ACCELYA is now connected to ‘Chorus Factures’ (‘Chorus Invoices’), the paperless invoicing portal put in place by the French State for use by its suppliers. Companies that use ACCELYA services may therefore send electronic invoices to the French State for public contracts executed. ACCELYA applies its  skills -specifically in the area of electronic invoicing- to streamline the invoicing process for its customers and to reduce related costs, through optimum transmission of their invoices to the public authorities.

About CHORUS Factures: the electronic invoicing portal for State suppliers

The French State has made the transition to paperless processes a priority of its programme of modernisation. AIFE (Agence pour l’Informatique Financière de l’État-the Agency for State Financial Information Technology) launched ‘Chorus Factures’ on 1^st January 2012, in order to comply with the obligations under the Loi de Modernisation de l’Économie (French Law on the Modernization of Economy). The online platform permits State suppliers to invoice electronically in such a way as to avoid paper invoices.

It offers two types of data transmission, reflecting the volume of invoices sent to the State and the size of the company.  Suppliers that send large volumes of invoices should use Electronic Data Interchange files. Other suppliers either create their invoices online or upload PDF invoices with, or -only in case of an audit trail within the company- without, electronic signatures on the platform website: https://chorus-factures.budget.gouv.fr. ‘Chorus Factures’ also permits users to follow the processing of electronic invoices.

Electronic invoices are then sent to Chorus, the French government’s financial information system, which ensures the payment of the State’s expenditures and, more generally, the management of all financial activities and bookkeeping of the State’s accounts. Each year, the French State processes 4 million invoices from its suppliers through CHORUS Factures.

ACCELYA linked to ‘Chorus Factures’ for streamlined transactions with the French State

Until now, French suppliers of goods or services to the State had to draw up an invoice using their accounting software, by printing it out, mailing it to the appropriate ministry, and awaiting payment.

Chorus Factures is a single point of entry for electronic invoices from State suppliers. Accelya is now linked to the site, allowing its business clients to invoice the French State through a completely paperless process that uses EDI files or electronic signatures. That means no more printing and mailing costs, no lost mail, less data entry errors, shorter processing time periods, and most importantly, reception of your invoice by the right person in the right government office for accelerated processes.

In addition to furthering sustainable development, the new system simplifies client–supplier relations and improves the efficiency of invoice processing by the French State, for obvious benefits for all.

By connecting to ‘Chorus Factures’, companies also get a head start on future European legislation before it is passed: a European Directive currently being finalized should indeed require companies to send electronic invoices to the contracting authorities of European Member States.