Basware acknowledges that centralising the Accounts Payable functions and implementing automated e-invoicing is hard work. Their advice: do not despair. They have supported all sorts of companies, including global organisation Metso.
Metso is a worldwide supplier of sustainable technology and services for customers in the process industries. And the nice people at Basware are kind enough to share their experience and knowledge with those who do not know the way out of the e-invoicing maze (yet). What steps did Metso have to take to get where they are today?
Step 1: Significant cost savings and increased control
The transformation began with a single shared service centre (SSC) that proved to be a success. Now Metso has quickly added two more centres, which is letting it get even more efficiency from its purchase-to-pay process. Together the centres now electronically process around 1 million invoices per year.
Step 2: Further efficiency of both AP and AR processes
The next crucial development was the delivery of e-invoices – with this in place, process enhancements came almost immediately. By connecting the service with its suppliers the e-invoicing switch was widespread and very quick.
Step 3: Using the P2P process to support a dynamic global business
Metso now processes internal and external invoices through a solution that fully integrates with its multiple ERP systems. This is only one part of a range of initiatives Metso is putting in place on its road to a paperless purchase-to-pay process.
- Metso’s development manager, Soile Hiekkaslmi-Linna explains why the organisation desired an e-invoicing metamorphosis:
“We wanted to gain control of what had been a time-consuming and error-prone paper-based process, replacing this with a tool that would give us more consistency and control over invoice handling. Alongside cost-savings and significantly reduced processing times, we’ve been able to steer our business towards more goal-oriented purchasing.”
Editor on 
es on