Already a few months ago the Motor Service Group decided to send electronic invoices with the solution TecInvoice SAP. Electronic invoice processing makes it possible for the Motor Service Group and its connected invoice recipients to save time and money while substantially reducing the amount of work involved. Now that the first invoice recipients have been successfully connected, the worldwide rollout of the solution lies ahead.

The Motor Service Group is the sales organisation for the worldwide aftermarket activities of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg. This company is a leading supplier of motor components for the independent replacement part market with the premium brands KOLBENSCHMIDT, PIERBURG and TRW Engine Components.

The solution TecInvoice SAP implemented by Motor Service is completely embedded in the SAP environment. Invoices with legally valid signatures are automatically generated, verified and sent to the recipient by the path selected. Long delivery routes and complicated scanning procedures are no longer necessary.

Admin building of MS Motor Service International in Neuenstadt, Germany. Photo: Motor Service

Send legally valid electronic invoices – throughout Europe!

In order to eliminate the resource-intensive sending of paper as much as possible while offering invoice recipients the comfort of electronic invoices, it is the goal of Motor Service Group to connect a large number of new invoice recipients in the near future. The first customers of MS Motor Service International in the Netherlands and Sweden together with customers of the subsidiaries MS Motor Service Germany and MS Motor Service France already receive electronic invoices. As soon as possible the customers of MS Motor Service Iberica will also be provided with electronic invoices.

KS Engine bearings. Photo: Motor Service

TecInvoice considers the legal factors in different countries in order to ensure that the invoice recipient can make a valid claim for the VAT paid in advance in the case of electronic delivery.

With the qualified electronic signature required in Germany that TecInvoice sends together with the invoice document, the legal requirements of most European countries are even exceeded. In Italy and Switzerland the signature must also include a time stamp or a special signature card must be connected. These extended requirements could also be met by TecInvoice.

In the German Tax Simplification Law of 2011 the qualified signature and other methods are valid that guarantee the authenticity (the origin of the sender) and integrity (that it has not been modified or counterfeited) of the invoice content. These include the well-known EDI method and the implementation of so-called internal control structures that should make any form of electronically transmitted invoice legally equal to a paper invoice.

Because these control structures have not been more precisely described by the lawmakers, TecCom still recommends the use of the qualified signature, optionally together with a legally valid long-term archive. This procedure meets all requirements for proof of authenticity and integrity and is already being used successfully in many countries.

With TecInvoice SAP Archive Link you can securely archive sent invoices

The electronic invoices are provided to the recipient either by e-mail or in a free online portal. As an alternative invoices can be delivered directly from the internet to the server of the invoice recipient with the TecCom receiving component TOMConnect and without any manual effort.

TOMConnect includes not just a comfortable receiving component for invoice recipients; it also makes it possible for the sender to archive the signed document in his own SAP archive with the solution TecInvoice SAP Archive Link. The transmitted documents and a transaction report are sent to the den TOMConnect of the Motor Service Group and to the SAP archive. The success of the archiving can be checked in TecInvoice Monitor.

Screen shot TecInvoice Monitor

If you would also like to register to receive electronic invoices or are interested in a solution for electronic invoice processing, Kathrin Harrer (kathrin.harrer@teccom.de) will be happy to help you.