Following EXPP I asked as many participants as possible some straight forward questions – with the aim to share knowledge and give a view on future development within what we call P2P and O2C processes. As we recieve the answers we will publish the results.
Are you opinionated and want your view to be told? Please fill in the following link and we will publish your answers >>EBG Survey
What development do you see in the next three years within procure-to-pay (p2p) and/or order-to-cash (o2c) processes (in which e-invoicing is an important part)?
Tradeshift (Mikkel Hippe Brun)
www.tradeshift.com
Most companies will be doing the majority of their invoicing electronically. Good workflow solutions will make the processes more effective, data quality will increase and we will se more use of self-billing soluitons.
DIFI
www.difi.no
We will see new plattforms with a lot of VAS included.
Indra
www.indracompany.com
If the current technological barriers are taken out, (as it seems to be), the development of these two process will increase significantly
What is your view on VAS – value added services – what does it mean and what will it mean for the future e-invoicing development?
Tradeshift
Value added services is key. Service providers have been sleeping for too many years and not done any innovation on their products. Transporting an invoice from A to B is not a value added service. This ties in to the broken business model of traditional players. Dont charge for the e-invoice – make money on value added services on top of e-invoicing.
DIFI
Archiving, Format validation
Indra
Value Added Services for e-invoicing processes, means, from my point of view, those enabling companies issuing and receiving invoices wherever the trading partner is and whatever the invoice format is.
What is your view on the e-invoicing debate about formats and standards?
Tradeshift
Its academic. There are proven standards that works and covers the whole procure to pay process. Choose the standards that covers the whole process and has traction. The name of that standard is UBL.
DIFI
Look at the procurement process, it all ends with the invoice and subsequent payment
Indra
I think that the use of standards, (there are already standards on the market), makes easier the electronic documents interchange
What is your comment on how to improve and develop the interoperability market in Europe?
Tradeshift
Service provider should support multilateral and open network models and not charge each other for roaming. The condition for participation is compliance and reliable services.
DIFI
Make use of one standard and one eDelivery infrastructure
Indra
By implementing european rules and laws which force the data operators companies to exchange information. Equal treatment to voice operators: (Roaming agreements and Networks interconected).
How can we help more companies SEND more e-invoices?
Tradeshift
Deliver cheap and easy to use e-invoicing solutions that covers all the invoicing needs of SMB’s.
DIFI
Cooporation between todays players in the market
Indra
By taking out stupid technical rules. Nordic countries are a very good example
What is your advice for companies wanting to improve their P2P and/or O2C processes in which e-invoicing is an important factor?
Tradeshift
Make sure that the benefits of digitizing the processes are shared between buyer and supplier. If its only your own organization that benefits – then the likelihood of success is small. Your supplier or customer is much more inclined to adopt electronic business processes if he also gains value.
Indra
Force their goverments to put in place article 233 of EU Directive, would be one of the ways
What is your view on how much an order costs going through the P2P and/or O2C process?
Tradeshift
The cost is probably in the neighborhood of €15 – given that a proper PO will have assigned GL accounts and have gone through an approval process.