Monthly Archives: June 2025

18/06/2025

EDI vs manual processing across the supply chain

As your business grows, the way you manage your supply chain can either drive efficiency or cause chaos. Below is a breakdown of how manual processes compare to EDI at each major stage of the supply chain, so you can see exactly where the value lies.

Ordering (purchase orders)

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Manual processing

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

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Orders are emailed manually

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Orders are sent automatically from your system to the supplier’s

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Prone to typos or data entry errors

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Less manual inputting improving data accuracy and consistency between systems

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Delays due to back-and-forth communication

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Close-to-instant transmission speeds up the order cycle

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Difficult to track changes or confirm receipt

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Built-in acknowledgements and logs ensure visibility

Order confirmation

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Manual processing

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

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Suppliers send confirmation via email or phone, or don’t even send any confirmation

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Order acknowledgements are sent straight from the supplier to the retailers’ software through EDI

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Retailers need to manually input updates from supplier

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Status updates from suppliers flow directly into retailers’ ERP or inventory system

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Easy to miss changes in quantity or delivery dates

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Changes are tracked and recorded in real time

Inventory and stock updates

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Manual processing

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

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Inventory is updated manually,often after goods arrive

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Inventory systems update stock levels as soon as dispatch or shipment notices are received

Shipping and logistics

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Manual processing

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

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Difficulty in coordinating warehouse receiving or delivery planning

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Warehouses can prepare ahead of time with barcoded SSCC labels with pallet info and shipment breakdowns

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Shipping info is shared by email or phone, often with limited detail

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Advanced shipping notices (ASNs) give full visibility into what’s coming, when and how

Receiving goods

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Manual processing

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

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Extra admin to update stock and finance systems

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Automatic updates across inventory and finance platforms

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Errors in quantity or items are common and slow to resolve

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Faster receipting with digital matching of items and quantities

Reporting and analytics

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Manual processing

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

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Data is scattered across emails, spreadsheets, and paper

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Centralised data from across your supply chain

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Hard to get a full picture of performance or issues

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Built-in dashboards and alerts make it easy to track key metrics

Invoicing and payments

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Manual processing

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

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Invoices are emailed as PDFs or hard copies are left with the stock or posted

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Invoices are transmitted electronically and validated automatically against other order information

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Manual data entry into accounting system

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Invoice data flows straight into your accounting software

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Prone to errors and delays, causing payment disputes

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Faster, cleaner approvals reduce days outstanding and improve cash flow

Ready to update your manual processes with EDI? Get in touch with our experts.

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18/06/2025

How Peppol Access Points work (and why they matter)

When you dive into the world of eInvoicing, you'll quickly come across a key term: Peppol Access Points. They're at the heart of how businesses send and receive eInvoices securely across Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries. But what exactly are Peppol access points, and why should businesses care about them? In this blog, we'll explain how they work, why they matter and how they make eInvoicing possible.

What is the Peppol network?

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) is a secure global framework designed to standardise and simplify the electronic exchange of documents, like eInvoices,between businesses and governments. Australia and New Zealand have both adopted Peppol standards to drive eInvoicing adoption, ensuring that different systems can talk to each other without complex integrations. Peppol isn't a piece of software. It's a set of standards and a network,and Access Points are how businesses plug into it.

What is a Peppol Access Point?

A Peppol Access Point acts like a secure digital post office that connects your business to the wider Peppol network. Instead of every business needing a direct connection to every other business, you simply connect to an Access Point, and your Access Point connects you to the network.

How do businesses use Access Points?

You have two main options to connect to an Access Point: 1. Through your software provider Most cloud-based accounting and ERP software (like Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks) already have built-in connections to an Access Point. This is the easiest option for SMEs—you don't need to do anything extra except enable eInvoicing features. 2. Direct registration with an Access Point provider Larger businesses, or those with larger, more complex systems might choose and register with an Access Point, like MessageXchange, directly. This option offers more flexibility but may require a little more setup. Either way, once connected, you can send and receive eInvoices directly from your finance system, with no PDFs, emails, or manual rekeying.

Why do Peppol Access Points matter?

Here's why Access Points are so important for the success of eInvoicing:
  1. Security: Access Points use encryption and strict verification processes to ensure that documents are securely transmitted between trusted parties, helping reduce fraud and scams.
  2. Interoperability: Without Access Points, businesses would need to build one-to-one integrations with every trading partner. With Peppol, you connect once, and can exchange documents with anyone else on the network, anywhere in the world that supports Peppol.
  3. Speed and efficiency: Because Access Points validate and format invoices automatically, businesses experience fewer errors, faster processing, and quicker payments.
  4. Compliance: Access Points ensure invoices meet Peppol and local regulatory standards (like ATO requirements in Australia or MBIE requirements in New Zealand), reducing the compliance burden on businesses.

Choosing the right Access Point

Choosing the right Peppol Access Point is key to making eInvoicing work smoothly for your business. Here are four things to consider:
  1. Peppol compliance and functionality: Ensure the provider is Peppol-certified and supports both sending and receiving eInvoices. Look for features like automated validation and compliance checks to reduce errors.
  2. Integration flexibility: Check that the provider supports integration with your finance or ERP system. Options like APIs, file-based integration or web portals offer flexibility depending on your setup.
  3. Support and onboarding: Choose a provider with clear onboarding, good documentation and responsive support—especially important if you have multiple entities or trading partners.
  4. Visibility and reporting: Some providers offer better tools than others. Look for invoice tracking, status updates and reporting dashboards to keep your finance team informed.
Learn more in MessageXchange’s blog: 4 things to think about when choosing an eInvoicing Access PointWant to learn more about Access Points and how we can help you implement eInvoicing? Get in touch with our experts below.

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