During CeBIT (March 14 to 18, 2016), callas software will show in the ECM Solutions Park (Hall 3, booth B17) how companies can implement their digital strategy with pdfaPilot and PDF/A. Center stage is taken by the long-term archiving of digital files, digital (paper-free) invoices based on the ZuGFeRD standard and hybrid record keeping. The second highlight of the show is callas pdfChip: the most recent addition to the callas product range. With pdfChip, high-quality PDF documents can be generated from HTML templates.
The new version shown at CeBIT features an Adobe InDesign script to quickly create the required HTML templates from InDesign. An intelligent invoice module enables direct implementation of invoice generation; the invoice template can be designed either in HTML or in Adobe InDesign. With this module, invoice workflows (including invoices compliant with ZUGFeRD) that connect a template with a data source can be setup very quickly.
A study of Germany’s digital association Bitkom, performed in 2015, shows that almost all German companies (96%) see opportunities when they think of digitalization of their business. “To take advantage of those opportunities, they need to select and build on a secure and robust document format,” says Dietrich von Seggern, Business Development Manager at callas software. “PDF/A is the obvious first choice, as it provides guaranteed reproducibility for documents. Even better, the third part of the PDF/A standard (PDF/A-3) gives companies the opportunity to efficiently archive digital dossiers". Further applications for PDF/A exist in the area of invoice creation, especially when compliance with the ZUGFeRD invoice format is required. "This too can be part of a complete digitalization strategy. Switching to electronic invoices reduces the amount of unnecessary paper on both the customer and supplier side,” continues Dietrich von Seggern.
To support digitalization based on PDF/A, callas software provides a reliable solution with its pdfaPilot product family. Users of these products can convert and validate different file formats, such as office files, emails or regular PDF files, to PDF/A at any point in the workflow. The technology used by pdfaPilot is the same that provides PDF/A support in Adobe Acrobat. pdfaPilot is available in a user-friendly desktop solution, and in a fully automated server solution using hot folders. For integration into larger systems, a command-line version (CLI) and a developer version (SDK) provide flexibility to fit into any IT environment.
implements all parts of the ISO PDF/A standard, including the recent PDF/A-3 standard. PDF/A-3 makes it possible to archive both a PDF/A document (perfect for long-term storage in a digital archive) and the original file it was created from. pdfaPilot fully supports this hybrid archiving; at CeBIT, callas will demonstrate how companies can archive their digital dossiers – for example, emails with the associated attachments – with pdfaPilot in a system independent, customizable and highly reliable way. The index page for such a digital dossier is created using an entirely customizable template. The use of a single PDF/A document in which the complete digital dossier is stored gives a high degree of reliability and traceability of files in complex workflows involving many different parties.
CAL_ZUGFeRD_invoicePDF/A-3 is also used as the base format for the ZUGFeRD invoice format. Electronic invoices based on this standard, combine a PDF/A document that can reliably be archived with an embedded XML representation containing all essential information from the invoice. pdfaPilot allows the creation, validation, and processing of ZUGFeRD compliant electronic invoices. Optionally, suppliers can further increase the flexibility of such invoices, by including a GiroCode. This QR-code, which is placed on the invoice, contains all essential invoice information such as receiver, IBAN, BIC, amount and purpose and offers further opportunities to electronically process incoming invoices.
CeBIT visitors looking for a solution to generate ZUGFeRD invoices in high volume environments should learn about callas pdfChip; the new version of this PDF creation solution comes with an invoice generation module. The layout of the invoices is based on HTML templates, which can easily be designed in Adobe InDesign. Invoices can then be created either from database queries or through the use of ZUGFeRD XML files. Using this technique, the generated invoices can just as easily be shown in a web browser as they can be converted into high-quality PDF/A versions.
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