The E-invoicing Platform (formerly known as EEI Platform) is the independent platform for professionals around electronic invoicing and invoice processing.

1. Background of e-invoicing

E-invoicing and invoice automation promise to unlock major benefits for almost everyone. Corporates, SMEs, banks, public administrations, service providers and even consumers can profit from electronic invoicing.

The most striking benefit would be the so-called multi-billion cost savings across Europe. Supplemented with a large amount of non-financial benefits, e-invoicing and invoice automation can be a major enabler in contributing to European competitiveness.

2. Major barriers

Three issues have been mentioned as “major barriers to a successful penetration and adoption of e-invoicing across Europe.”

• The fragmented implementation of the e-invoicing Directive into the legislation of the several Member States.

• The lack of confidence in and knowledge of operational issues surrounding e-invoicing.

• The fragmented standardisation of e-invoices in Member States, Europe and even globally.

Common practices across Europe show that, partly because of these barriers, the penetration and adoption of electronic invoicing and invoice automation in Member States is relatively low and happens at different speeds.

3. E-invoicing Platform’s Mission

It’s clear that there was not a platform with a focus on sharing information, promoting members’ interests, building social networks and obtaining knowledge. The E-invoicing Platform has that focus and a corresponding mission.

E-invoicing Platform’s mission is:

To help accelerate the awareness, adoption and penetration of e-invoicing, invoice automation and its related domains (payments, accounting, credit management, archiving, authenticity) across Europe. Creating benefits and opportunities for its visitors, members, partners and participants.

4. E-invoicing Platform’s Objectives

To achieve this mission, the E-invoicing Platform aims at several objectives that distinguishes the E-invoicing Platform from other initiatives:

• Communicating a flexible viewpoint on e-invoicing and invoice automation, refraining from developing a proprietary viewpoint on specific issues, for instance: models, definitions or standardisation formats.

• Taking into account a diversity of domains surrounding e-invoicing and invoice automation, such as payments, credit management, archiving and authenticity.

• Facilitating the transfer of knowledge by organisations inside and outside the E-invoicing Platform; learning from each other and effectively raising the common level of knowledge on e-invoicing and invoice automation.

• Providing an interactive platform which can be used to broadcast (product)information and new developments related to e-invoicing and invoice automation.

• Building networks and connections across Europe between SMEs, corporates, service providers, banks, public administrations, tax auditors and policy makers. Expanding their portfolios and interconnectivity possibilities.

• Connecting and cooperating with partner initiatives, providing added value for members, partners and stakeholders of the E-invoicing Platform.

• Promoting the interests of the E-invoicing Platform Members on a pre-competitive level, therefore not intruding the interests of individual members.

• Providing members and partners the possibility to create extra value by adding special features on the website for them, the forum, in newsletters and through other means.

5. S.M.A.R.T. Framework

These objectives are realised by deploying several activities and instruments using a S.M.A.R.T. framework with “four interlocking segments”:

• OBTAIN+KNOWLEDGE: transferring and obtaining knowledge
• BUILDING+NETWORKS: building social networks
• SHARE+INFORMATION: sharing information with members, partners and participants
• PROMOTING+INTERESTS: promoting member’s and partner’s interests