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Streamlining Operations: Transforming Efficiency Through Automation
Nestled in Ontario, Canada, this municipality stands as the seventh- largest in the nation, boasting a pivotal role as a dynamic economic powerhouse.
ConvergentIS led the design and development of a comprehensive application tailored to streamline the tracking of pending Growth Charges in Accounts Receivables that could automate the calculation of charges, eliminating the reliance on error- prone and time-consuming manual spreadsheets.
- 01 Project Information
- 02 The Challenge
- 03 The Solution
- 04 The Results
Project Information
Previously, Growth Charges were administered through the non-SAP permitting system (MAX), accompanied by intricate calculations performed in Excel spreadsheets. This setup lacked financial transparency, leaving millions of dollars in Growth Charges with no direct visibility into receivables. With recent legislative changes and the introduction of new levy charges, the City recognized the need for an end-to-end solution.
This prompted the search for a streamlined process to seamlessly transfer applications and applicant data from the MAX system to SAP, thereby, facilitating the efficient processing of Growth Charges.
The Challenge
With the City of Missisauga already operating on S/4 1809 and facing inherent limitations with the non-SAP permitting system (MAX), leveraging the existing SAP infrastructure emerged as the most viable option.
In the existing process (as-is), the MAX permitting system (non-SAP) lacked configuration for Community Benefit Charges, functioning solely to record Development Charges and Cash in Lieu of Parkland. The calculation of all growth charges was a manual undertaking, relying on Excel spreadsheets. Subsequently, the final amounts were manually uploaded into MAX, where invoices were generated.
The Solution
With support from ConvergentIS, a robust SAP Fiori dashboard was crafted to streamline the management of growth charges, incorporating various essential features. One notable aspect is its seamless integration with MAX, facilitating the effortless transfer of Building Permit and applicant data through the daily MAX-SAP interface. Upon accessing the user-friendly landing page, users are greeted with intuitive navigation options, ensuring quick access to detailed information. The dashboard's workflow is designed to maintain a systematic and transparent approval process, enhanced by automatic email notifications, thus promoting efficiency and accountability.
Furthermore, the system offers versatile functionalities for handling financial transactions with precision. It enables the generation of diverse types of invoices and facilitates the recording of invoice and payment details, contributing to enhanced accuracy and efficiency in financial operations. Additionally, the dashboard maintains a comprehensive approval history, meticulously documenting all actions performed within the system. This feature not only ensures transparency but also provides a reliable audit trail, bolstering confidence in the integrity of the approval process and fostering accountability among users.
The Results
- In the 8 months following Go Live, ~475 building permit requests interfaced with SAP, with 147 processed and closed between that same time period, averaging 18 requests per month.
- The daily MAX to SAP interface ensures swift availability of building permit and applicant information, facilitating faster processing. This efficiency promises a quicker turnaround for invoices and quotes, enhancing customer service and meeting the timelines stipulated in the Building Code Act.
- The custom SAP Fiori application incurred minimal IT costs, being built on the standard SAP Fiori development framework, and leveraged the accounts receivables module for invoicing and payments.
- Significant staff time savings and reduced manual errors were achieved with increased confidence in SAP's precise calculations for city charges per the DC By-law.
- The team is no longer burdened with manual calculations, a substantial improvement from the previous permitting system challenges.
- The solution is widely accepted, especially for generating draft invoices and meticulous review before approval. End customers benefit from a streamlined process, evidenced by the absence of complaints about over-collection.
Thought we should take out the dates and speak to the time frame so it is more long lasting.
“The SAP Growth Charges application is a game-changer for municipal government organizations that levy development-related charges. It is a tailor-made solution that is able to handle the ever-changing legislation. Most importantly, it brings precision to our work which is crucial for the development industry.”
Why ConvergentIS?
Our team comes from a variety of different operational backgrounds, meaning we understand how people work. We recognize SAP S/4HANA as an out-of-the-box solution that has successfully solved business problems across several industries. But we realize some work processes are still challenging to learn with so many capabilities available in SAP.
Leveraging the SAP design methodology, we have co-innovated with organizations to build solutions that match the way they work. Since many teams face the same problems, we packaged them and made them available as an out-of-the-box application. This means your business still receives many of the benefits of a tailored application without the cost of a custom solution.
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