For Esker, building a human-centric and sustainable business has been the objective ever since we started the company 39 years ago. And today we still ask ourselves how we can encourage others to also embrace this vision for their organisations.

Some vacation reading took me to the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, and this theory seemed quite fitting not just on a personal level, but also for a business. According to Maslow, what motivates humans to act is the goal of fulfilling five levels of needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualisation. The lower-level needs must be satisfied before the higher-level needs can be pursued.

An organisation’s needs can be categorised into a similar ranking: The source-to pay (S2P) and order-to-cash (O2C) processes involve the flow of information and money between a company and its customers and suppliers. These processes are, in fact, the foundation of business operations, as they cover the entire cycle of procurement and sales: from sourcing suppliers and placing orders to delivering goods or services and collecting payments. Automating these processes improves efficiency, accuracy, speed and customer satisfaction. These advantages, in turn, flow into all business relationships, including buyers, suppliers, customers and employees.

Using the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs as a template, we can trace the five motivational levels to a business, too:

Physiological needs for humans consist of food, water, and shelter. For a business, these are cash, liquidity and solvency. Automating the S2P and O2C processes, especially with AI-powered solutions, can help a business meet these needs by making these processes faster, more efficient and accurate. This means fewer errors and delays, and lowered costs by getting paid and paying others faster. Automation can also help a business monitor and manage its cashflow better, so it always has enough money to operate and grow.

Safety needs include security, stability and protection. By improving the quality and consistency of S2P and O2C processes with automation, businesses can reduce the exposure to disruptions, disputes and fraud. Automation solutions build a reliable supply chain, ensuring compliance with rules and regulations, and mitigating risks through consistent decision-making, reliable predictions and accurate data insights.

Social needs generally describe a sense of belonging, acceptance and affiliation. At Esker, we place a lot of attention on exactly this factor: When a business takes care and ownership of the needs of others in their business ecosystem, it creates what we call positive-sum growth. It means that no business can for the long run operate at the expense of anyone or anything else, be it its employees, suppliers or the planet. Automation can help a business meet this standard by enhancing the communication and collaboration with all stakeholders. Not only does this translate into improved customer satisfaction and increased customer loyalty, but also better relationships with suppliers and stronger employee engagement.

Esteem needs refer to the feelings of being recognised, respected and having a sense of achievement. Speeding up business processes and improving their quality ensures better profitability, which gives a company a competitive edge, the ability to convey a strong performance, and engage in sustainable growth. Additionally, these outcomes will positively impact the brand image and reputation of a company, which attracts and retains more customers and talent while reassuring suppliers.

Self-actualisation needs include personal growth and the fulfilment of one’s potential. A clear vision, a strong company culture, and a focus on making a positive impact in the world will inevitably result in a business environment that creates true value to all of society. Automation can help a business meet these needs by freeing up time and resources for strategic planning, value creation, and social responsibility. Aligning the S2P and O2C processes with the company’s mission, vision and values means investing in a stronger ability to focus, inspire creativity, and perform sustainably and with agility.

Since businesses are made up of humans, it’s no wonder that these two compare so easily. And just like in those outdoor survival tv shows where the contestants first build a shelter, forage or hunt for food, and then increasingly turn their attention to improvements or artistic pursuits, an organisation should take care to cover the basics before thinking about expansion or vanity projects. Automating the S2P and O2C processes not only satisfies the basic operational requirements but also creates value and meaning for themselves and their stakeholders in a dynamic and competitive environment.

To find out more about positive-sum growth and how we integrate it into our solutions and daily life, visit www.esker.co.uk

Emmanuel Olivier

Emmanuel has been with Esker for 25 years. As WW Chief Operating Officer, he leads Esker’s operations worldwide, covering sales, marketing and consulting activities. He also supervises Esker’s finances and is in charge of its financial communication and investor relations.

Esker UK

Unlocking Positive-Sum Growth with AI-Driven Business Solutions for P2P & O2C Cycles

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Artificial Intelligence (AI), the simulation of human intelligence by machines, has been around for longer than some might think: The actual beginnings of this field lie in the 1950s, at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Over the decades, the excitement has alternately waxed and waned. What catapulted AI to the absolute highest hype levels, however, was the release of ChatGPT by OpenAI in November 2022. ChatGPT — which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer — is a Large Language Model (LLM) that unleashed a new era of usability of AI.

The initial enthusiasm was immense. Speculation about all the problems AI will solve, and what problems it
will create, abounded. Almost a year later, the buzz has died down a little, but governments all over the world are considering legislation as to how AI can and should be used responsibly. For private use, AI capabilities are used for entertainment and, not least because of cost, will probably remain so for a while to come. Businesses, meanwhile, are ready to hit the ground running. It is no surprise that Microsoft has embedded a variety of AI-piloted features in its products.

Although it gets the most attention due to its revolutionary capabilities, ChatGPT is not all that AI can do. There are many different layers, and their targeted and pragmatic use can help organisations in their digital transformation.

Machine learning algorithms are not programmed. Instead, they “learn” from user input to solve specific problems, continuously advancing these learning capabilities. They can, for example, extract relevant data from customer orders sent in a variety of formats: free-text emails, PDFs, images and even, for those still stuck in the 90s, faxes. Sometimes, however, misidentifications occur, and values are not correctly read. This is where human intervention is still required to rectify these errors. The machine learning AI will then remember the correction, and, with the help of historical data analysis, from there on out rapidly predict increasingly correct outcomes.

Deep learning, a subcategory of machine learning, can execute even more advanced tasks. Relying on artificial neural networks that mimic the human brain and on enormous amounts of validated data, deep learning extracts information from multiple data layers, yielding even higher accuracy and optimisation. Ideal business uses for deep learning technology can be found, for example, in email triage for shared inboxes, both on the supplier and customer sides. Questions, invoices and purchase orders can all be filtered out and forwarded to the correct recipient. For the Finance department, deep learning can even pinpoint small changes in payment behaviours, order dynamics and credit ratings. These indicators can have a significant impact on working capital requirements, and thus, the earlier they are detected, the better the business can react accordingly.

And then, of course, there is ChatGPT. In addition to the fun moments it can provide when entering a query,
for example, to generate an article about AI business use-cases in the voice of Yoda, it does have some real-life applications. Customers who email a business with questions such as “Where is my order?” or “When will my reimbursement arrive?” are all living different experiences. While sentiment analysis can identify when a customer might be getting frustrated, ChatGPT can help in generating an appropriate response. This refers to both tone and content: pulling the correct information from the different systems and then suggesting a fitting answer. The emphasis here lies on “suggesting.” A human should always remain in control and make necessary adjustments, rather than relying on ChatGPT for fully automated responses. The potential for errors is just too great otherwise.

The hoped-for result would be an efficient workplace that cuts out repetitive and meaningless tasks by using AI, and brings to light hidden financial details and business indicators. These tools need to remain assistive rather than replacing humans, since no matter how intelligent AI is, the human touch just cannot be replaced. Properly used, with an awareness of potential risks, AI technologies should be used to increase well-being, strengthen our democracies, and improve the shared information environment.

Esker UK

Unlocking Positive-Sum Growth with AI-Driven Business Solutions for P2P & O2C Cycles

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By now it should be clear that a lot of things need to change if we want to avoid a climate emergency and all the downstream effects it will bring with it. And since these downstream effects will also affect businesses, the responsibility to take action lies on everyone’s shoulders. Governments and institutions are rolling out more and more regulations for sustainability measures such as the CSRD by the European Commission, and organisations are required to implement these. This is often easier said than done.

At Esker, we embarked on an ESG journey a few years ago and have, in the meantime, implemented several policies to reduce our carbon footprint. One factor remained difficult to gauge, however: the supplier side. In France, for example Esker requests its suppliers to sign a Code of Conduct, which addresses the main ESG aspects such as corruption, fair labour practices and environmental considerations. For our own ESG performance data, however, it was challenging to quantify the impact the procurement side of our operations had.

Since we’re not alone in this dilemma, we decided to make it easier to track a supplier’s ESG performance indicators, not just for ourselves, but also for our customers. Esker Supplier Management now displays risk rating panes that indicate downgraded or upgraded ESG scores, which allows you to verify that ESG standards are met before engaging with a new supplier. It also enables continuous tracking of the ESG score in real time, so that you can rest assured that your supply chain meets the defined standards.

Starting in 2024, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires mandatory reporting of ESG metrics for a number of European businesses. To prepare for these requirements, Esker developed AI-supported capabilities that extract energy consumption from utility bills and travel expenses. This feature will make meeting the reporting requirements much easier.

The recent Forrester report “The Environmental Sustainability Procurement Technology Landscape, Q3 2023” gives clarifying insights into how to work with vendors of solutions that are meant to track an organisation’s carbon footprint. We are excited to be mentioned as a Notable Vendor. The features in Esker Supplier Management assist in reducing the complexity of ESG reporting and in managing compliance with ESG regulations, of which many more are expected to be implemented in the near future. We are happy to be considered part of the solution for the huge challenge that humanity is facing.

Feel free to contact us! We’d be happy to discuss all things ESG with you, and help you figure out how Esker can help.

Catherine Dupuy-Holdich

Catherine has been with Esker for 20 years. As Source-to-Pay Product Manager, she is the market and business expert of all things S2P. She is responsible for overseeing the development of Esker’s S2P suite, including product strategy and vision. Catherine works closely with R&D, sales, marketing and support to ensure customer satisfaction.

Read more insights from Catherine Dupuy-Holdich

This is, for some people at least, one of the most dreaded questions in a job interview. There’s no obvious right or wrong answer, and whether the answer ‘fits’ depends on the — often mysterious — inner workings of the company you’re interviewing at.

But for a company, this question is an inevitable consideration for the business plan. And, naturally, it’s not limited to five years, either.

When considering Source-to-Pay automation for your business, you obviously want to go with a vendor that is experienced and offers mature solutions that are ready to get up and running as soon as possible, yet should also provide scalability so that you can easily plan for the next two, three, five or ten years.

Gartner® Hype Cycle reports reveal emerging technologies that have the potential to disrupt industries and spot investment opportunities that can give you a competitive edge. According to Gartner, “Hype Cycles provide a graphic representation of the maturity and adoption of technologies and applications, and how they are potentially relevant to solving real business problems and exploiting new opportunities”.

Which is why we are excited that Esker is listed as a Sample Vendor in three technology categories in the 2023 Gartner® Hype Cycle for Procurement and Sourcing Solutions: AP Invoice Automation, Supplier E-invoicing and Source-to-Pay Suites. According to Gartner, solutions such as Esker Accounts Payable, Esker Supplier Management and Esker Sourcing are well on their way to reaching the Plateau of Productivity.

Esker’s automation solutions not only help your business run smoother and provide visibility now, but with our continuous dedication to innovation and listening to customer feedback, we’re convinced that you can nail down a pretty solid business plan for the next 5, 10, or even 15 years.

Companies worldwide trust Gartner Hype Cycles to guide their technology decisions.

Access your complimentary copy to learn why Esker was recognised as a Sample Vendor.

Gartner, Hype Cycle for Procurement and Sourcing Solutions, 2023, By Kaitlynn Sommers, Micky Keck, Lynne Phelan, Naveen Mahendra, Cian Curtin, Chaithanya Paradarami, 19 July 2023
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, Hype Cycle is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Catherine Dupuy-Holdich

Catherine has been with Esker for 20 years. As Source-to-Pay Product Manager, she is the market and business expert of all things S2P. She is responsible for overseeing the development of Esker’s S2P suite, including product strategy and vision. Catherine works closely with R&D, sales, marketing and support to ensure customer satisfaction.

Read more insights from Catherine Dupuy-Holdich

Increasing uncertainty in the global economy has led to increased pressure on the procurement function to lower costs and maximise efficiencies. At the same time, finance teams are also under pressure to maximise the bottom line whilst providing visibility and accountability at any given point.

Finance and procurement are undoubtedly two essential functions within any organisation. While they may individually have different goals and responsibilities, when they work together effectively, they can create a dream team to drive Source-to-Pay (S2P) excellence. Just like a football dream team, finance and procurement can complement each other’s strengths and work towards a common goal of achieving cost savings, improving efficiency, and mitigating risks.

One of the key areas where finance and procurement can collaborate is in strategic sourcing. Procurement teams are responsible for identifying and selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing relationships. However, finance teams can provide valuable insights into the financial health and stability of potential suppliers. By working together, they can ensure that suppliers not only offer competitive pricing but also have the financial capability to meet the organisation’s needs in the long term.

Another area where finance and procurement can make great wins together is in spend analysis. Finance teams have access to financial data and can provide insights into spending patterns, budget allocations, and cost-saving opportunities. Procurement teams can leverage this information to identify areas of potential savings, negotiate better contracts, and optimise the overall procurement process. By combining their expertise, finance and procurement can drive cost reductions and improve the organisation’s bottom line.

Risk management is another critical area where finance and procurement can work together effectively. Procurement teams are responsible for assessing supplier risks, ensuring compliance with regulations, and managing supplier relationships. Finance teams, on the other hand, can provide insights into financial risks, such as creditworthiness, liquidity, and solvency of suppliers. By collaborating, finance and procurement can identify and mitigate potential risks, ensuring the organisation’s supply chain remains robust and resilient.

Technology plays a crucial role in achieving source-to-pay excellence, and finance and procurement work well as a team in this area as well. Finance teams often have expertise in financial systems and technology, while procurement teams are well-versed in procurement software and tools. By working together, they can select and implement integrated source-to-pay solutions that streamline processes, improve data accuracy, and enhance visibility across the organisation. This collaboration can lead to increased efficiency and visibility, reduced manual work, and improved decision-making.

Communication and collaboration are the keys to success for finance and procurement teams. Regular meetings, joint planning sessions, and shared goals can foster a strong partnership between the two functions. By aligning their objectives and working towards a common vision, finance and procurement can create a synergy that drives an efficient and effective end-to-end source-to-pay process.

In conclusion, finance and procurement can work together like a football dream team to achieve source-to-pay excellence. By leveraging each other’s strengths, collaborating on strategic sourcing, spend analysis, risk management, and technology implementation, they can drive cost savings, improve efficiency, and mitigate risks. Just like a successful football team, finance and procurement can achieve remarkable results when they work together towards a common goal.

Esker’s AI-driven Source-to-Pay suite equips companies with the technology and tools for finance and procurement teams to collaborate to meet shared goals and streamline the end-to-end S2P process.

Jennifer Ball

As Marketing Co-ordinator for Esker UK, Jennifer manages Esker UK's marketing campaigns and events for S2P solutions. She has been part of the Esker family since 2019.

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In the intricate tapestry of modern business processes, Procure-to-Pay (P2P) and Source-to-Pay (S2P) stand as pivotal threads, weaving efficiency and transparency into the fabric of procurement strategies. While these terms might sound similar, they denote distinct stages in the procurement lifecycle, each bearing unique characteristics and challenges. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve deep into the realms of Procure-to-Pay and Source-to-Pay, unraveling the intricate differences that set them apart.

As Esker quickly identified the benefit of moving towards a more strategic outlook of procurement, the acquisition plan to bring in Market Dojo’s eSourcing cloud solution was brought in to address the need for structured and digitised processes in procurement. Designed by procurement professionals, Market Dojo’s unique on-demand solution enables users to centralise information, negotiate the best value for goods and services, and select the right suppliers — all without requiring a complex and costly implementation process.

So let’s take a look at what sets both P2P and S2P apart.

Procure-to-Pay (P2P)

Procure-to-Pay encapsulates the entire procurement process, spanning from the initial requisition of goods or services to the final payment. It’s a systematic approach that organisations employ to streamline and automate their procurement activities, ensuring seamless coordination between various departments and stakeholders. The P2P process typically encompasses the following stages:

1. Requisitioning:
The process commences with a requisition, where internal stakeholders identify the need for goods or services. This requisition is then submitted for approval, ensuring alignment with budgetary constraints and organisational policies.

2. Supplier Identification and Evaluation:
Once the requisition is approved, the procurement team identifies potential suppliers. Rigorous evaluation criteria are applied to assess suppliers’ capabilities, quality, pricing, and reliability, ensuring the selection of the most suitable vendor.

3. Purchase Order (PO) Creation:
Upon selecting the vendor, a purchase order is generated. This document outlines the details of the transaction, including quantity, specifications, pricing, and delivery timelines. The PO serves as a legal contract between the buyer and the supplier.

4. Goods Receipt and Inspection:
Upon delivery, the receiving department inspects the received goods or services to ensure they meet the specified requirements. Any discrepancies are documented and addressed with the supplier.

5. Invoice Verification and Payment:
After successful inspection, the received goods or services are matched with the purchase order and invoice. Once validated, the invoice is processed for payment. Timely payment processing is crucial for maintaining healthy supplier relationships.

Source-to-Pay (S2P)

Source-to-Pay, on the other hand, is a broader strategic approach that encompasses not only the procurement process but also strategic sourcing and supplier management. It represents a comprehensive view of procurement, focusing on optimising costs, mitigating risks, and fostering collaboration with suppliers. The S2P process includes:

1. Strategic Sourcing:
Strategic sourcing involves analysing the organisation’s procurement needs, identifying potential suppliers, and negotiating contracts. The goal is to secure the best terms and conditions, ensuring quality and value for money. Strategic sourcing often involves in-depth market analysis and supplier collaboration to drive innovation and competitiveness.

2. Procurement Execution (P2P):
The procurement execution phase in S2P aligns with the traditional Procure-to-Pay process, encompassing requisitioning, supplier identification, purchase order creation, goods receipt, invoice verification, and payment processing.

3. Supplier Performance Management:
S2P places significant emphasis on evaluating and managing supplier performance. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are established to measure suppliers’ quality, delivery timeliness, responsiveness, and adherence to contractual terms. Supplier feedback mechanisms are implemented to foster continuous improvement.

4. Contract Management:
Effective contract management is essential in S2P. Contracts are meticulously drafted, detailing all terms and conditions. Continuous monitoring ensures compliance and facilitates renegotiation or termination if necessary. A well-managed contract landscape enhances transparency and reduces legal and financial risks.

5. Spend Analysis and Optimisation:
S2P incorporates spend analysis tools to scrutinise procurement expenditures. By identifying patterns and opportunities for consolidation, organisations can optimise their spending, negotiate better deals, and enhance overall cost-efficiency.

Key Differences and Significance:

While both Procure-to-Pay and Source-to-Pay involve procurement activities, the primary distinction lies in their scope. P2P focuses on the operational aspects of procurement, emphasising transactional efficiency and accuracy. S2P, on the other hand, adopts a strategic perspective, integrating procurement with sourcing, supplier management, and cost optimisation strategies. S2P provides a holistic view of the procurement lifecycle, enabling organisations to make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and drive long-term value. This is why Esker has made the move to offer a more strategic solution of the procure to pay cycle to organisations looking to increase their strategic outlook which includes sourcing.

In conclusion, understanding the nuances between Procure-to-Pay and Source-to-Pay is crucial for organisations aiming to enhance their procurement processes. By embracing these methodologies in tandem, businesses can achieve a harmonious balance between operational efficiency and strategic foresight, ultimately fostering sustainable growth and competitiveness in the dynamic global market landscape.

Watch the video below for a brief overview of Esker’s Source-to-Pay suite.

Sam Townsend

Sam is Head of Marketing for Esker Northern Europe and has been part of the Esker family since 2003.

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Baker Ing, renowned for its expertise in receivables management for high-value and sensitive accounts, provides bespoke international debt collection, from ad hoc support to acting as an integrated service partner. Credit managers run searches on debtors and create a log of any possible reluctance for timely payment. Esker AI-driven Collections Management fits in perfectly with systems Baker Ing already have in place to enhance the offering to its customers.

The team will be referring Esker’s suite of Order-to-Cash solutions to include Collections Management, Cash Application, Credit Management, Invoice Delivery, Claims and Deductions, and E-payment solutions.   

To help businesses adapt swiftly, Baker Ing and Esker are launching a package designed to offer immediate countermeasures to inflationary pressures. This is the opportunity for companies to fortify their financial operations, ensuring they stay competitive in an inflation-ridden market.

Read full press release here.

Esker UK

Unlocking Positive-Sum Growth with AI-Driven Business Solutions for P2P & O2C Cycles

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The New Era for the Office of the CFO
As we all know, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) provides critical financial leadership for an organisation. The CFO is responsible for creating and executing the financial strategy of the company, as well as managing the financial risks associated with running a business. So with a CFO having such a profound impact on a company’s bottom line it’s essential that they have the right tools at their disposal.

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, the role of the CFO is becoming increasingly critical. CFO’s are responsible for not only managing financial operations but also providing strategic guidance to drive business growth. With the advent of advanced technologies, process automation has emerged as a game-changer for the office of the CFO. By leveraging automation tools, CFO’s can streamline financial processes, enhance efficiency, and unlock a multitude of benefits for their organisations:

Streamlined Financial Operations
Traditionally, financial operations have been burdened with manual tasks, such as data entry, reconciliations, and report generation. These tasks are not only time-consuming but also prone to human error. Process automation enables CFOs to automate repetitive tasks, reducing the risk of errors and freeing up valuable time for finance professionals. By implementing automation, routine processes like invoice processing, expense management, and financial reporting can be streamlined, allowing the finance team to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Enhanced Accuracy and Compliance
The accuracy of financial data is paramount for informed decision-making. However, manual data entry and reconciliation can lead to errors, jeopardising the integrity of financial information. Automation tools eliminate the need for manual intervention, ensuring data consistency and accuracy. By implementing intelligent automation solutions, CFO’s can enforce compliance with financial regulations and internal controls. Automated workflows can be designed to follow predefined rules, flagging potential issues and mitigating compliance risks.

Improved Financial Planning and Analysis
Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) play a vital role in driving organisational growth. However, traditional FP&A processes can be time-consuming and hinder agility. Automation enables CFO’s to gather real-time data from various sources, integrate it seamlessly, and generate accurate and timely reports. By automating budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis, CFO’s can accelerate the decision-making process and provide valuable insights to key stakeholders. This empowers the CFO to make data-driven decisions, optimise resource allocation, and drive strategic initiatives.

Cost and Time Savings
The office of the CFO can benefit significantly from cost and time savings through process automation. By eliminating manual tasks and reducing the need for extensive manual intervention, automation tools reduce operational costs. Finance professionals can utilise their time more efficiently by focusing on value-added activities instead of mundane and repetitive tasks. Additionally, automation enables faster and more accurate financial closing processes, resulting in shorter reporting cycles and improved operational efficiency.

Data-driven Insights and Strategic Decision-making
Data is the lifeblood of the modern business, and CFO’s play a critical role in extracting insights from financial data. Automation tools enable CFO’s to gather, consolidate, and analyse vast amounts of financial data in real-time. This empowers them to identify trends, perform scenario analysis, and make informed, data-driven decisions. By leveraging automation, CFO’s can become strategic advisors to the executive team, offering actionable insights that drive business growth and optimise financial performance.

Embrace the Technology
Unleashing the power of process automation is revolutionising the office of the CFO, offering numerous benefits that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and strategic decision-making. By embracing automation tools, CFO’s can streamline financial operations, improve compliance, and generate valuable insights from financial data. Moreover, automation enables cost and time savings, freeing up finance professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives. As technology continues to advance, the CFO’s role will continue to evolve, and embracing process automation will be crucial for success in the digital age.

Esker’s Worldwide Chief Operating Officer, Emmanuel Olivier, recently delivered a presentation on the future of the digital CFO: Being an architect of value, strategy and resilience, at the Gartner® CFO & Finance Executive Conference 2023

Contact us for more information

Sam Townsend

Sam is Head of Marketing for Esker Northern Europe and has been part of the Esker family since 2003.

Read more insights from Sam Townsend

Aaaaahh…the end of summer…
The tan and the relaxation are slowly fading, the good memories hopefully not.

How about those memories of actually booking that vacation, though? Did the booking process overshadow the enjoyment of the trip?

First, there’s the lack of visibility: the different providers for airline, airport transportation, hotel, car rental, etc., can get confusing. You never really have a clear overview of whether prices are fair or what the real costs are (baggage fees, anyone?). Sneaky hidden costs can make for a rude awakening when the bank statement arrives after the trip…

Then there’s the question of risks: is the hotel in a safe area? Is the hotel pool unexpectedly out of service?

Are you aware of all the rules and regulations of where you’re going? Is the passport valid?

What happens when something goes wrong, like a cancelled flight? How is the rebooking best handled?

All in all, not the most relaxing way to go about taking a vacation. But we hope you had a great time anyway!

Now, to turn your attention back to work (sorry…!): If you’re a CFO or work in a CFO-adjacent function, the travel difficulties can also be applied to the source-to-pay (S2P) cycle.

Let’s look at some of the challenges frequently faced in the S2P cycle, and how comprehensive automation solutions can help with those:

• Do you have sufficient visibility and control over procurement activities?

In order to effectively manage spend, procurement needs to be transparent. S2P platforms provide thorough spend analytics so that cost-saving opportunities are quickly identified and expenditure patterns easily tracked while ensuring compliance with budgetary guidelines.

• Are risk mitigation and compliance metrics where they need to be?

Robust features of S2P solutions such as automated contract management and supplier risk assessments let you proactively identify and mitigate potential risks, enforce compliance with regulatory standards and ensure adherence to internal policies.

• Are you and the business’ vendors on the same page?

Effectively managing suppliers is a fundamental part of business success, yet it is a complex process involving multiple steps. S2P solutions can help facilitate effective supplier management by enhancing communication, collaboration and performance evaluation. Sustainable and ethical supplier practices can be promoted by incorporating strategic sourcing and vetting procedures into the procurement process. And communication tools that provide instant visibility—including performance metrics—ensure better collaboration internally and with suppliers.

• Are the numbers adding up?

Providing valuable strategic guidance to the company relies on informed decisions based on accurate and complete financial visibility. S2P platforms integrate financial data from various sources, and create a holistic view of performance, cash flow and working capital. Comprehensive visibility enables CFOs to assess the financial health of the organisation, identify areas for improvement and drive strategic initiatives effectively.

The idea behind S2P solutions is not just the automation part. It’s also about recognising that finance and procurement have shared objectives and that collaboration between the two can foster a strong partnership that enhances decision-making, optimises costs, mitigates risks, and drives sustainable growth. These factors defy the usefulness of point solutions that allows each department to remain siloed, and instead calls for a single platform solution that can manage the entire S2P process from beginning to end.

Equipped with an extensive collection of AI capabilities, Esker’s end-to-end Source-to-Pay suite enables companies to remain agile in an ever-changing world and to build resilient and sustainable businesses.

Ready to learn more about Esker?

Visit: www.esker.co.uk

Catherine Dupuy-Holdich

Catherine has been with Esker for 20 years. As Source-to-Pay Product Manager, she is the market and business expert of all things S2P. She is responsible for overseeing the development of Esker’s S2P suite, including product strategy and vision. Catherine works closely with R&D, sales, marketing and support to ensure customer satisfaction.

Read more insights from Catherine Dupuy-Holdich

Esker’s Professional Services Manager, Rob Cooper, talks about the role of the Professional Services team throughout the customer journey; from pre-sales, through implementation, to go-live and support.

A discussion between Esker’s Head of Marketing, Sam Townsend (ST), and Esker’s Professional Services Manager, Rob Cooper (RC).

This discussion is also available as a podcast. Listen here.

ST
Hi everyone, my name is Sam Townsend and I am Head of Marketing for Esker Northern Europe. Thanks for joining us for another Esker On Air podcast. In today’s session we are going to be speaking to Esker’s Professional Services Manager, Rob Cooper, to discuss the importance that Professional Services brings to an organisation such as Esker. So, at this point I would like to welcome Rob and let him introduce himself. Hi Rob, tell us a little bit about how you became involved with Professional Services and your past experience and current role.

RC
Hi! Well as Sam said my name is Rob Cooper. I have been with Esker, if you believe my LinkedIn profile, for 6 years and 11 months, to be really precise. I joined Esker all those years ago because I was looking for a new challenge and wanting to have something that was a bit more local, having worked for an Australian company previously. So, I joined the Esker Team and find myself in this position now because my boss at the time, Wynne, retired last year, and I was fortunate enough to be able to take on his role as the Professional Services Manager here at Esker UK. So, that’s how I find myself at Esker and in my current role.

ST
Excellent. Thanks for that introduction Rob. So, I guess a good place to start for those who are possibly unsure about exactly what Professional Services are or PS for short, as we like to say, and what that entails, can you explain what the services are and how they fit into the business?

RC
Sure! Professional Services is an unusual name, and does not really ring true for many businesses. They don’t really know what it is. We are there for the journey from what we call pre-sales; so before you have signed a contract to join the Esker family. We are there to help from that phase, understanding the solution, how it might fit within the business, through to installing the application, getting it integrated to your ERP, helping you through testing and integration and how that works with your business, helping you through training, testing and go-live of the project. We do not just disappear at the end of go-live because we will hand you over to the Esker Support Team for ongoing support issues. We are there for helping with those support issues if we need to be, if it’s very technical and we’re needed there. We are also there for any change requests that people may want to have. Whether that is as simple as adding a few fields onto a form or maybe it is a little more complicated, and we’re looking at creating a brand new process or we are looking at amending the workflow engines, if you are talking about the Procure-to-Pay application. We get involved in the full life cycle of the project from cradle to grave.

ST
Fantastic. Great explanation! So, now we’ve got a good overview of PS, let’s dive in a little more into the detail. Could you explain a little bit more about the onboarding process and the customer journey throughout a project implementation, and perhaps beyond?

RC
Yes. You will have probably engaged with somebody from the Professional Services team during the pre-sales process, but that is not full engagement; you are not going to hear from us all the time. Once you have agreed to join, there will be a contract in place; that is the point that the Sales Team starts to hand the project over to the PS Team and we get that notification. The first thing that you would get, is an e-mail from myself welcoming you to the project, and providing you with some documentation to go away and read. It also gives you the ability to sign up to some of the other services that we have, from Esker All Access through to Documentation and things like that. That is the first thing you would see at the start of a project. Then we start to engage with you and arrange some meetings. The first one would be a kick off call to introduce everyone to each other and make sure that we’ve understood the scope of the project, and also discuss resources and timelines for the project as well. We would love to get the project in as soon as possible, but we have to accommodate things like, well, simple things like vacations. Maybe, we have got a crucial resource on either side that has some vacation planned and that maybe changes the time line. It could be that if we are talking to an Accounts Payable team, maybe they have a month-end or year-end coming up that maybe adjust the time lines. So, those sorts of things we talk about in our kick-off meeting, to make sure everyone is happy and understands what we’re going to go away and do. This is when the project is really starting to gather pace, and then we look at getting fully engaged with the project through our integration and testing of the solution before going into training. That is really the on-boarding process of a project into the Professional Services team.

ST
Fantastic! Yes, that’s really interesting to know that! It’s great to understand how that fits into the customer journey. I presume it’s not always straightforward though and plain sailing? What kinds of challenges do you encounter with certain projects, and how are these overcome?

RC
Yes, there’s always a challenge within every project. Some of them are really big, and some of them are much smaller. We’d much prefer the smaller ones, as would our customers! Typically, the challenges that we see on the onboarding are around integration. It is perhaps one of the biggest challenges. We have seen integration take a weekend, and we have seen it take many, many months. We are here to help the customer through the process of integrating. Sometimes it is a challenge; maybe because, actually producing the files for integration is not easy for the business. Maybe they produce it and all of a sudden they start to notice that the data they’ve got is not perhaps the cleanest and they need to go away and have a mini project and clean up the data. Definitely those are the sorts of challenges that we see at the beginning of a project, and often these are the sorts of things that make timelines longer than desired. We have to go through the integration phase, because if we take an Order Management project, we need to have customer data and have material or item data to be able to process those orders. Without that we are going to struggle to process the documents, so getting that data is key. We don’t really want to progress until we’ve got that, because we are not going to be able to do things like our testing, we’re not going to be able to train you on our solution, because, we’ve got Esker data, but that is not your data. Sometimes there is a challenge there, to visualise what is going on and if it is not customers, the vendors, the items that you are expecting to see. So integration is a big, big piece of work.

ST
Right, I understand that, I guess from that point of view with the challenges, and as larger multi-national contracts are signed, you are probably going to get more challenges. Are integration partners ever used to help to facilitate the process at all?

RC
Yes. We can tackle integration partners from two points of view. It is brilliant if customers have an integration partner onboard already, and we find many customers do, because they have somebody who maybe looks after their ERP for them, and they can take on the role of integration partner. We do come across customers who don’t have that. They have had their ERP for a number of years and it has been in a happy state, so we can reach out to integration partners. We have ERP knowledge; we have as we like to call them ERP evangelists in the business, who can help and talk about a few bits and pieces, but when it comes to proper and true partners, we do have connections in the outside world who can come in and help and advise on those integration steps to make it a connected system.

ST
Ok. Perfect. That’s great. So, I guess coming on to the future, and what does that hold for the development of PS to better assist the customer through the customer journey; I guess like growing teams and that sort of thing?

RC
Yes, so the journey of PS; I go back nearly 7 years and look at what I did when I first started. I did the full pre-sales piece, joining lots of calls with potential customers to understand what they were looking for and things like that. I would go away and do the training as well, and that was great, to go out and see the customer and help them with their training and understanding of the application. And then we used to do the post project piece, where we used to help customers a lot. As the business has grown, and as PS has grown, we have identified that you can’t wear all of those different hats. It’s a big task to handle all of those. So, we now look at what we are doing. We have dedicated resources now around pre-sales. The team and the consultants do a little less pre-sales and are now focussed on the projects.

ST
So they get more time allocated to the projects.

RC
Yes. Training; we now have dedicated resources within the office around training, so that they can talk the business language, they understand how the application works, if there have been changes made they understand how they work within the project. We have dedicated resource there, which means that the consultants are doing a little less training but are more focussed on the consultancy piece. And the last part that I’ve touched on, the post project piece, we have the Customer Experience Team now as well, who are there to help people utilise the system as much as much as possible. So, once again, it is a little less on the PS Team to go away and do. That is the journey that we have been through. That is 7 years worth of journey in a couple of seconds. We have also changed the structure of the PS Team as well. So, we used to do all applications, which is great, you get to know them, and being slightly more old-school, I can go away and do all these applications. However, as the applications have matured they have become bigger, more complex and a little more difficult to understand. Trying to do all of that at the same time is a big ask of anybody. So, we now try and focus functionally on the applications so that we have people who really understand the Procure-to-Pay world and people who really understand the Order-to-Cash world as well. So, we have got people who really understand the applications and modules in far more detail than trying to spread your knowledge widely.

ST
Do you draw on resources from Esker Corporate as well. Is that something you do?

RC
Yes, we have access to what we call the International Professional Services Team – IPS. We can reach out to those guys as well, and we can reach out to the Support Team; there is no reason why we can’t do that. Through those two groups of people we can access the R&D teams as well. So, if we have an incredibly complex problem and is not easily solvable through the tools that we have available to us we can reach out to those guys as well, to get advice and guidance from them. That nicely touches on the structure of these teams as well. We have talked about consultants, and they understand how the application works. They understand how to marry these applications to the business. We have talked about change requests; we have got engineers who can, in the background, do the coding, the additional fields and things like that. They can go away and do the behind the scenes stuff to make the application more customer specific, if that is what is needed. We have changed a lot in nearly seven years, from doing everything, to being more focussed on the particular tasks that are presented to us as a team.

ST
Fantastic. That is great. Superb! Thanks for that Rob. That was a whistle stop tour of PS, but it has been fascinating, really interesting to get that insight!

RC
It is an insight that maybe many people don’t get, even internally, maybe don’t get to see, and get to understand. We aren’t the IT people who sit in darkened rooms, and don’t talk to people. We are the opposite of that, we want to be talking to people and we want to be engaging with people. It is different to, perhaps, the traditional view of IT people.

ST
Yes, absolutely. I totally agree. It shows the importance of the role that PS plays in the wider context of the business. That was fantastic, and I appreciate your time today. Thanks for joining us!

RC
Not a problem. Thanks very much for having me.

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