PURCHASE TO PAY

We help organizations with digital transformation and process optimization from purchase to pay.

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We work with several P2P solutions that interface with leading ERP systems.

Process optimization in
purchase to pay


Managing processes, data and expectations

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The digital transformation from purchase to pay often produces more hassle than progress. Unstructured information flows, mismatched systems, and unspoken expectations are to blame. Process optimization is needed for successful purchase to pay transformation.

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Digital transformation in the soup


Purchasing automation with the idea that more can be done with less FTE often turns out to be a disappointment. In complex business environments involving many stakeholders, a digital transformation often results in hassle. And that was just not the intention.

Cloudy view of processes and unspoken expectations


The digital transformation of purchase-to-pay processes aims for higher productivity at lower cost and better compliance. But it can actually create more complexity, wait times and errors when it does not properly align with the existing process or stakeholder requirements.

When striving to automate a business process, a natural tension arises between automating what is happening now and a projection of what the various stakeholders would like to see happen in the future.

A close analysis of the existing process often reveals conflicting interpretations of that process, and even bewilderment about how the process really works. Some stakeholders are unaware of certain details and others do not fully understand the process. Sometimes this happens because of successive miscommunications, passed from outgoing to incoming owners of the process, or because certain steps have become redundant.

It is not surprising that automation software for procurement and invoice processing is in use everywhere, but only 1% of invoices are processed fully automatically, as the trend report below shows.

Trend Report

Digital Transformation of Finance & Procurement 2024


Whereas digital transformation was previously mainly something for pioneers and daredevils, anno 2024 it is an absolute must-have for every organization. Challenges such as rising costs and staff shortages are forcing organizations to look for ways to work more efficiently. Automation plays a crucial role in this.

Download trend report

4CEE - Trend Report 2024 - Digital Transformation Finance and Procurement

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A typical response of project teams is to try to redesign or clean up the process. They will try to remove or refine steps that no longer seem to fit, treating the entire process as a simplification measure. And it shouldn't take too long because it needs to be automated. This is not the right approach.

When only a few steps are rebuilt or taken out, it can be detrimental to other steps that should also be addressed. The process is similar to pulling on the loose thread in a sock, which only results in more fraying.

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Ton Smeele, eBusiness Product Owner System-to-System at Technische Unie, notes:

"But if you don't discover an error until that invoice, you're actually too late. The process is not central then. Why don't we do it first time right: get everything right from the moment the order is recorded." 

Often these measures take place when the automation project has already begun. The implementation then brings to light the current process. Concessions are made. Not all functionality that was paid for is used. New procedures are set up to deal with new problems. 

Process optimization as an enabler for digital transformation


Defining stakeholder expectations (Define) and measuring current processes (Measure) forms the basis for analyzing the causes for discrepancies with expectations (Analyze) and improving processes (Improve). Improvements are consolidated into procedures (Control). This forms the blueprint for digital transformation.

Define: stakeholder expectations


Following the example of Agile Lean, it is very important to determine who are the end users of the process being targeted for automation. Are they controllers? Procurement? Suppliers? Budget holders? In any case, the board, who have made automation a strategic goal.

What are they satisfied with? When are they satisfied? Equally important, but much harder to ascertain: what is currently taken for granted by them, but will they start to miss if it will no longer, or be delivered differently? And why would they start missing it?

Take the time to map this out and make it operational in KPI targets. This is an interesting exercise when different stakeholder KPIs do not align. Hence, board intervention and support is necessary. 

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Not all expectations are expressed. Methodical probing can bring to the surface the unspoken but expected requirements. 

Measure & Analyze: The current process


Once the scoping is clear, we can map all the steps taken in different processes. In outline, for example, from receiving an invoice to finally making it payable, but also in detail, such as converting a PDF invoice to a data file. 

The different steps, as well as the transition between steps, must be quantified into relevant values. Relevance is determined by stakeholder expectations.  

"Lead time" is a quantification that always comes back, Suppliers are willing to give discounts for early payment. So why does payment take so long to arrive?

Perhaps the turnaround time of manual approval is 2 weeks. Or is the high dropout of invoices the reason for the long turnaround time. And what causes the dropouts? Maybe it involves only invoices without a PO or payment plan? 


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A value stream reveals to all parties how processes run and perform.

Improve: Processes and data


Once we have a clear picture of the current process and where it needs to go, we can start optimizing the current process in such a way that it becomes suitable for a digital transformation.

Where can gains be made? What steps could be omitted? Are there steps that just need to be added. Think about automatically validating invoices after receipt. Or are there steps that should be adjusted? Should concessions be made for the benefit of the bigger picture?

As we seek to consolidate optimization into automation, the issue of data management also looms and the importance of standardization.  

The optimized process is documented and key changes necessary for digital transformation are implemented.

Control:Digital transformation


The optimized process forms the blueprint for the automation process, perpetuating the optimization, but also accelerating and providing insight.

A choice must be made between different providers of purchase-to-pay solutions. In addition, a plan and business case must be prepared.

Because the preliminary work has been done and the bigger picture is clear, the automation process can begin with a simple process.  

Below we outline in three excerpts how automation can work for purchase to pay:

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Employees order products in a central purchasing platform. Budget holders approve orders, after which a PO is created. 

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Invoices from all vendors automatically coded and approved based on PO, payment plan and/or receipt.

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All order and invoice flows become transparent for the benefit of process optimization, reporting, cash flow management, supplier management and compliance.

Digital transformation as an enabler for process optimization


Digital transformation makes processes and data streams transparent. In doing so, it not only serves compliance, but provides a wealth of information on which process optimization can act.

Insight into quantified processes


Automation and optimization form a strong tandem to achieve operational excellence in purchase to pay. Having visibility into data streams, such as orders and invoices, unlocks where problems occur that can be fixed (lean). But it also allows analyzing data points and, for example, identifying the variability of different KPIs that can be reduced with Six Sigma methodologies.

icreative webinar process optimizationInstantly watch a previously recorded webinar back where we give examples of this. The importance of process optimization becomes undeniably clear. 

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We use several dashboards to analyze the purchase to pay process. Like this dashboard that allows us to see the match rate between fature and PO.

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 This dashboard provides insight into the overall level of automation of invoice processing. An overarching accounts payable dashboard to which KPIs can be attached.

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The purpose of this dashboard is to provide insight into the actions performed in the process: where, what, when and by whom they are caused.

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What does ICreative do


We are purchase-to-pay partner for organizations, institutions and governments. We feel particularly at home in large and complex administrations, such as the use of multiple ERP systems.

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