My prior employment included a logistics company about 7 years ago that used Lawson. I was
a part-time AP clerk. I used Lawson to input invoices, code invoices, route invoices to the
correct department, run AR reports, and do check runs. For me, Lawson was not very user-
friendly. The layout of the screens didn’t flow well, and the routing function wasn’t as timely
as it should have been. I had to research and correct errors with invoices, such as being coded
for the wrong department or wrong payment terms entered.
As a manager, I would seek to update the system that is better suited for logistics and more
user-friendly. After I left the company, it upgraded to Oracle. There were a lot of data entry
errors. I don’t know if it was a result of a lack of training for personnel or attention to detail
on the employee’s part. It resulted in more work for others to correct the problem down the
line. I know the company hired a lot of students part-time to fill many of the positions that
required data entry. I’m leaning towards the training of the personnel as the culprit in the
number of data entry errors. I feel there should have been some checks and balances to
ensure accuracy after the invoices were inputted. Again, my access and area of responsibility
were small.
I think the company should really vet the employees for hire. Ensure they possess the
necessary skills to perform the job. They can also incorporate an online skills test that can
narrow down the search for qualified employees. Management should also incorporate
controls that flag invoices that sit in the system for a certain time period without department
approvals.
