Category Archives: Order to Cash

Esker Partners with Paymetric for AR Solution

Since its 1985 launch in France, Esker, a global leader in document process automation, has beenTop_Esker_logo using its time wisely—and widely. From its headquarters in Lyon, Esker operates subsidiaries worldwide, including Europe, Latin America, and the U.S. They are pioneers of SaaS solutions, with distributers in more than 50 countries, 4,500+ SaaS customers, and over 160,000 SaaS users. Global innovators in the field of automation, they’ve recently made another bold move in their U.S. partnership with Paymetric Inc.

Paymetric is a leading global provider of secure electronic payment management, and their paymetric_logocollaboration with Esker will lead to an integration of Paymetric’s Web AR solution with Esker’s invoice exchange solution. Now, customers can use the same web-based portal to pay any open invoices with their preferred electronic payment method.

Steve Smith, U.S. Chief Operating Officer at Esker, believes that today’s business world is constantly looking for ways to make AR invoice processing faster, less expensive, and more reliable for themselves and their customers. “This partnership helps expand the capabilities of our AR solution by providing a new level of self-service to the automated AR invoicing process.”

Esker does seem to be very in tune with what the business world needs, as they’ve shown by their dexterity and success in Latin America. Earlier this month, they announced increased business activity in the region, and they owe this growth to their business flexibility in adapting to and delivering solutions based on specific regional needs.

“The growing interest in the region for document process automation,” says Steve Smith, “specifically on-demand solutions, which outnumber our on-premises implementations in Latin America 2-to-1, is something we’re very excited about as our business opportunities continue to expand.”

PayStream Advisors believes that Esker’s business opportunities will continue to expand as long as they maintain their innovative and adventurous business spirit—a business spirit we are proud to see in many of our sponsors.

To learn more about the invoicing process in Latin America, look out for our early Q3 report, “A CFOs Guide to Electronic Invoicing in Latin America.”

InvoiceWare Chosen by Phillips as eInvoicing Solution in Brazil

InvoiceWare, a leading purveyor of eInvoicing solutions in Latin America has recently been selected by Phillips to oversee its Nota Fiscal requirements throughout Brazil.  The SaaS-based solution will be replacing an on-premise legacy software and will reportedly reduce annual maintenance costs by 80%.

Phillips made the transition in response to last July’s mandate by the Brazilian government requiring electronic invoicing (NF-e). Alexandre Quinze, CIO for Phillips Latin America said, “Our decision came down to upgrading the SAP GRC Nota Fiscal solution to issue electronic invoices and keep the entire infrastructure and annual maintenance or select an alternative solution based on Software as a Service (SaaS).”

InvoiceWare certainly did their part in this process by making their solution desirable.  InvoiceWare offers automatic contingency processes that keep operations from being shut down as well as multi-language support. They facilitate all internal maintenance, alleviating the time and expense associated with changing legislation. Moreover, they present a highly competitive price point among their competitors and a low implementation window.

PayStream Advisors will be publishing a report on the eInvoicing environment among multinationals throughout Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Argentina.  We are excited to see how this new partnership flourishes and hope to use Phillips as a case study, giving key insight into the challenges multinationals face with adapting to highly dynamic tax regulations throughout Latin America.

To view the official press release click here.

To discuss sponsorship or benchmarking opportunities in this report please contact

JPMorgan Chase Exits the World of eInvoicing

by Henry Ijams, Managing Director, PayStream Advisors

Chase recently announced their plans to get out of the electronic invoice business. What does JP Morgan Chase/Xign’s Order-to-Pay decision mean for users of electronic invoicing platforms?

For current customers, it means they have to rapidly find a competent replacement provider in today’s confusing electronic invoicing and payment marketplace. PayStream Advisors also believes it provides customers with an opportunity to improve their vendor collaboration program, beyond just invoicing and payment.   It means dramatically boosting vendor engagement and adoption.  Let’s face it; Chase was not the greatest at supplier on boarding, especially over the past several years when they weren’t taking any new customers.

With Chase out of the eInvoicing picture, there is great opportunity with providers like Ariba, Taulia, OB10, Basware, and ADP.  These providers have aggressive supplier onboarding programs that have proven success in the number of suppliers currently enrolled in their supplier networks.  We expect these numbers to continue to grow as eInvoicing becomes even more prevalent

eInvoicing – What’s Next?

The current provider landscape is almost certain to change in the coming years. The electronic invoice marketplace is saturated with providers competing for $300 million in U.S. business that is growing at 12 percent per year.

PayStream estimates that a combined 850,000 U.S. suppliers are registered in networks and are actively providing electronic invoices. The problem: There are 10 million U.S. businesses engaging in B2B commerce. Electronic invoicing networks such as Ariba, Taulia, ADP, Basware, iPayables, Direct Commerce, Hubwoo, Transcepta, Corcentric, and Direct Insight have done a good job at onboarding suppliers.  However, they have traditionally focused on the largest suppliers.

Emerging providers such as TradeShift, Nipendo, AvidXchange, Coupa, and Invoiceware have also witnessed success with supplier recruitment and are now starting to target smaller suppliers.   Niche payment networks like BottomLine Technologies Paymode-X, U.S. Bank, PowerTrack/Syncada and Sungard whose solutions are primarily focused on payments, have also been successful recruiting suppliers to their network.

The interesting dilemma for someone searching for a new eInvoice solution to fill the J.P. Morgan void is how to migrate all their enrolled suppliers to a new platform. It also raises the question, what’s the value of a network when J.P. Morgan Chase Order-to-Pay was largely unsuccessful in signing up medium and smaller suppliers?

Here are some critical questions that need to be addressed before you consider a new solution.

  • Do you need to get all of your services from one provider?
  • Should you rethink your enrollment structure?
  • Are supplier fees going to be a hindrance to the growth of your platform?
  • Is a many-to-many network really that valuable for you?
  • Do you have global expansion aspirations?
  • What is the new, emerging, dynamic discount management opportunity?
  • Do single use accounts really add value to your platform?
  • Would ACH with dynamic discounting be a better opportunity?
  • How sophisticated is the provider’s onboarding?
  • Can the solution provider really help you grow your vendor base?
  • Should you be willing to pay gain share on your discount program?

PayStream has developed an electronic invoice solution provider assessment and RFP program to assist J.P. Morgan clients with their strategy decision and to provide an orderly transition to a new provider.

Here are the core program elements:

  • Understand objectives, develop solutions strategy and five-year vendor adoption goals.
  • Develop solution requirements document for electronic invoicing solution.
  • Develop, issue and score a request for proposal (RFP) with a selected list of relevant and capable electronic invoice providers.
  • Create a competitive environment for vendor review, capability discovery, and provider risk assessment.
  • Guide steering committee on optimal decision for long-term success.

PayStream’s Solution Radar

PayStream’s Solution Radar Scores Electronic Invoice and Purchase to Pay Solution Providers based on analysts 68 point requirements capabilities.

PayStream's Solution Radar

Contact to get the transition help you need.

New Trends in eBilling and Remittance Payments

Recent trends in the way consumers pay their bills are having a significant impact on a company’s payment processing operations. As a result, companies need to prepare for this changing payment landscape so they can directly benefit from these changes.

Paper Checks Decline as Electronic Payments Increase Rapidly
Following the pattern established in the early 2000s, American consumers continue to adopt electronic means for making non-cash payments, according to the Federal Reserve Payments Study released in 2011.

The use of paper checks continues its steep decline. In 2001, paper checks accounted for approximately 80 percent of noncash bill payments, where today they account for only about 40 percent.

Biller Direct Bill Pay Increases
According to PayStream’s 2012 Remittance Payment Study, biller direct bill pay – paying bills directly on a biller’s website continues to increase, keeping pace with online bank payments, see Figure 1.

Figure 1
Biller Direct Bill Pay Continues to Increase

Source: 2012 PayStream Remittance Payment Study

Rethinking How to Bill Consumers
Now that the vast majority of consumers are paying bills electronically, billers have reached a tipping point and it’s time to ask some tough questions regarding the way billers bill consumers:

• Due to the declining volume of consumers paying paper checks, has the model of doing in-house paper remittances changed to where there is no advantage to companies keeping the process in-house?
• Is the company doing a disservice by processing paper remittances in-house, by missing out on technology advances that improve payment processing or customer service?
• If your company is already outsourcing, how “future proofed” is your provider in terms of technology and scale?
• Has your company incorporated online payment options into its website? With the increasing number of payment platform options, and providers available, any biller can offer online payments.

Looking to the Experts – Payment Automation Solution Providers
There are a number of solutions and tools available to facilitate the automation of one-time and recurring consumer bill payments via the web, phone and mobile devices. PayStream is currently gearing up for a Q2 2013 report on Electronic Billing and Remittance Payments, to provide insights into current and emerging consumer payment trends. The report will also feature profiles of leading providers in the space who have strong capabilities and product strategies to meet the needs of organizations remittance payment management efforts.

This upcoming Q2 report will work to increase corporate and collection mangers’ ability to distinguish between Electronic Billing and Remittance Payments and payment automation solution providers and the various solutions they offer. The report will provide answers and insight into today’s changing payment landscape and how companies can benefit from these changes.