Author Archives: Rodrigo Martinez

14/04/2021

EDI: To in-house or outsource?

When it comes implementing EDI, you have two options. You can do it in-house, but you’ll need to set up a dedicated EDI team with right software and infrastructure. Or you can outsource it to an EDI service provider, which is generally a lot easier and more cost effective. The 4 things to consider in making your decision are:
  1. how much does your company know about EDI?
  2. how many trading partners will you be linking to?
  3. do you have enough spare time to do it inhouse?
  4. do you have complex or outdated software?
Now, let’s compare both options to understand what you’ll need and what outcomes to expect.

Implementing EDI in-house

Step 1: Put together an expert internal EDI team

An in-house roll out is a serious undertaking and starts with putting together an expert internal EDI team to plan, implement and maintain your EDI system. This expertise will need to be ongoing to keep it operating effectively.

Step 2. Get all internal departments involved

Talk to all the relevant internal departments – procurement, finance, warehouse, IT etc – to work out how each one will be impacted and what’s needed to setup EDI.

Step 3: Buy the right software, hardware and infrastructure

Expect this to be costly, and don’t forget to factor in the ongoing maintenance bills. And you’ll need the internal expertise to get it 100% right the first time.

Step 4: Establish a secure and seamless connection with all partners

If your company isn’t experienced working with suppliers or VANs (value Added Networks) this lengthy, arduous process starts with establishing individual partner connections followed by an often laborious testing process of exchanging messages with their EDI provider to make sure messages are being correctly sent and received. Pros and cons to in-house implementation[vc_column width="1/2" css=".vc_custom_1618271818355{padding-right: 10px !important;}"]

Pros

No need to wait for your EDI provider to make changes

[vc_column width="1/2" css=".vc_custom_1618271827363{padding-left: 10px !important;}"]

Cons

Significantly higher staff investment

Maintenance is your responsibility

Without your own dedicated EDI team implementation will be lengthy, complex and costly

As you can see, if you’re time poor and lack the crucial internal resources and EDI knowledge, in-housing your EDI implementation is probably not your best option.

Outsourcing EDI

Step 1: Find the right EDI supplier

Getting someone else to do all the heavy lifting of an EDI implementation offers significant benefits. But you need the right provider. Here’s your 4-step check list to do just that:
  1. Do they meet your technical requirements? Eg, what services can they provide – onboarding, mapping, training, etc? Are they flexible enough?
  2. Can they tailor a solution to your needs and objectives?
  3. Do they have experience in industries relevant to yours?
  4. Is their support offering and pricing what you need?

Step 2: Connect to your EDI provider to ensure everything works

This includes testing your files and connection. But don’t stress, as your provider will guide you through.

Step 3: Connecting with partners

Again, your EDI provider will do this for you this so no stress at your end and you’re 100% ready to go! Pros and cons to in-house implementation[vc_column width="1/2" css=".vc_custom_1618271818355{padding-right: 10px !important;}"]

Pros

No worries about updating EDI technology and systems

Your EDI provider manages all trading partner requirements

You don’t need a dedicated internal team of EDI experts

[vc_column width="1/2" css=".vc_custom_1618271827363{padding-left: 10px !important;}"]

Cons

Some providers are offshore with differing time zones

The undeniable conclusion is…

  1. If you don’t have expert EDI knowledge and resources you should outsource EDI implementation. It’s also very practical if you’re changing your ERP or other software.
  2. A good EDI provider knows their way around most software which makes all integrations significantly easier.
  3. If you already use EDI but have outdated systems and high maintenance costs, outsourcing is a good idea.
To learn more about how outsourcing EDI will help your business, get in touch with our team today.

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23/03/2021

Three reasons to act now for eInvoicing

eInvoicing is growing in popularity around the world but particularly in Australia and New Zealand. Now is the time to get started with eInvoicing. Not just because of the benefits eInvoicing brings, but also because of the financial incentives. Many businesses are also looking to improve their reporting and analytics through the use of eInvoicing. So, here are three reasons to act now for eInvoicing.

Faster payments

We’ve seen organisations promote discounts or faster payments for eInvoices. A prime example is the Australian federal government announcing 5 day payments to suppliers who send eInvoices for contracts less than $1 million. For businesses with poor cash flow, particularly small businesses, this can make a huge difference. And even if you’re not able to secure guaranteed discounts or shorter payment terms, the average eInvoice is processed in 5 days (compared with 23 days for a regular invoice).

Real-time insights

Another reason to jump on eInvoicing is that it makes it really easy to get financial data for more accurate decision making. eInvoicing significantly improves the accuracy of your data because of the automation and reduced manual inputting. With eInvoicing, you can generate reports and analytics in an instant. eInvoicing can capture data such as:
  • the number of invoices sent and received
  • the value of invoices sent and received
  • the number of invoices rejected and accepted.
It allows you to monitor everything from the convenience of one platform. And because it’s digital, you can access your financial data from anywhere with internet.

Efficiencies to your business

The benefits eInvoicing brings to both buyers and sellers is also a reason to act now and implement. These include:
  • Cost savings Studies have found that it costs $30.87 to process a paper invoice, $27.67 a PDF invoice, and only $9.18 to process an eInvoice.
  • Easier invoice processing Removes the need for unnecessary data entry - the invoice just appears in your software.
  • Fewer errors Because much of the data entry is removed.
  • Exchange of invoices directly to and from software To reduce the risk of invoices going astray, reduce the time to receive them and reducing data entry errors.
  • Secure Security measures, like encryption at rest and in transit, are implemented throughout the eInvoicing network so your data remains secure along the way.
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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E-invoicinggovernment

04/03/2021

Three common challenges onboarding suppliers to eInvoicing and how to overcome them

Three of the most common challenges we hear about when customers have onboarded their suppliers to eInvoicing are:
  • lack of knowledge from those you’re onboarding
  • getting buy-in from those you’re onboarding, and
  • sticking to your timeline.
But luckily we’ve got some suggestions for these challenges.

Lack of knowledge

Because it’s still in its infancy here in Australia and New Zealand, you might find that the partners you’re onboarding to eInvoicing only have a very basic understanding of what it is and how it works. This can make it hard for them to feel comfortable enough to make the move. The best way to overcome this is to give them the information they need. Start with the basics like:
  • how eInvoicing works
  • Introduce Peppol
  • what’s in it for them
  • explaining Access Points and what they do
  • where and how to find an Access Point.
It’s also important to make sure your partners don’t fall for any myths about eInvoicing, like it being costly or that it takes a long time to implement. There are free eInvoicing solutions out there that are easy to get setup and use (like colladium.com – it takes minutes to get started), and even paid services can cost as much as a phone plan and take less than a day to set up. Promoting the opportunities and savings of eInvoicing is also a really great way to diminish concerns. Another thing you should pass on to your partners is any business requirements you might have. Things like having due dates in the future or having invoice numbers with no symbols.

Getting buy-in from those you’re onboarding

Another commonly-reported challenge is getting buy-in from your partners. The lack of knowledge (like we’ve spoken about above) doesn’t help to start with, but often the concept needs to be sold to them and some may need to be hand-held. Firstly, be clear on why your organisation has chosen to use eInvoicing. It could be to enable faster payments, improve processes or something else. The next thing is to promote the benefits eInvoicing can have on your suppliers’ businesses. This is the sell. Think about things like:
  • Cost savings Studies have found that it costs $30.87 to process a paper invoice, $27.67 a PDF invoice, and only $9.18 to process an eInvoice.
  • Easier invoice processing Removes the need for unnecessary data entry - the invoice just appears in your software.
  • Faster invoice payments The average eInvoice is processed in 5 days (compared with 23 days for a regular invoice). Or if you’re promising so pay eInvoices in a certain time, mention that here.
  • Fewer errors Because much of the data entry is removed.
  • Security Security measures, like encryption at rest and in transit, are implemented throughout the eInvoicing network so your data remains secure along the way.
I mentioned above that some of your partners might need some hand-holding. So keeping regular contact during the onboarding process can be useful too. Have a think about:
  • Holding information sessions and webinars to educate your partners This can also be a great indication of who might be interested in onboarding and prioritise them first.
  • Listing eInvoicing providers This makes it easier for your partners to get onboard. Having low or no cost solutions are always more likely to entice your partners. MessageXchange provides a free tool, Colladium, for customers to get their partners started.
  • Making direct contact Pick up then phone and chat them through it. They might just need someone to talk them through it one-on-one.

Keeping to your timeline

If this is your first rodeo, you mightn’t know what to expect. After all, how long is a piece of string? Firstly, be realistic about the timelines you set for yourself. And call on the expertise of your Access Point provider. The likelihood is that if you’ve chosen a reputable, experienced company, they’ve seen this done many times over. Putting together a comprehensive communication and implementation plan puts you in the best position. Make sure you put together a timeline of your communications and the groups you’ll be sending it to. This will help you stay organised and ensure you don’t miss any communications to your suppliers. Another thing you can do is plan ahead for the changes at your end. Break down what each department will need to do in preparation, and when you’ve gone live to send and receive eInvoices. Don’t forget we’ve got this whitepaper, A guide to successfully onboarding trading partners to eInvoicing. Check it out if you’re new to this all. There might be some things in there you haven’t thought about before. If you’re interested in learning more about onboarding partners to eInvoicing, request a call from our eInvoicing team below.

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E-invoicingRetailers

23/02/2021

Data driven decisions with EDI

The key to effective decision-making is having relevant and accurate data at your fingertips. This is where electronic data interchange (EDI) can help. EDI reduces errors, which significantly improves data accuracy. EDI can capture data such as:
  • the number of purchase orders and invoices exchanged
  • the number of invoices waiting to be issued
  • how long the delivery of goods take from the time they’re ordered
  • the orders, or the percentage of them, that are fulfilled in a certain period
  • and more.
Let’s have a look at how best to use this data.

See your top suppliers by volume and value

Seeing who your top suppliers are, either by the volume or orders you raise, or the value of them, is useful for any retailer to know. It’ll let you know what your key relationships are, because after all, the old 80/20 rule applies here – around 80% of your stock is likely to come from 20% of your suppliers. EDI gives you easy access to this information.

Improve stock management

Whether you’re a retailer or a supplier, having data on buying patterns can help optimise your stock management. EDI captures what’s being ordered, how much of it and when, which can help you identify trends. This will help you better predict demand, and help with just-in-time ordering to reduce the risk of overstocking or understocking.

Monitor suppliers’ delivery performance

With a purchase order and an advanced shipping notice, it’s easy to capture data on how long goods are taken to despatch after being ordered, how long they’re taking to arrive after being despatched, and how accurate the delivery time on the advanced shipping notice is. With this data, retailers can add KPIs around delivery and use the information from the EDI messaged to monitor it. You can use this to identify the suppliers that aren’t meeting requirements and might need some attention.

Identify your slow-paying customers

It’s important for retailers to maintain good relationships with suppliers. For them, a big issue can be slow-paying customers. Cash flow is key for any business, particularly for suppliers where margins are generally thin. That’s why it’s important for retailers to monitor their outstanding invoices. EDI data on the invoice captures due dates and a remittance advice tracks when it’s been paid. It’s easy to create report to see, at a glance, which invoices are outstanding. This helps retailers prioritise payments and ensure you don’t miss any payments.

Failed orders per supplier

Keeping track of failed messages, but particularly orders, is key to maintaining a well-oiled supply chain. After all, if an order doesn’t reach a supplier, you can be sure the stock won’t reach you or your customer. By monitoring failed orders, you can identify the orders that need troubleshooting. It could be a one-off issue, but if not, it also allows you to recognise consistently troublesome suppliers and reach out to them. If you’re interested in learning more about how EDI helps with decision making, request a call from our EDI team below.

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16/02/2021

The benefits of eInvoicing for Government: An infographic

eInvoicing is gaining popularity especially with government. The Australian government has even mandated the use of eInvoices for government agencies by July 2022. This is how many invoices are sent annually in Australia and New Zealand:With that amount of invoices, you can imagine the savings to the economy that could be made by switching. Here are other benefits that government agencies can expect by moving to eInvoicing:

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12/02/2021

Creating an EDI compliance program for onboarding suppliers

When you implement EDI for the first time, comprehensive testing is undertaken. This testing is on the mapping from your software’s format to that of the standard you’re using, like EDIFACT D01B or D96A, is correct and working as expected. But what about when you onboard suppliers? Compliance testing with suppliers is often overlooked, but if you’re onboarding large volumes of suppliers, it’s something that can bring huge payoffs in the end. It makes sure your suppliers can correctly process the EDI messages you send them, and checks that the messages they send back to you match what you’re expecting. Imagine onboarding suppliers, sending out hundreds of orders in those first weeks and having them fail. Not only will your stock not arrive, but your team will have to spend time troubleshooting the issues and getting the orders to your suppliers again. This is all when your stores are expecting stock to arrive.

What is an EDI compliance program?

In short, the process checks the EDI messages your supplier will send you. The checks are done early on in the process, so you don’t run into issues like the one above, where you’re scrambling to get things corrected. The compliance program can be administered manually, or you can choose an automated program like we offer on Colladium.

What does an EDI compliance program check for?

You can design the compliance program to be as simple or as complex as you need. What you choose will depend on your business. It can check things like:
  • File format Like making sure they’re sending an EDIFACT D01B message rather than a CSV file.
  • Syntax Like making sure the elements are in the correct spots.
  • Business rules within a message Like making sure the invoice number doesn’t have any special characters.
  • Business rules within the procurement conversation Like making sure the invoice date is after the ASN date. Or making sure your supplier can send the correct messages to ship goods in one despatch as well as multiple.
  • and more.

Why use an EDI compliance program?

Basically, it helps you find any issues before you move to EDI in production with your suppliers. Just look at the example above – the last thing you want is to have sent out a whole bunch of orders, which your stores are waiting for, only to find out they’ve failed somewhere along the way. Without it:
  • stock could be delayed arriving
  • stores will expect stock that won’t arrive
  • your team will need to scramble to troubleshoot the issues
  • customers might not receive the stock they ordered when they expected.

What do I need to do to prepare for the EDI compliance program?

First, decide and document the workflow you want to check

For example:
  1. Send your supplier a test purchase order.
  2. Ask your supplier to confirm they can process it successfully.
  3. Ask your supplier to send you a test purchase order response, fully accepting the order you sent them in step 1.
  4. Confirm the message you received is as expected. If not, start again from step 3.
  5. Ask your supplier to send you a test purchase order response, rejecting the order you sent them in step 1.
  6. Confirm the message you received is as expected. If not, start again from step 5.
  7. Ask your supplier to send you an advanced shipping notice for the order response they send you in step 3.
  8. Confirm the message you received is as expected. If not, start again from step 7.
  9. Ask your supplier to send you the SSCC labels they generated from the ASN they sent you in step 7.
  10. Scan the labels at your end and ensure they meet your requirements. If not, start again from step 9.
  11. Ask your supplier to send you an invoice relating to the ASN they sent you in step 9.
  12. Confirm the message you received is as expected. If not, start again from step 11.

Then decide and document business rules you want to check

This could be:
  • The date formats you require
  • Dates must be in the future
  • Whether prices on the invoice and order must match
  • Whether quantities on the invoice must match or total those on the order
  • A vendor number is present on all messages
  • Invoices must be received within seven days of shipment
  • Order response must be issued within a day of the order
  • One invoice is issued per ASN.

What are my options for an EDI compliance program?

As we’ve mentioned above, you can choose to do this manually or choose an automated program.

A manual EDI compliance program

You could probably start using this today. You can generate a test order and email it to your supplier, they’ll ingest it into their software, generate the next message and send it back to you. The really time-consuming part comes in when you need to check the file manually to make sure it meets all the criteria you documented in the workflow section above. Let your supplier know the issues you find and what you’re expecting instead. Continue this for each step. The obvious downside to this method is the amount of manual labour involved. If you’re onboarding even a couple of suppliers a week, this could easily take up days of work. Not to mention, you may be dictated by when you and your supplier are both ready to test.

An automated EDI compliance program

An automated EDI compliance program requires far less manual work for you. If you chose to use Colladium, for example, we’d spend a bit of time configuring your requirements, like workflow and business rules. Then all you need to do is invite your suppliers. They’ll be prompted to download an order (this will be generated automatically), then confirm that it was successfully processed, all from within the portal. When they upload messages, like an order response, the portal validates everything in the message against your business requirements. It displays all of the errors on the screen for your customer to see. The good thing is, that they can continue to upload their files as many times as they like, and have it validated there and then. There’s no waiting for your staff. And you have full visibility of everything – where your supplier is at in the workflow, what’s been successful and more.

What are the benefits of an automated EDI compliance program?

  • there’s no need to be on the phone or sending emails to suppliers constantly to fix errors
  • it’ll cost you less
  • there’s no need for additional labour
  • your team can spend more time on other tasks.
If you’re interested in learning more about EDI compliance programs, request a call below.

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04/02/2021

Getting your accounts payable department ready for eInvoicing

eInvoicing can help businesses improve their processes and save money. But often the success is dependent on the collaboration within the business – how well you can bring everyone on the journey. One of the key departments to be involved is accounts payable.

Think about your accounts payable team’s current processes and how they’ll change

The processes of traditional invoicing and eInvoicing can be different for your accounts payable team. Traditional invoicing looks something like this:
  1. Receive email with PDF invoice
  2. Send to accounts payable team
  3. The invoice is downloaded, reviewed and approved
  4. Accounts payable inputs invoice information into relevant software programs
  5. Invoice is paid and archived
eInvoicing cuts out a lot of the manual processes by automating the inputting into your software. It looks a bit more like this:
  1. The seller sends the invoice electronically from their software. The invoice is sent, almost magically, through the Peppol network directly to the buyer’s accounts payable team’s software.
  2. Accounts payable match the received invoice against the PO for payment authorisation.
As you can see, your accounts payable team’s processes will change with eInvoicing – they’ll no longer have to input invoices into their software.

Planning for eInvoicing

There are a few things you can do to plan ahead for receiving eInvoices.

What’s in it for them?

Figuring out what’s in it for each team when it comes to eInvoicing, is an important step to bring them along on the journey. In this case, your accounts payable team won’t need to spend nearly as much time on entering invoices into your software. And if you’ve setup automated matching in your software, the automation could handle with mismatches like incorrect prices, or the absence of a purchase order number – something that your accounts payable team would have handled in the past. So all in all, it’ll mean less work for them, and more time they have to spend on the more important things.

Knowledge sharing

You not only need to get buy-in from each team, but you also need to make sure they’re armed with all the information they’ll need. It’s worth running a session with your accounts payable team to explain to them:
  • what eInvoicing is
  • what’s in it for them
  • what will change for them
  • what’s in it for your customers and suppliers
  • what the process be for your customers and suppliers
  • what questions they might get from suppliers and how to answer them
  • and who to contact for help.

Who will look after the supplier onboarding and communications?

If you’ve decided that your accounts payable team hold the relationship with your customers and suppliers, you might task them with the onboarding and communications. Skill the team up before the rollout to make sure they’re well equipped with the information and collateral they need, as well as making sure they’re familiar with what you’re asking of your customers and suppliers. We’ve got a handy resource you can use as a starting point, ten steps to successful community onboarding.

What if something goes wrong?

Your accounts payable team need to be ready if things go wrong or if they get curly questions and know what process to follow. If a supplier says they’ve sent an invoice but they can’t see it in your software, should they contact your IT team or Access Point provider? If your team are contact by a supplier who’s received a notification to say their invoice has been rejected, who should your accounts payable team contact? It’s also worth having a plan for the case that your suppliers can’t send an eInvoice because of an issue on their end. Perhaps you offer email as a last resort. If you’re interested in learning more about getting your accounts payable ready for eInvoicing, request a call below.

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03/02/2021

Traditional invoicing vs eInvoicing: An infographic

This isn’t sending a PDF and or sending an email, eInvoicing is software to software and 100% automated. By comparing traditional invoicing and eInvoicing we can see just how efficient e-invoicing can be for both buyers and sellers.

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27/01/2021

EDI: Debunking the myths

Electronic data interchange (EDI) automates procurement, eliminating a lot of manual processes. But there are some myths that make some businesses think twice about implementing it. Here are some of those myths busted.

EDI is costly

There’s an assumption that EDI is too costly and not worth the investment. This myth is often based on outdated technologies. Technology has advanced ignorantly in the last couple of decades though, and EDI service providers can provide a range of cost-effective options for businesses. For businesses looking to comply with retailer requirements, a good option is to use a simple EDI web portal, where you send and receive EDI messages. This can cost the same as a monthly phone plan and many see EDI as a small price to pay to maintain their retailers’ business. EDI integration can work out to be extremely cost-effective too. EDI integration involves the exchange of business information directly between business software. This method can be more expensive than a web portal, but the benefits can definitely justify the investment. EDI integration automates manual processes and sends documents electronically, which creates significant cost savings. Some sources calculate the cost of processing an order manually to be around $38 compared to just $1.35 using EDI.

EDI is complicated to implement

There’s a perception that EDI is complicated to implement, with some believing EDI is difficult to understand and needs expert skills. EDI messages are just another coding language, sometimes even XML or CSV. Once you understand how they’re constructed and what each element means, it’s as easy as pie. There are now even EDI standards, which have simplified this even further. In the end, EDI will make your processes more streamlined and improve your business communications. Plus, if you partner with an experienced EDI provider, they can often hold your hand through the process.

EDI creates errors

Some believe EDI can cause bugs and errors. There are a few reasons why this is wrong. These days there are a range of tests and approvals before a company goes live with EDI. For example, here at MessageXchange, we perform testing between you and us, the EDI provider, as well as end-to-end testing with your trading partners. It’s only once these tests are completed and passed that EDI is moved to production.

EDI slows down business processes

Many worry that moving to EDI will be disruptive to their businesses. It is believed that EDI interferes with business processes which slows down workflows. Overall, EDI can be quick to implement, depending on your goals and solution. If you stage your EDI implementation correctly, and gear your implementation to achieve your biggest objective first, it’s can really improve speed and productivity. This gives staff more time to work on other tasks. It also reduces the risk of errors and therefore the time needed to correct them. Studies show paper orders can take upwards of 10 days to fulfill, while EDI orders can take less than a day.

EDI is used less and less

You might’ve seen comments about EDI’s declining use and its possible replacement by other technology like APIs. APIs are actually used by most current EDI service providers. They shouldn’t be thought of as an opponent to EDI, but as just another connection protocol for EDI, like sFTP or AS2. After all, APIs don’t follow a generic standard, whereas EDI does. That means it’s faster and easier to onboard new trading partners. EDI use is in fact growing around the world. Over 60% of businesses across the United States already use EDI in their daily operations. If you want to learn more about EDI and how it can help your business, request a call back from one of our team.

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21/01/2021

What’s the difference between EDI and eInvoicing?

Some of the main issues businesses face include too many manual processes, high supply chain costs and errors in supply chain documents. Electronic data interchange (EDI) has helped a lot of businesses overcome these issues through process automation. But now a new technology called eInvoicing is gaining popularity. We’ve compare the two and show when each should be used.

Comparing eInvoicing and EDI

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eInvoicing

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Electronic Data Interchange

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Message Types

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  • Invoices
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  • Invoices
  • Purchase Order (PO)
  • Purchases Order Response (PORs)
  • Purchase Order Acknowledgement (POAs)
  • Advance Shipping Notice (ASNs)
  • And more
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Governance

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  • Separate network providers that send EDI messages in the correct format to recipient.
Multiple standards
  • Common standards include EDIFACT, XML ANSI X12, EANCOM
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Security

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  • This is set by the Peppol authority
  • Access Points must comply with security requirements or can have access revoked.
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  • Security is set according to EDI standard used and each company and VAN’s security requirements.
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Connection protocols/message file format

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  • Any connection protocol and file format can be used between you and your Access Point
  • Universal Business Language (UBL) and AS4 is used between Access Points
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  • Any connection protocol and file format – often determined by one party

Which is better for you

EDI

This technology has been around for a long time. As a result, it has become the norm in a few different industries. Some of the main industries include retail, groceries and logistics. Businesses that operate in an industry that EDI is commonly used, should consider using EDI. EDI can send more message types compared to eInvoicing. For businesses looking to take their digital technology further and automate their entire supply chain, EDI could also be the choice for you.

eInvoicing

eInvoicing is great for businesses looking for a quick way to automate their invoicing processes. If you send and receive a lot of invoices, and aren’t really concerned about other data in the procurement chain, eInvoicing could be the right choice for you. eInvoicing is also useful for businesses that work with government agencies. As more government agencies move to eInvoicing it’s likely they’ll onboard their suppliers too. You can also benefit from 5 day payments for contracts less than $1 million from government agencies that are eInvoicing enabled.Want to learn more about these two technologies? Request a call with one of our eInvoicing or EDI experts today.

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E-invoicingEDI

19/01/2021

The A-Z of Peppol

What is Peppol?

Peppol is a set of specifications that help make cross-border eProcurement easier. The Peppol interoperability framework is currently used for e-invoicing in Australia and New Zealand.

The network (Peppol eDelivery Network)

The Peppol eDelivery Network connects systems with a set of standardised business processes and technical requirements. This provides an interoperable and secure network connecting all Access Points. All Access Points in the network use the same electronic messaging protocols, formats and digital signature technologies. This helps ensure secure messaging and makes it quick and easy for trading partners to connect and trade.

The document specifications (Peppol Business Interoperability Specifications ‘BIS’)

Peppol developed the Business Interoperability Specifications (BIS) to standardise the electronic documents exchanged and validated in the network. It specifies the process within the eDelivery network. The BIS requires the Universal Business language (UBL) to be used for documents within the network.

Governance

The Peppol framework is governed, owned and maintained by OpenPEPPOL. OpenPEPPOL is a non-profit international association that looks at ways to enable businesses to easily deal electronically. Peppol Authorities also have the responsibility to govern the eDelivery network and BIS within a defined jurisdiction. They also can approve and remove Access Points in the e-invoicing network.

Where are Peppol standards used?

Peppol is in use in 32 countries with 15 of those using Peppol authorities. Here is a list of the Peppol authorities and the countries where they operate:
  • Agency for Digital Government (DIGG), Sweden
  • Agency for Digital Italy (AGID), Italy
  • Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australia
  • Coordination Office for IT Standards (KoSIT), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen – Germany
  • Danish Business Authority (ERST), Denmark
  • Department of Health and Social Care (NHS), UK
  • Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Ireland
  • Federal Public Service Policy and Support (BOSA), Belgium
  • Financial Management Authority (FJS), Iceland
  • General Secretariat of Information Systems – Ministry of Digital Governance (GSIS), Greece
  • Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), Singapore
  • Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), New Zealand
  • Ministry of Economic Development (MR), Poland
  • Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (NPA), Netherlands
  • Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (DFØ), Norway
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15/01/2021

eInvoicing around the world

eInvoicing is just starting to build momentum in Australia and New Zealand. In 2019, Australia and New Zealand signed the Trans-Tasman eInvoicing agreement, making it easier for businesses and government to exchange eInvoices, both within and between those two countries. Since then, we’ve seen an increase in government agencies implementing eInvoicing. And the Australian Government has promised to pay eInvoices in 5 days for contracts up to $1 million. They’ve also mandated the use of eInvoicing for all Commonwealth government agencies by the 1st of July 2022. So, eInvoicing in Australia and New Zealand is increasing. But how are other regions faring?

North America

In 2015, the US government mandated eInvoicing for federal government agencies by the end of 2018. The transition to eInvoicing was expected to bring a range of benefits including savings between $150 million and $250 million. Aside from Government, the largest adopters of eInvoicing are large enterprises. Some say a major issue in gaining adoption has been a lack of standards and too few eInvoicing service providers. In order to increase uptake, an eInvoicing framework is being created by the Business Payments Coalition (BPC) – a group of organisations and individuals that promote the adoption of electronic business-to-business (B2B) payments.

Latin America

Mexico has been one of the pioneers in eInvoicing globally. They started their eInvoicing journey in 2004, being one of the first in the world. Even though it wasn’t made mandatory, eInvoicing was largely adopted by businesses and government. In 2010, Mexico managed to achieve 100% adoption by businesses. The volume of digital invoices issued between 2011 and 2017 increased from 1.7 billion to 6.5 billion. Mexico’s success has led to other countries implementing eInvoicing. The Latin America region sends 36 trillion eInvoices a year and have achieved some of the highest adoption rates of eInvoicing in the world: Chile has over 88% adoption and Brazil has achieved 100% adoption for B2B transactions. The high adoption in the region is due to the mandating of eInvoicing in both public and private sectors. Many countries who have implemented eInvoicing have seen reduction in fraud and easier tax preparation for businesses. This is in addition to cost reductions from eliminating manual processes.

Europe

In 2019, the European Union made it compulsory to send eInvoices between B2G. And if adopted between businesses, it’s expected that eInvoicing in the region will generate savings of €40 billion a year. Many countries have started to mandate its use both in public and private sectors. For example, Finland has used eInvoicing since 2010 for public sector procurement and now uses eInvoices for 100% of its transactions. Most Finnish businesses have also adopted eInvoicing. And in Italy, eInvoicing was made mandatory for both B2B and B2C transactions in 2019. France is joining them by making eInvoicing compulsory for SMEs and microbusinesses from 2020.

Asia

Asia is one of the regions where eInvoicing is expected to grow the most in coming years. Singapore made eInvoicing compulsory in 2008 for B2G transactions. It was the first country outside of the EU to use the Peppol framework, chosen in part to facilitate international trade. Singapore is providing grants to cover up to 50% of implementation costs for enterprises and S$200 for SMEs who join the network. One of the reasons countries in the region are adopting eInvoicing is to reduce fraud. In 2016, Indonesia required taxpayers to issue invoices electronically in order to notify the enforcing authority. Mongolia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have also implemented eInvoicing to curb the risk of fraud. It’s an exciting time for eInvoicing as we see a lot of countries, particularly in our region, move more and more towards a digital economy. If you’re interested in learning how eInvoicing can help your business, request a call back from our team.

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E-invoicing