, must be in a position to receive electronic invoices from their contractors. We are proud to announce that EDITEL Adria has become a registered provider for sending and receiving e-invoices via the national B2G e-invoice exchange service, the Fina e-invoice service, for the country of Croatia. In addition to supporting the exchange of e-invoices, EDITEL Adria also provides conversion services from different user formats (EDIFACT, XML, IDOC, TXT) to the standard Fina format UBL2.1. Other EDITEL services include electronic signature, verification and e-archiving services for users that archive e-invoices, as stipulated by law. Atlantic Group is one of EDITEL Adria’s largest clients. Some of the group companies, including Atlantic Trade, Cedevita, Bionatura Bidon Vode, Farmacia zdravstvena ustanova and Atlantic Pharmacentar, needed to exchange invoices with government clients using the

Fina e-invoice service established in Croatia. Since these companies were running several ERPs with different process formats and different business areas were involved, a systematic approach to this issue was needed. A team of more than ten IT and financial experts from Atlantic Group companies, experts from external ERPs and consulting firms was formed. EDITEL played an important role in preparing the solution for e-invoice transfer services in UBL 2.1 as required for the use of the Fina e-invoice portal. n atlantic.hr

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MORE CLIENTS WITH LESS EFFORT If the number of business partners and/or transactions grows, it makes sense to switch from Web EDI to a cloud solution.

or small companies and start-ups that want to exchange documents via EDI with just a few business partners, Web EDI is a great and inexpensive choice. However, after some time, it pays off to review the set-up: has the number of EDI business partners grown? Are there high transaction numbers even if there are few business partners? Or have specific requirements (e.g. for deliveries abroad or complex despatch advices) become more demanding? In case of an increasing number of business transactions, Karl Cegner, Head of Consulting & Project Delivery at EDITEL, recommends “to definitely perform an analysis to see if an integrated EDI solution

would make things easier and save resources.” According to Mr. Cegner, “oftentimes, even if there are just a few business partners, the costs for an employee who has to do manual data entry might be considerably higher than switching to an integrated EDI solution.” To Mr. Cegner, another important advantage is the fact that clients no longer have to handle different pieces of software and online access data, which allows them to focus on their core business. “emil,“ a spirit manufacturer based in Lower Austria, is about to switch from Web EDI to an outsourced solution. Managing director Emil Stegmüller explains: “The reason for that is simp-

le. At the beginning, we were very happy with the web solution and we would probably still be happy with it today. However, recently, the number of orders has increased, which takes too much time when entering them in the web EDI system. With the new solution, we can send invoices to our clients at the click of a mouse. This allows us to focus more on customer service instead of dedicating resources to this administrative task. It was merely a practical decision. The expense will probably pay for itself quite quickly.” n

ADVANTAGES OF AN EDI CLOUD SOLUTION A utomated core processes R eceive, send and transform data via a single exchange channel C lients can focus on their core business because EDITEL takes care of technical and legal processes A single dedicated import/export interface for all business partners, independently of the formats they use N o more manual work needed R educes error potential A dditional electronic (tamper-proof) archiving is available

editel.eu/solutions/ edi-integration/

STORES WITH A PLEASANT AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY AMBIENCE

ELIA is a growing retail food network with a focus on fresh products. The company is managed by people with many years of indepth experience in retail chains. Stores are located mainly in high-income or highly frequented areas. DELIA also benefits from the currently emerging trend of combining the sale of fresh food with other services, for example gas stations in cooperation with LUKOIL. DELIA‘s strategy consists in going beyond the traditional services offered at grocery stores and adding services typically

provided at cafés. As part of this hybrid concept, it strives to maintain high quality, use a minimum of storage space and also, as one of the few companies on the Slovak market, to deliver food directly to customers via an online portal. This special situation prompted DELIA to look for a strategic partner for swift, efficient and reliable data exchange with its suppliers. The first meeting with EDITEL took place in 2017. Given the many EDI benefits offered by EDITEL, it was an easy decision for DELIA to start using

EDI solutions by EDITEL. During an initial analysis of DELIA‘s supplier structure, EDITEL found that more than 80% of DELIA’s clients already use EDI communication. This considerably accelerated the entire implementation process. More than anything, it is the deployment of EDI that speeds up, simplifies and streamlines the receipt of goods from suppliers. Another benefit is that invoices are processed faster and better by the accounting system. The pilot partners for the project launch were PEPSI-COLA SR and

Heineken Slovakia. Currently, DELIA uses the EDI messages ORDERS and INVOICE and is planning on expanding the system to include local and international business partners. Concurrently, additional modifications to the ERP system are being made to allow for the use of additional EDI messages. By the end of 2019, DELIA plans to have all its main suppliers connected to the system. n deliapotraviny.cz

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EDITEL IS PART OF THE “BLOCKCHAIN INITIATIVE LOGISTIK“

SIGNIFICANT COST REDUCTION WITH PDF E-INVOICES

t the invitation of the auditing and consulting firm EY, GS1 Austria and its subsidiary EDITEL Austria, along with renowned logistics companies such as DB Schenker, LKW Walter and the Bundesvereinigung Logistik Österreich (BVL) as well as the Vienna University of Economics and Business, will participate in the “Blockchain Initiative Logistik.” The initiative aims to implement a joint pilot project designed to assess the usefulness of blockchain technology for the shipping and logistics industries. A first use case has been defined and revolves around the digitization of shipping

IN BRIEF irst use case is the digitization of shipping F documents Participants at the launch are EDITEL Austria, GS1 Austria, DB Schenker, LKW Walter, Bundesvereinigung Logistik Österreich (BVL) and the Vienna University of Economics and Business; additional partners to follow soon Reduces costs, increases transparency, protects against forgeries and saves time and resources Following an analysis and pilot phase in 2019, the project is expected to result in the creation of a commercial platform

documents. These shipping documents are usually paper-based and their handling and sharing often happens haphazardly. In upcoming workshops, the participants in this initiative will periodically follow and analyze the possible solution of digitizing specific shipping documents using blockchain technology. One of the goals is to ensure that documents are available and can be accessed and processed at any given time by all participants in the process. This industry-specific solution is expected to automate roughly 75 million processes at Austrian logistics companies per year and save twelve million sheets of paper. n editel.at

ased in Székesfehérvá, the leading car rental company Nelson ltd. offers long-term car rental services. Around 90% of the company’s clients are SMEs. Given this background, the introduction of PDF invoices was an obvious choice, as it would simplify the invoicing process and save time and resources. “According to our calculations, postal and storage expenses associated with traditional paperbased invoices are twice as high as for e-invoices, which means that we will be saving millions of HUF every year,” said Peter Farkas, explaining the advantages of e-invoices. The invoicing service, also known as PKI, provides solutions to companies that issue large numbers of invoices, mostly to smaller businesses. It does not require small companies to invest in technology because their invoices will be sent to their clients via e-mail in PDF format. With the help of a secure link, the invoice can be downloaded directly from an online server, and it includes the date and an electronic signature. “In order to survive in a competitive market, we need to increase our

EDITEL IS A CERTIFIED PROVIDER FOR UDI DATA TRANSFER TO THE US

DI (Unique Device Identification) is a world-wide system for the standardized identification of medical products which was passed by the US-based FDA (Food and Drug Administration) back in 2014. European manufacturers of medical products also have to meet these requirements if they want to export their products to the American market. After a three-year transitional period, UDI must be implemented in Europe as well, starting in May 2020. In addition to unique identification and labeling of medical products, manufacturers have to maintain article mater data in a centralized database. All data needs to be reported to the GUDID (Global UDI Database). If manufacturers have limited data to report, manual entry via the

UDID web application is possible. G To efficiently process larger volumes, there is the option of creating an automated interface. As an official FDA third party provider, EDITEL offers its tried-and-tested solution for automated data transfer to the GUDID. The system relies on the EDI platform eXite to convert manufacturers’ in-house files to an HL7 SPF file. Subsequently, all data is validated and submitted. A dedicated business monitoring tool keeps track of every submission and its successful completion. According to Gerd Marlovits, the CEO of EDITEL, this best practice solution and the close collaboration with GS1 Austria makes “EDITEL the provider of choice when it comes to automatically transferring UDI data.” n

nelsonflotta.hu

ISSUE 2/2019 Owner and publisher: EDITEL Austria GmbH, 1040 Vienna, Brahmsplatz 3; T: +43 (0)1/505 86 02; e-mail: info@editel.at. www.editel.eu

EDITEL offers an automated solution for manufacturers of medical products that need to transfer data to the FDA’s centralized database.

efficiency on a continuous basis. Some of our competitors are still using paper invoices, even though most clients clearly prefer e-invoicing,” said Mr. Farkas on the need of introducing e-invoicing. Nelson ltd. started using e-invoicing (PKI) with 200 partners, and the goal is to reach a 90% e-invoicing share in the near future. Mr. Farkas emphasized that EDITEL ltd. is part of this project as a professional, highly flexible and expert partner. He also highlighted that “once a company has reached a certain size, it needs a service provider that can provide customized solutions to fit its needs. We believe that EDITEL meets and exceeds these expectations.” n

IMPRINT

EDITEL Austria GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GS1 Austria GmbH. The corporate objective of EDITEL Austria GmbH is the electronic data exchange between business partners, the sale of the required software and support services. Management and responsible for the content: Gerd Marlovits Editorial staff: Sylvia M. Gerber M.A., Anja Jung Proofreading : Dagmar Jenner, www.texterei.com Translations: English: Dagmar Jenner, www.texterei.com Czech and Slovak: Martina Pokornà, Linda Stanislavová Hungarian: Renata Stummer Croatian: Nataša Burič, Marija Lunjek Layout: www.creativedirector.cc Disclosure pursuant to Austrian Media Law as amended in March 2009: the purpose of this newsletter is the promotion and support of EDITEL Austria‘s business activities. © David Plas, GS1

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