The latest CTMfile checklist ‘How to maximise e-invoicing adoption’ covers the eight steps to ensure that will your e-invoicing adoption will be as high as possible. Most of the techniques and tips described are well-known and have been well documented in many web sites and reports. Two of the suggestions have only emerged over the last couple of years:

• don’t charge the suppliers for e-invoicing as any increase in suppliers’ costs has been found to reduce take up, and 
• offer early payment discounts to those suppliers who sign up for e-invoicing. (This can be the clincher for some suppliers to sign up for e-invoicing.)

e-invoicing is only the first step in procure-to-pay 

In a previous item, ‘Is e-invoicing dead?’ we showed how suppliers, such as Taulia now provide both e-invoicing and early payment discounting. This certainly helps convince suppliers to sign up for e-invoicing. Many other suppliers now provide e-invoicing combined with early payment discounts, including Tungsten Network, Crossflow, and Coupa. What varies is whether they charge for the e-invoicing or not. However, clearly offering early payment discounts as well as e-invoicing increases the adoption of e-invoicing. 

Matthew Stammers, Taulia’s European marketing director, is very clear on the approach that is needed for e-invoicing adoption, "Never, ever charge supplier fees! Taulia’s philosophy is simple, if you want a successful e-invoicing project there has to be something in it for the supplier as well as you, the buyer. Put yourself in the shoes of your suppliers and ask yourself (and be honest here) if you would like to sign up to your project. If the answer is truly yes, you will have a successful project. If you make life difficult for example by charging fees or limiting invoice submission options you are doomed to failure”.

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CTMfile take: The competition in the procure-to-pay market is hotting up. Suppliers and buyers can only benefit.