Author Archives: Ellen Tjahjana

Getting your IT department ready for eInvoicing

Preparation is key when implementing eInvoicing, especially with your internal teams. Your IT team will be a particularly important cog in your journey. Here’s how we suggest getting your IT team ready for eInvoicing.

Introduce them to eInvoicing

eInvoicing is a pretty new thing, so not everyone is going to know about it. It can helpful to go over the basics including:
  • what eInvoicing is
  • how it works
  • an introduction to Peppol
  • an introduction into Access Points.

Let them know how it will impact them

It’s a good idea to review the changes your IT team will need to make before you implement eInvoicing. These could include asking your team:
  • what eInvoicing is
  • will new hardware or software need to be purchased?
  • will additional resources be needed to implement eInvoicing?
  • does your eInvoicing service provider or Access Point adhere to your security policy?
They’ll also be able to tell you if your software is eInvoicing enabled, allowing you to start sending and receiving eInvoices. If it isn’t eInvoicing enabled, your IT team will need to work with an Access Point. Your IT team should be able to answer questions from you Access Point, including:
  • Can your software produce the Peppol file (this is the file type that’s used through the eInvoicing network)?
  • Is your software cloud based or on-premise?
  • What connection protocol can your software work with? E.g. API, sFTP, AS2, etc.

Create progress meetings

Keeping track of progress is important in any project. A good way to go is to organise meetings with your internal departments, including your IT team, to set actions and monitor progress. Having these meetings in place will ensure deadlines are met and your project doesn’t go over deadline.

Start testing

This stage of eInvoicing is critical as it determines whether everything is working correctly. Your IT team will need to work with your Access Point in order to ensure the connection between them and your software is working. This normally involves sending a file and ensuring it is correctly received, and receiving a file to make sure it’s processed correctly on your end.

Create a process for issues

If any issues arise, you need to have a process in place to deal with them. It’s important to plan ahead to make it clear what each of your internal teams, including IT, need to deal with. There are a few scenarios that IT may need to assist with when using eInvoicing, including:
  • if a supplier says they’ve sent an invoice but you can’t see it in your software
  • if your team are contacted by a supplier who’s received a notification to say their invoice has been rejected.
Having a clear plan for these types of issues is important to reduce delay of payment for your partners. If you’re interested in learning more about getting your teams ready for eInvoicing, request a call from our eInvoicing experts below.

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EDI for suppliers: What option is best for my business?

Picking up a new retail client can be such an exciting time. But some of their requirements can seem daunting when you’re facing them for the first time. One of the things retailers often ask is for their suppliers to trade with them via electronic data interchange, or EDI.

What is EDI?

EDI is the electronic exchange of business information, like purchase orders and invoices. This information goes straight in and out of the retailer’s software. It’s of benefit to the retailer because it’s more efficient than paper or PDFs, it gives them real-time visibility of their purchases and products, and it reduces costs. You can find out more about EDI in this whitepaper. For suppliers, it’s important to be aware of your options when it comes to EDI and to choose the best option for your business.

What are my options?

EDI webforms

The simplest solution for compliance is EDI webforms. This allows you to logon to a web portal to view purchase orders and respond by sending back the required information such as purchase order responses, advance shipping notices and invoices. The information input into the web portal is sent directly to your customers’ software. EDI webforms has a number of benefits:
  • No establishment costs
  • It’s easy to set up
  • It has an easy-to-use interface
  • You can trade with many retailers from the one portal
  • It’s accessible anywhere with internet
  • It’s cost effective.
  • No support cost.

EDI gateway

A more automated option is an EDI gateway. The fully integrated solution exchanges information with your customers directly to and from your ERP or accounting software. This option has the least impact on your current process and requires minimal manual processing because it takes the data from your software to send EDI documents to your customers. To gain even more benefits from your EDI gateway, it can be used to update other systems in your business. For example, when an order is despatched to one of your customers, it can automatically update inventory levels in your warehouse management system. This information can even be sent via EDI to your partners to keep them up-to-date with your inventory levels. Some of the benefits of using an integrated solution include:
  • using your existing software
  • no need for data re-entry
  • automating your manual processes
  • improving data accuracy
  • faster order processing.

Which option is right for my business?

It is important to choose an option that:
  • sets your business up for future adaptability
  • reduces the costs imposed on your business provides the most value.
There are a number of factors that you need to look at when deciding what EDI option is best for you, including:
  • The amount of orders you receive, the number of products you sell and the amount of information that is required from your customers As these factors increase, so does the amount of manual inputting you will be required to input into each form
  • The functionality of the software you currently use in your business For example, if you retailers require an advanced shipping notice with SSCC labels. Can your software produce these?
  • Your strategic goals For example, if you want to integrate with other systems or automate other business processes.
Use this table as a rough guide when deciding on an option for your business.[vc_column_inner width="1/2" css=".vc_custom_1565317545162{padding-top: 0px !important;background-color: #00b7f1 !important;}"]

Consider EDI webforms if…

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Consider an EDI gateway if…

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You trade with a small number of retailers

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You trade with a large number of retailers

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You receive roughly 30 or less orders a week

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You receive more than roughly 30 orders a week

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You sell a limited range of products

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You sell a large range of products

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Your customers don’t require too much data

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Your customers require a substantial amount of information

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Your software can’t generate the information required by your customers

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You want automated processes

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You’re just starting out with EDI

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You don’t want to double-enter data

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You need a flexible solution that grows as your business does

Interested in implementing EDI for your business? Get a free consultation from one of our EDI experts.

What to look for in a supplier portal

In the past decade, the retail landscape has seen major changes because of increased competition, new business models emerging, a more integrated supply chain and the increase of online retailing. As the industry continues to evolve, more businesses are getting on board with EDI and realising community enablement is an important factor that needs to be considered. As a result, many retailers, large and small, are starting to look at supplier portals.
A supplier portal is a web-based portal that facilitates collaboration and allows suppliers to trade with their customer without having to implement fully integrated EDI. It allows the retailer to get the full benefits of EDI.
The first decision that most retailers make is whether to do this in-house or outsource. Building a portal yourself can be costly and time consuming. This is where outsourced supplier portals come in. Some EDI supplier portals support basic EDI documents such as purchase orders (PO), purchase order responses (POR), advance shipping notices (ASN) and invoices (INV). However, supplier collaboration in retail supply chain gets more sophisticated than just exchanging trading forms.

So, what should you look for in a supplier portal?

Supplier enablement and management

The portal should enable all your suppliers and trading partners to get on-board, regardless of their size and technical capability. It should be a place for you to be able to manage the onboarding, offboarding, relationships with your suppliers and more.

No costs imposed on your supply chain

To maximise uptake, your suppliers should bear no cost when joining a supplier portal and trade electronically. In fact, imposing costs is an inhibitor to your suppliers getting on-board your EDI journey.

Advanced technology

This ensures the portal can adapt to new requirements as your business grows and the industry changes.

Continued development

If your portal supplier has a focus on R&D, you can rely on them to keep your business at the forefront of technology. It's likely they'll be introducing new functionality to you regularly.

Security

It should follow the right standards and procedures to handle your sensitive business information.

Customisation

Every business has its own needs, and even your suppliers may have their own needs. A supplier portal should be flexible enough to be customised for your business.

Ability to walk up to EDI integration

Some suppliers may not want to, or be able to implement full EDI integration from day one. Does your supplier portal allow them to start out on a web portal, and walk up to integration when they’re ready?

Bi-directional trade

If you’re in the B2B space, why not consider a portal that can enable you to get EDI efficiency from both your suppliers and your customers?

A central place for all business collaboration

The supplier chain isn’t limited to just procurement messages. Consider these things when looking at a supplier portal:
  • Enable trade through the exchange of purchase orders (PO), advance shipping notices (ASN), invoices (INV) and more.
  • Allow you and your supplier to maintain real-time product data. This means you will always have up-to-date product data at the time of placing a PO.
  • Be a place to source new products and suppliers, to expand your trading network
  • Share other business information like MIGs, new store openings and more.
MessageXchange’s complementary service, Colladium, is a central place for all your trading requirements. It enables you to remove the barriers to EDI adoption and collaborate more efficiently with your trading partners. Want to find out more? Check out Colladium here. Or, talk to us today.
Prepare for STP

Prepare for STP – Prepare for the future

In recent years, Australian companies have seen major reporting reforms required by the Government. SuperStream came into effect in 2016, and this year Single Touch Payroll (STP) becomes mandatory for all businesses. If you’ve experienced these changes, you’ll notice how big of a role technology has played. This is how Government, and many businesses alike, see the future. The Australian Government recently announced that they’ll be moving forward with e-invoicing, through which electronic invoices can be exchanged directly between software of trading partners. As well as this, MAAS and MATS are now mandatory for Superannuation funds. This reports contributions and account changes as they happen.
With the Government on a journey of digital transformation, it’s likely that other changes are on the horizon.
In mid-2019, the Australia New Zealand Electronic Invoicing Board (ANZEIB) will be established to provide direction on how e-invoicing will be rolled out in the next few years. E-invoicing is expected to help businesses save an estimated $30 billion in transaction costs in the first 10 years. It is also expected that the Pan-European Public Procurement Online (PEPPOL) interoperability framework will be adopted and ready to use by the end of 2019, making it easier for businesses to exchange invoices with companies in Europe, Singapore, Canada and the USA. These are all part of the Government’s digital transformation project to streamline B2G reporting and gain near-real-time visibility. It allows departments to have access to the same up-to-date information as businesses, their employees and super funds. Under these reporting initiatives, employers are required to report information in a standardised electronic format.
If you’ve chosen a technology partner to help you along the way, you’ll know how important it is to choose a long-term partner.
By selecting a long-term partner in the beginning, you’ll have a solution that will future-proof your business. It’s important that the solution you choose is flexible and complies with industry-wide frameworks to easily adapt to any new changes. It means that when the time comes for a change, you won’t need to go through the whole process of sourcing for a new provider and establishing a new gateway. Instead, you can use that time to focus on your business. Solutions like MessageXchange allow you to comply with Government legislation like SuperStream, STP and eInvoicing, as well as other needs like EDI. Want to find out more? Have a quick chat with one of our experts.
Your STP readiness checklist

Your Single Touch Payroll (STP) readiness checklist

If you’re about to start your STP compliance journey but aren’t too sure how to go about it, don’t worry. We’ve put together this guide on what you need to get STP ready.

Technology

Update your payroll software to the latest version You need to make sure that your payroll software is STP enabled. Work with your payroll software provider to update your software to the latest version. Of course, if you develop your own payroll software, make sure that your software can export the data that the ATO requires. STP file format and ATO connection If your payroll software is not connected to the ATO, you can work with a sending service provider (SSP) like MessageXchange, to transmit your STP files on your behalf. In this case:
  • Check if your software can generate payroll files in the ATO-required XML format. If not, check with the SSP if they can map (‘translate’) your payroll file to the format required by the ATO
  • Find out if you need any configurations or testing to start your STP process
  • Find out how you will receive the ATO’s responses.

Internal process

Review your payroll process to ensure:
  • You are paying your employees correctly
  • You are handling employees’ entitlements correctly
  • You employees’ details (address, date of birth, name) are up to date and in the correct format.
Under STP, you are not obliged to provide payment summaries (previously group certificates) to your employees, but you can still choose to do so. Decide if you want to continue to issue payment summaries.

Employees

Inform your employees that you are no longer obliged to provide payment summaries. The ATO will make the information that was available on payment summaries visible in their myGov account. They’ll see this under ‘income statement’. Advise your employees to set up a myGov account, if they haven’t already. With a myGov account, they will be able to see their income statement, year-to-date tax and super information online. The ATO have published information on how to setup MyGov accounts. Still have questions? Download our comprehensive guide to achieving Single Touch Payroll (STP) compliance.
Things to know about STP

5 things to know about Single Touch Payroll (STP)

Whether you’re a business getting STP compliant early or one who’s starting the search after a deferral, here are five things to know.

1. How to count your employees for STP

Counting employees is required to work out when you need to be compliant with STP. Businesses under 20 employees have until the 1st of July 2019 to comply, whereas businesses with 20 or more employees have been required to report using STP since the 1st of July 2018. You'll need to include the following in your headcount:
  • Full time employees
  • Part time employees
  • Casual employees who are on your payroll on 1 April and worked any time during March
  • Employees based overseas
  • Any employees absent or on leave (paid or unpaid)
  • Seasonal employees (staff who are engaged short term to meet a regular peak workload, for example, harvest workers).
And don't include these in your headcount:
  • Employees who ceased work before 1 April
  • Casual employees who did not work in March
  • Independent contractors
  • Staff provided by a third-party labour hire organisation
  • Company directors
  • Office holders
  • Religious practitioners.
If your organisation is part of a company group, all employees employed by all member companies of the wholly-owned group must be included.

2. Businesses with 19 employees or less

If your organisation has 19 or less employees, STP reporting has been made mandatory from the 1st July 2019.

3. What STP means for your employees

Although STP mainly affects employers, there are certain things your employees should be aware of. The Government suggests you inform your employees that you’re no longer required to provide them with a payment summary. Under STP, they will be able to view their payment summary, now called ‘income statement’, in their myGov accounts, at the end of the financial year.

4. Maintaining security of your payroll data

With STP, you are required to report sensitive information of your employees to the ATO on every pay run, such as their salaries, allowances, pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and superannuation. Therefore security should be a top priority. When searching for an STP solution provider, check they adhere to rigorous security requirements. These include having a recognised security certification (such as ISO 27001), complying with the ATO’s Operational Framework and being whitelisted for STP by the ATO.

5. Australia isn't the first country to implement STP

There have been similar initiatives implemented in other countries, such as the PAYE RTI, implemented in the UK in 2013. According to a UK Government research, there have been positive changes to the reporting experiences of employers. 80% employers found end of year (EOY) reporting under RTI easier than or in line with their expectation, with 91% expecting the next EOY to be easier than in 2013. 75% of employers experienced minimal burden at EOY with RTI. 67% said that RTI has been very easy or fairly easy to deal with. As a sending service provider (SSP), MessageXchange has worked with a number of payroll software companies to provide a secure gateway for customers to achieve STP compliance. If you are using one of these providers, we’ve got you covered. And even if your payroll software is not listed there, let us know and we can help get you STP ready. Ready to go? Request a quote here. Need more info? Download our comprehensive guide to achieving Single Touch Payroll (STP) compliance.
Single Touch Payroll search

4 things you need to know before choosing a Single Touch Payroll (STP) solution provider

If you are reading this article, chances are you are aware of the ATO’s Single Touch Payroll (STP) initiative that all Australian businesses will need to comply with from 1st July 2019. However, if you need a quick recap, check out our previous post here. We understand that looking for an STP provider at this time can be a stressful experience, especially with the end of financial year reporting drawing near. That’s why we have put together a short list of considerations that we think will make your search easier.

1. Security is the top priority

The STP initiative requires employers to report sensitive information, such as employees’ salaries and allowances, pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and superannuation to the ATO, on every pay run. This means that security should be a top priority. You should check if they adhere to rigorous security requirements. For example, they should meet the following conditions:
  • have and able to provide you with an ATO recognised security certification (such as ISO27001)
  • comply with the ATO’s Operational Framework
  • be whitelisted by the ATO for Single Touch Payroll
Meeting these requirements ensures that an STP solution provider has the technical processes and internal measures in place to adequately protect your data, giving you peace of mind when you have a third party dealing with your sensitive information.

2. Flexibility in supporting different file formats

You want an STP solution that is able to adapt to your specific business requirements, reduce time and effort that you can invest elsewhere. One way is to choose a provider that is able to process either the ATO’s XML file, or give you the option to upload any file format conforming with the dataset of STP to the ATO. For example, MessageXchange’s STP solution allows you the option to either upload your STP file through a web browser or post the reports from your software. Find out more here.

3. Single Touch Payroll readiness

A solution that requires minimal changes to your current software can also allow you to quickly and easily become STP compliant. This is especially important if your software is unable to produce an STP compliant file, meaning you need a solution that can map your file to the ATO’s defined XML format. Some solutions, such as MessageXchange’s Single Touch Payroll solution, will let you introduce different types of messages, such as SuperStream messages and Standard Business Reporting (SBR2) services that comes with SuperTICK, SuperMatch, TFN declaration, Practitioner Lodgement Service (PLS). Consider an STP provider that can support your business for more than just your current STP requirements. This means that you will be prepared for any new ATO requirements in the future.

4. System reliability

The ATO requires businesses to report to them each time they pay their employees. Therefore, you want an STP solution provider with minimal service downtime. Choose a provider with high system availability to make sure your reports to the ATO are not delayed. Think about these points when doing your research. Want to know how our STP solution can help you? Speak to one of our Account Managers today. Fill out your information here and we will be in touch shortly.

We are now whitelisted by the ATO for Single Touch Payroll 2018!

Our Single Touch Payroll (STP) services (submit and update) have been certified (whitelisted) by the ATO for the latest version of STP (PAYEVNT.0003 2018).

What does this mean?

The ATO has whitelisted (certified) MessageXchange as a Sending Service Provider (SSP) in Production. This means we can transmit Single Touch Payroll files in Production from an ATO whitelisted (certified) payroll software or via uploading files from Colladium. We are also compliant to SBR2 platform and Operational Framework requirements.

How does this benefit you?

You are now able to do Production Verification testing (PVT) through your MessageXchange STP gateway. If you haven’t started, we have included the following steps to guide you through this process:

1.      Get your service certified

All payroll software providers (DSPs) are required to complete a 'Certify a service' form to whitelist your service for the production environment. The ATO will then provide you with a new ProductID to conduct production verification testing (PVT) in the ATO’s production channel.

2.      Begin production verification testing (PVT)

Submit your first STP message to the ATO.
  1. Notify DPO@ato.gov.au with participating employer details
  2. The ATO will schedule support for the production verification testing (PVT)
  3. Lodge the production PAYEVNT for the participating employer
  4. The ATO will send back receipt of lodgement
  5. The ATO will verify the lodgement
  6. You’ll receive acknowledgement of outcome from the ATO.
Once your testing is completed and approved by the ATO, your product will be certified and listed on the SBR Product Register for Single Touch Payroll. You have now completed production verification testing (PVT). Participatingg employers may be transitioned to Single Touch Payroll! Still have questions? Contact us for more information or to sign up.
Single Touch Payroll

Are you ready for Single Touch Payroll?

From the 1st of July 2018, businesses with 20 employees or more  will need to report payroll information to the ATO at the time their payroll is processed. Business that fail to comply may face penalties.

What is Single Touch Payroll?

Single Touch Payroll, or STP, is an initiative introduced by the Australian Government to provide real-time visibility of businesses and their payroll. It will streamline businesses reporting by allowing reports to be submitted to the ATO at the same time as paying employees. It removes the need to provide annual reports to the ATO. Single Touch Payroll reports will include information about employee salaries and wages, pay as you go (PAYG) withholding information, superannuation contributions and more. While Single Touch Payroll will be mandatory for employers with 20 or more employees, it will be optional for those with less than 20.

What does this mean for your business?

If your business has 20 or more employees, you will need to submit STP information to the ATO at the time of payroll processing. You can begin to submit STP information now, but it will become mandatory from the 1st of July 2018. The ATO has already defined STP messaging standards, including a message implementation guide and transmission protocol. To ensure compliance by the 1st of July 2018, businesses must be able to:
  1. submit STP information in the correct XML format and
  2. submit the XML message to the ATO using the defined ebMS3 AS4 protocol via an accredited STP solution.
MessageXchange is Single Touch Payroll enabled, including ISO 27001 certified, and can assist businesses with compliance. Our secure Gateways can connect to your existing software, map native files to the required STP XML format and send these files via our existing ebMS3 AS4 connection to the ATO. Find more information and request a quote here or contact us to have a chat.

The key to efficient transport bookings and deliveries

When it comes to EDI, a lot of us think about procurement-related messages – orders, invoices and sometimes even product data. But I’d like to shift your thoughts to another use for EDI… transport messages. As a consumer yourself, you’ve probably received notifications when your shipment has left the warehouse, when it’s about to be delivered and even when it’s been delivered. In the B2B world though, things are quite different.
Many companies have very little visibility into where their shipments are and when they’ll arrive.
Sure, they may have received an ASN (advanced shipping notice), which may state the expected delivery date, but it generally doesn’t mention the time, nor does it account for any shipping delays. This means your receiving staff need to be ready all the time, interrupt their work or take themselves away from other tasks they should be working on. If no staff are available to receive a delivery, or if too many deliveries arrive at once, shipments may even be turned away. This is costly to any business, not to mention the impact to customers and your reputation. By establishing EDI connections with your transport companies, you can book shipments (transport instructions), query its whereabouts (responses) and have notifications triggered at various stages of the journey. You’ll be able to plan for the arrival of shipments, manage your staff’s time more effectively and you’ll have the ability to let customers know when their goods will be delivered. For those of you who use drop shipping, you can use this data to give your customers a seamless omni-channel experience, letting them know where their products are and when they’ll arrive. For companies who send a large amount of goods, you’ll never have to logon to your freight company’s portal again.
Use these transport messages to book and track everything from your existing ERP or freight management system.

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B2B predictions in retail and supply chain for 2017 and beyond

The retail industry is in the midst of huge change. There’s an ever-increasing amount of competition from online-only stores, the rising cost of brick and mortar retail space, a bevy of information available for consumers and many shoppers conditioned to find the lowest price. Slow economic growth has forced households to reduce their spending, and retailers are following suit. The flow on effect from this is being seen throughout the whole supply chain, right down to suppliers and manufacturers. With the new financial year approaching, here’s how we predict retailers and suppliers will become even more efficient in 2017 and beyond…

Movement towards the ‘holy grail’ supply chain

While organisations have been using EDI for years, they’ll now start to look to the ‘holy grail’ supply chain. Not only will data flow seamlessly between a company and their goods suppliers, but this information will integrate with other service suppliers like transport and logistics providers. Organisations will try to streamline their business processes as much as possible, so when an order enters an application, everything thereafter follows like clockwork.

Emergence of standards

The Digital Business Council’s eInvoicing standard was released last year, with the network set to go live in the coming months. The initiative presents a common standard, which will reduce the barriers to electronic invoicing for all businesses. With support from Government, this standard is set to grow, just like it has in Europe and South America. We’ll see businesses start to adopt GS1’s transport instruction and response messages to get yet another level of visibility into their supply chain. Organisations will be able to access information from when they ship goods, to when they’re on their fourth, fifth or sixth leg of delivery.

Focus on smaller suppliers

Many organisations have their top trading partners using EDI, but now they’ll start to focus on the others. Very few supply chains use 100% electronic trade, but with new tools like Colladium that address cost the cost of EDI for small suppliers, as well as the issue of cost from supplier churn, companies roll out these solutions to achieve 100% electronic trade.

Integration with more than just suppliers

The data held in EDI messages is extremely valuable. In a typical EDI scenario, the automated process brings great efficiency to your business, but it can bring efficiency and benefits far beyond that. In 2017 and beyond, we’ll see more businesses leverage this data for things like bank reconciliation and extending finance to suppliers. We’ll see EDI, which was once used to bring efficiency to an organisation’s supply chain, now bring efficiency to other areas like finance.

Australian Government Sends First e-invoice

MELBOURNE – 1st May 2017 – Innovative Australian technology company, MessageXchange (messagexchange.com), today announced the successful demonstration of end-to-end transactions between the Australian Government and a private sector recipient using the new Australian e-invoicing standard. The Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science used MessageXchange, an Australian-developed cloud service, to securely deliver a test e-invoice to a grant recipient. The e-invoice was the first of its kind to be sent by an Australian Government department. The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s Chief Operating Officer, Michael Schwager said “e-invoicing will deliver benefits to our suppliers, including grant recipients, but it will also allow the department to streamline its internal accounts payable processes. These in turn will generate efficiencies and improve the timeliness of payments to suppliers.” The new Australian e-invoicing standard has been created through a collaboration between Government and Industry, led by the Digital Business Council. The Council was founded in 2015 to develop, deploy and facilitate the adoption of digital standards in Australia. It has been estimated that widespread adoption of e-invoicing could save Australian businesses between $7 billion and $10 billion each year. Members of the Council include the Australian Taxation Office, Australian Government Department of Finance, NSW Government Department Finance, and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).Other members include industry bodies such as the Australian Business Software Industry Association (ABSIA), the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), Chartered Accounts (CA ANZ), and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). Peter Strong, CEO Council of Small Business Australia and Chair Digital Business Council commented, “e-invoicing is a transformational step in Australia’s digital business movement to a streamlined, integrated and productive economy, and is an exciting step forward especially for the small business community. The Council is especially pleased to see Government at the forefront of digital transformation.” John Delaney, co-founder and Managing Director of Australian-developed cloud integration service MessageXchange explained, “e-invoicing offers significant processing and payment time efficiencies over scanned or emailed invoices. Many of Australia’s largest and most efficient supply chains already use MessageXchange, which currently processes more than 100 million transactions a year.” “We have demonstrated that both our MessageXchange and Colladium cloud services are ready to securely handle e-invoices using the new Australian standard. Most importantly, we have demonstrated that both Government agencies and Industry will be able to very inexpensively and rapidly reap the benefits of e-invoicing.” Until recently in Australia, e-invoicing and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technologies have been predominantly used in the supply chains of large businesses, with varying standards presenting barriers for small businesses. Industry standardisation of e-invoicing is likely to increase adoption, while also reducing costs and complexity for all. The collaboration between the private sector and the Australian Government achieved through the Council has led to the establishment of regulation, industry standardisation and mechanisms that instil trust in the e-invoicing framework. The new framework is designed to reduce barriers to entry and provide a level playing field for all Australian businesses that wish to adopt e-invoicing.  

About MessageXchange and Colladium

MessageXchange and Colladium are innovative Australian cloud services developed by eVision, an Australian software developer that has pioneered cloud based B2B technologies since 1996. The MessageXchange cloud service processes more than 100 million messages each year, encompassing transactions that underpin some of Australia’s largest companies including Target, Harvey Norman, Costco, The Good Guys, Australia Post and Telstra. Visit home.messagexchange.com for more information.

Media Contact:

Ellen Tjahjana, media@messagexchange.com, 0405 094 840