With dg connect DATEV

Efficient invoicing processes for companies

With the new integration of dg connect DATEV into the windream ECM-software, companies rely on a consistent solution which seamlessly connects documents, data and workflows – and not only in an on-premises environment, but also via the DATEV online interface for the first time.

Another special feature: dataglobal Bochum GmbH developed the solution itself, sells it directly and supports customers without going through external partners.

What is dg connect DATEV?

dg connect DATEV is an interface that automates the exchange of invoice documents and structured invoice data between companies and DATEV. Instead of printing out invoices, entering them manually or entering them twice, the data is transferred digitally in real time – directly via the DATEV Cloud.

This means fewer media disruptions, lower error rates and noticeable time savings in accounting. Companies benefit from secure, certified processes and can process their financial data much more efficiently.

dg connect DATEV: Integration into windream

With dg connect DATEV, a customized interface is now available which integrates the DATEV invoice data service 1.0 directly into the windream environment. In contrast to the on-premises version, synchronization is no longer only possible periodically – the transfer of invoice data is fully automated and takes place in real time.

This is how it works:

• Archiving invoices: Incoming invoices are entered in windream as usual and stored in an audit-proof way.
• Data extraction: Structured invoice data (e.g. vendor, invoice number, amount, payment date) is automatically extracted.
• Transmission: Documents and invoice data are transmitted securely to DATEV Online via dg connect DATEV.
• Direct access: The tax consultant authorized by the company can process the data directly in the DATEV accounting software.

Advantages for your company

• Seamless integration: windream remains the central platform for document management and archiving.
• Compliance and security: windream and DATEV meet the highest requirements for data protection and GoBD conformity.
• Automation & real-time: Invoice data is transmitted without delay, quickly and securely.
• Easy to set up: The interface is easy to implement and can be used productively straight away.
• Directly from the manufacturer: The solution was developed by dataglobal Bochum GmbH itself, can be obtained directly from the manufacturer and enables support without detours via partners.

Officially listed interface provider

dataglobal Bochum GmbH is officially listed with DATEV as an interface provider:

This ensures that data is exchanged via tested, secure interfaces that have been approved by DATEV. As a result, companies benefit from reliable and legally compliant integration of their processes for greater efficiency, transparency and future-proofing in their collaboration with tax advisors and DATEV systems.

Conclusion: A strong signal for the digital future of invoice processing

With the integration of dg connect DATEV, companies close the gap between internal invoice processing and external accounting.

The result: more efficiency, less effort, maximum security – now also via the DATEV online interface and in real time.

If you manage an IT department or are responsible for the digital transformation of your company in your role as an IT decision-maker, you know that handling documents and information is crucial for efficiency, security and competitiveness. Nevertheless, many organizations struggle with grown filing structures, confusing drives and media disruptions. Important documents are sent back and forth by email, approvals are delayed and it is often unclear which version of a document is actually the correct one.

In this context, a document management system (DMS) is not just a tool for filing, but a strategic IT topic. It relieves your specialist departments and strengthens your IT strategy in the long term. For you as the IT manager, it is about setting the course for a future-proof information architecture.

More than just a filing system: real added value with a DMS

A modern digital document management system not only organizes files, but also structures your company’s entire information base. The result: employees always have access to the right version, workflows run automatically and knowledge remains available in the long term.

Particularly in times of hybrid working models, it is crucial that employees have access to the same information within their teams, regardless of their location. A DMS makes this possible and ensures transparency in processes that were previously slowed down by manual intermediate steps or media disruptions.

A recent study by Bitkom also shows that there is enormous potential here: 73% of companies in Germany state that they have been able to significantly speed up their processes by introducing a document management system. At the same time, 61% see the DMS as an important building block for their digital strategy.

For you as an IT manager, this means that you can not only simplify your daily work with a DMS, but also create the basis for digital business processes.

Typical advantages that quickly become apparent are:

• Increased efficiency through automated approvals and checks.
• Save time thanks to centralized access to documents.
• Better knowledge management that also supports remote work and international teams.
• Reduced error rate because incorrect versions and manual transfers are avoided.

These benefits contribute directly to the corporate strategy – and make your IT department an enabler of digitalization.

DMS in your IT strategy

A DMS must not be introduced in isolation, but must be embedded in your IT strategy. Only then will it become a long-term success factor.

Integration into existing systems such as ERP or CRM solutions is particularly important. When documents are directly available in the relevant business processes, a continuous flow of information is created that avoids media disruptions and significantly shortens processing times.

The question of architecture – cloud DMS or on-premises – also has strategic implications. Cloud solutions offer the advantage of being flexibly scalable and can be deployed without major infrastructure costs. On-premises systems, on the other hand, give you maximum control over data and operations. As an IT decision-maker, you need to consider factors such as data security, regulatory requirements, cost structure and your company’s long-term growth strategy.

It is also important to keep an eye on scalability. A DMS project is rarely static – it grows with the requirements. Systems that have a modular structure and can be easily expanded protect your investment and prevent you from having to start from scratch again in a few years.

Compliance and security – your responsibility

Hardly any other IT topic is as closely linked to regulatory requirements as document management. With a professional DMS, you can ensure that your company is auditable at all times and complies with legal requirements.

A good system supports you in this by:

• Documents archived in an audit-proof manner,
• GDPR and GoBD requirements automatically,
• granular control of access rights and document security through encryption,
• Retention and deletion periods are managed automatically.

Compliance with these requirements protects your company from risks and penalties. At the same time, you gain a competitive advantage, as partners and customers increasingly value transparent and secure data processes. For IT decision-makers, this is a strong argument vis-à-vis management: compliance is not a cost driver, but a trust factor.

Whitepaper: DMS guide for IT departments and decision-makers

Would you like specific recommendations for action? In our free white paper “DMS guide for IT departments and decision-makers” you can find out:

• What criteria you need to consider when selecting a suitable system.
• How to successfully integrate your DMS into your IT strategy.

Which best practices have already proven themselves in companies.

Change management: the key to success

IT projects often fail not because of the technology, but because of the human factor. A document management system is no exception. To ensure a successful implementation, you should focus on change management.

In concrete terms, this means involving key users at an early stage, who act as multipliers in their specialist areas. Provide employees with practical training and demonstrate the benefits of the system using specific use cases. Start with a clearly defined pilot project, such as invoice approval, and make initial successes visible.

Such “quick wins” create trust and acceptance. Your IT department positions itself not only as a technical service provider, but also as a partner that improves the reality of work and creates added value.

Practical example: invoice approval in SMEs

An example from a medium-sized company shows just how great the effect of a DMS can be. One company was faced with the problem that invoices took an average of ten days to be approved. Documents had to be distributed manually, queries delayed processing and errors due to duplicate versions were common.

Following the introduction of a document management system, the process has been supplemented by a digital workflow for invoice approval replaced. The processing time was reduced to three days, everyone involved was able to view the processing status in real time and the error rate fell by 80 percent.

For IT departments, this example is clear proof that a well-implemented DMS can not only reduce costs, but also significantly improve transparency and collaboration.

Looking to the future: AI in document management

While classic systems already offer enormous advantages today, AI-supported AI-supported document management systems are already in the starting blocks. They are increasingly taking on administrative tasks as well as decision support and analysis.

This includes functions such as the automatic classification and indexing of documents, semantic search functions that understand content in context and even automated contract checks. For you as an IT decision-maker, this opens up the opportunity to transform document management into a strategic knowledge management system that makes a direct contribution to corporate management.

Conclusion: Why you should act as an IT decision-maker

A document management system is no longer just an IT tool. It is a strategic IT issue that contributes directly to your corporate goals. It speeds up processes, ensures compliance, improves collaboration and makes your organization fit for the future.

If you view document management merely as a filing problem, you are wasting potential. However, if you approach it consistently as a strategic project, you will position your IT department as a driver of digital transformation and secure a decisive advantage for your company.

Digitization of accounting, automation of invoice processing, compliance in digital accounting – on paper, this all sounds like efficiency, clarity and real-time transparency. In reality, however, day-to-day work in many finance and controlling departments looks very different: Invoices trickle in as PDFs by email, approvals happen “on demand” in the hallway, budget requests arrive as Excel files attached. Instead of analyses and strategic management, there is a lot of searching, queries and checking.

That’s what we call it: Fragmentopolis.
Here, controllers and accountants spend 30% of their working time searching for data alone. And while they navigate the paper and file jungle, they miss out on discounts, reports arrive too late and decisions are based more on gut feeling than on reliable figures.

Everyday life in Fragmentopolis – typical pain points

Whether in SMEs or international corporations, the problems often look frighteningly similar. Fragmentopolis is not a place on the map, but the state of a finance department that is stuck in analog thinking and manual processes despite modern software.

1st Excel version chaos
Almost everyone in accounting knows the infamous file: “Report_final_neu_version7_mehrfinal.xlsx”. It appears in several email inboxes, is stored in different folders and nobody knows which version is actually up to date. Changes are made in parallel, data is overwritten and in the end everything has to be painstakingly merged again.

2. loss of time due to manual data search
Instead of finding invoices or receipts with just a few clicks, a small odyssey often begins: in the mailbox, in the file folder, in the ERP system. Reminder emails are written or phone calls are made for every missing approval. The invoice approval process not only drags on for days, but also repeatedly interrupts the actual work.

3. high susceptibility to errors
If data has to be entered manually several times, the risk of transposed figures, double entries or the accidental deletion of important information increases. Outdated data is also common: one colleague works with yesterday’s data, while others have already entered new values.

4. missed opportunities
Every delay in invoice processing can cost money. Discount periods go unused, budgets are distributed on the basis of uncertain forecasts and valuable insights from the data remain hidden because there is simply no time for in-depth analyses.

5. lack of transparency
Who checked the invoice? Which cost center approved it? And how long has the document been in the process? In many departments, there is no immediate answer to these questions. Instead of clear workflows, there is uncertainty and the overview is only restored after several phone calls or e-mail chains.

The result:
Finance and controlling teams spend a large part of their time reacting rather than actively shaping. Operational hecticness replaces strategic clarity, and the aspiration to make data-based decisions all too often turns into pure damage limitation in day-to-day business.

Causes of the digital challenges

If you take a closer look at the typical pain points in finance & controlling, you will quickly realize that they do not arise by chance, but often have deeper structural reasons. Even companies that already use modern software fail to overcome the same hurdles, but in digital form.

1. lack of automation and inadequate workflows

Many finance departments still work as they did ten or fifteen years ago, except that the paper folders have now been replaced by PDF files. Invoices are entered manually, approvals are obtained by email and receipts are stored in different folders. Although there are often software solutions such as an ERP or a DMS, without automated workflows, the benefits are very limited.
Example: Although an invoice is scanned digitally, it still has to be manually assigned to the correct cost center. Each missing approval triggers another email chain.

2. system breaks and complicated tools

Another key problem is media and system discontinuities. If invoice processing, the ERP system and the document management system do not talk to each other, employees have to enter the same data multiple times or constantly switch between programs. This not only costs time, but also increases the risk of errors. It becomes particularly critical when individual tools are so complicated to use that users are reluctant to use them or do not use them at all. In practice, this leads to modern functions going unused.

3. costs and culture

Digitization is not free, neither financially nor in terms of internal resources. In addition to license and implementation costs, it takes time for training, conversions and adjustments. The team often lacks the necessary know-how to use new tools effectively. There is also a cultural factor: resistance to change. Many employees are used to the previous system and initially perceive new processes as an additional burden. The common refrain “We’ve always done it this way” is one of the biggest, but underestimated, obstacles on the path to digitalized processes.

4. flood of data without analysis capability

In a digitalized financial world, the volume of data has increased enormously. But more data does not automatically mean more insights. Without business intelligence integration and real-time dashboards, controlling is flying blind. Although all relevant information is often available somewhere in the system, it is not linked, not up-to-date or not prepared in a form that enables quick decisions to be made. The result: reports are based on outdated values, forecasts lose their informative value and management makes decisions without a reliable data basis.

According to the Bitkom Digital Office Index 2024:

• 100% of German companies now use at least one digital office solution

• 39 % work predominantly paperless, 20 % still heavily paper-based.

• 35% want to increase their digitalization investments.

The way out: getting started in Data City

Data City stands for a networked, digital financial system that brings back clarity and controllability – modular, connectable and compatible with your existing software.

How to get out of Fragmentopolis:

• Digital invoice receipt with OCR recognition instead of manual typing

• Automatic workflows for approvals, escalations and archiving

• Real-time dashboards for precise, up-to-date key figures

• Audit-proof archiving for compliance and audits

• Flexible integration with ERP, CRM and other tools

The result: fewer searches, more taxes. Fewer queries, more decisions.

Checklist: Do you still live in Fragmentopolis?

Answer honestly:

• Do you regularly search for invoices or receipts?

• There are at least three different versions of the same Excel sheet?

• Are approvals often given by e-mail or verbally?

• Are you waiting for data when you need to create a report?

• Dashboards with live figures? Not a chance.

If you have answered “yes” more than twice – it’s high time to move to Data City.

Whitepaper

Do you want to move away from paper chaos and towards controllable finance processes? Download our free white paper ‘How to achieve clear figures and real decisions with less paper chaos’ now. Get your roadmap from Fragmentopolis to the Data City!

Conclusion

Digital transformation in accounting is no longer a topic for the future. Today, it determines whether finance departments merely manage or actively shape. Manual processes, isolated tools and a lack of transparency lead to errors, lost time and missed opportunities. At the same time, examples such as Data City show that it is possible to achieve clear figures, quick decisions and resilient processes without having to throw existing systems overboard. The key is to openly recognize the typical pain points, implement targeted automation and integration and thus switch from reaction mode to a controlling role. Those who dare to take this step leave fragmentopolis and gain not only efficiency, but also the basis for sustainable corporate success.