WHITE PAPER THE NEXT NORMAL Five reasons why e-invoicing is fast becoming business as usual October 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. E-INVOICING AND TODAY S BUSINESS NORMS 2. WHERE WE ARE TODAY 3. HOW WE GOT HERE 4. WHY WE RE ABOUT TO GO BEYOND THE TIPPING POINT 5. ACCELERATING THE FUTURE WITH BASWARE Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 2
E-INVOICING AND TODAY S BUSINESS NORMS Technology changes everything and at an increasing speed. One of the greatest technology changes in our lifetime has been the arrival of the World Wide Web. Created by Tim Berners-Lee as a tool for scientists back in the early 1990s, within 15 years it had become an intrinsic part of the way we do business. The iphone began the process of introducing smartphones to the mass market just seven years ago. Now, people are absolutely dependent on them to run their lives and businesses on the move. While the rate of adoption of innovative technology is speeding up, we know that there s a distinct pattern to how it is accepted into daily life. We ve seen the same core stages for all technologies that have transformed business, from the early mainframes through financial software, the Internet, mobile, email and more recently, cloud computing. At Basware, we believe that e-invoicing is another innovation that will change how we do business. There are two key questions. How fast will that happen? And what is driving organizations to adopt it? to be among the first on board. They re followed by the Early Majority, who are perhaps a little more conservative but still open to new ideas. These companies are likely to influence the others who follow. At this point, we re at the top of the curve and the technology is on the brink of being viewed as business as usual. That means the more conservative, risk-adverse organizations the Late Majority and the Laggards can feel comfortable with taking on what is no longer seen as a highly risky technology. This is called the tipping point. It s the moment of critical mass. Those who have adopted before this point are already enjoying the benefits. Those yet to adopt are realising that they must do so to keep up. We believe that e-invoicing is reaching the tipping point and many organizations have already adopted. If you are not among them, it s time to seriously consider whether you want to find yourself on the wrong side of the hill. Being left behind could be riskier than adopting what is fast becoming a normal technology. CLIMBING THE BELL CURVE The adoption of any innovative product tends to follow the same pattern a bellshaped curve. First to adopt a solution like e-invoicing are the Innovators. These are usually large organizations with the budget, knowledge and will to take the risks involved. Their large scale also tends to mean that they ll see significant benefits from an early stage. Also ahead of the curve are the Early Adopters. They often have the same level of excitement about the technology as Innovators, but don t have the budget Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 3
THE FIVE KEY REASONS FOR MASS ADOPTION Clearly, not all new ideas end up as business as usual. It s the technologies that offer the winning combination of demonstrable benefits from the start, and the promise of exciting innovations to come, that make it past the peak. We see five reasons why some technologies become business as usual: DRIVERS FOR MASS ADOPTION COST SAVINGS: Every organization is constantly looking for cost savings and any technology that delivers this return on investment will be taken seriously EASE OF USE: Adoption depends on users within the organization being willing and able to accept the technology as part of their working practices PROVEN: As a technology matures, the early issues are ironed out and the risk factor drops. Confidence grows around the use of the technology, supported by acknowledgement of the clear competitive advantage it brings NETWORK: When customers and suppliers start using the technology, it encourages adoption INNOVATION: Adopting a technology for the benefits it provides today could lead to even greater value as continuing innovation makes that technology even more powerful Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 4
WHERE WE ARE TODAY E-INVOICING IS MAKING AN IMPACT Looking at the numbers, it appears we re moving into the Early Majority stage in the adoption of e-invoicing. In 2013, the volume of e-invoices processed by European providers alone rose by a massive 20% over 2012 to 840 million. 1 Putting that in context, around 10% of all invoices are now processed electronically. 2 That growth is set to continue. Industry expert Bruno Koch expects that by the end of 2014, 14% of consumer invoices will be electronic, as will nearly a quarter of business and government invoices. That figure could be as high as 40% 3 in some European countries, including the UK. 4 In the USA, 46% of companies are evaluating the usage of an e-invoicing solution, 11% are in the deployment phase, set to go live in the next six months, and 25% currently have solution in place. 5 Worldwide, the volume of e-invoices is expected to continue to grow 20% yearon-year. 6 E-INVOICING ON THE BRINK OF BECOMING THE NEXT NORMAL Is there anything stopping adoption getting to the top of the hill? According to the influential European E-invoicing Service Providers Association (EESPA), it s simply a matter of mindset, and that is changing. 7 Financial decision makers understand that e-invoicing is the future and are making plans to embrace it, strongly encouraged by a surprising commitment from the public sector. That ties in well with the figures we have quoted on current e-invoice adoption. They re underlined by a study by Ardent Partners, which found that 70% of accounts payable and finance professionals worldwide believe that paper invoices are likely to see a significant decline in the next few years. 9 What s more, 29% of those surveyed were already using an e-invoicing system, while 55% were planning to make the move in the next 12 24 months. 10 EVEN THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS GETTING ON BOARD Usually the public sector is a Laggard when it comes to adopting new technology. That s not the case for e-invoicing, where the public sector is positively encouraging suppliers to adopt. Directives from the European Commission and initiatives in Latin America and Asia are making an enormous impact on turning e-invoicing into the new normal. This is hugely important because 45 65% of organizations are suppliers to the public sector. 11 That s an enormous incentive for change. If you re not yet ready for e-invoicing then it s time to reconsider your position. Some 81% of financial decision makers told researchers at Loudhouse Research that they believed all organizations have a responsibility to ensure that payment across the supply chain works as efficiently as possible. 8 1, 2 Basware Blog, European e-invoicing service providers processes more than 800 million e-invoices, according to EESPA Survey, 2014 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 Bruno Koch, E-Invoicing and E-Billing Key Stakeholders as Game-Changers, Billentis, 2014 7 EESPA, Acceleratng the Adoption of E-Invoicing, 2014 8 Basware, Creating Payment Energy: Unlocking the value of B2B payment networks, 2014 9, 10 Ardent Partners, epayables 2014: The Quest, 2014 Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 5
HOW WE GOT HERE WIDE-RANGING BENEFITS While cost savings are the most talkedabout benefit of e-invoicing, we think there s a bigger story to be told. We ve compiled our top reasons for moving to e-invoicing. The priorities for your organization will depend on your specific pressures and current way of working, but it s worth considering them all in your decision making process. Why organizations move to e-invoicing: KEY REASONS TO MOVE Pressure from suppliers, customers and other external organizations Increased customer retention A business case with a strong ROI Increased transparency of invoices within the internal workflow Ability to replace fixed costs with volume-based variable costs Greater efficiency from process innovation and automation Quality improvements Reduced fraud Cost savings As our list of benefits shows, we at Basware believe that e-invoicing is about much more than reducing costs. We ve seen e-invoicing make a serious impact across many areas of our customers businesses, and our experience is backed up by research. 12 Some 90% of organizations see slow payments as the cause of a wide range of issues. Chief among these is the limitation of the flow of funds between business partners. The bottom line is that old financial practices can restrict the growth of businesses, industries and even economies. 12 Basware, Creating Payment Energy: Unlocking the value of B2B pament networks, 2014 Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 6
WEAKENING BARRIERS In identifying the barriers to e-invoicing becoming the Next Normal, we ve found that we are, for the most part, back at the challenge of altering mindsets. As we ve said, financial professionals are recognising the value of e-invoicing, but some issues need to be resolved across the organization for successful transformation. In some cases, a lack of understanding of legal requirements is driving reticence. We believe that e-invoicing service providers like Basware, together with governments, have a valuable educational role to play here, sharing information and success stories with the market. As economies open up to the reality of e-invoicing, this process will become increasingly simple. If a lack of resources is the problem, then making e-invoicing a higher priority for the organization is the solution. In order to help this along, at Basware we ensure that transition is quick and easy, enabling invoices to be 100% electronic from day one. Occasionally, it s not the organization that s resistant to change but suppliers and customers. While adoption can t be forced, education and inspiration can help. This is a key area for Basware s market leading supplier activation services. Basware solutions accept a variety of invoice formats which lowers the barrier for suppliers to get on board. If prospective customers don t understand what is on offer, they are going to be slow to make decisions. Any lack of transparency about solutions and collaboration between service providers is a hindrance. We ve been working to address this problem by creating a Knowledge Center full of information and advice, and by working closely with our global commerce network of 170 e-invoicing service partners. Lack of understanding of the business case means that more communication is needed to demonstrate why the move is a good thing, and why now is the right time. The business case shouldn t focus just on cost but on how e-invoicing can transform the financial performance of a company. For more information, see our White Paper on Easy E-invoicing. * * Available in the Basware Knowledge Center at www.basware.com Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 7
WHY WE RE ABOUT TO GO BEYOND THE TIPPING POINT We have talked about the benefits of e-invoicing, the drivers and current adoption trends. But what makes us believe that we are now at the tipping point for mass adoption? Let s go back to the five reasons that we believe drive a technology to become mainstream and look at e-invoicing against each of those in turn. Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 8
1. COST SAVINGS It s widely acknowledged that e-invoicing can reduce costs. The savings of e-invoicing and automated invoicing processes over traditional paper-based systems has been shown to be 60 80%. Processing an e-invoice has been calculated to cost 5.40 compared with the 11.50 for a paper invoice a saving of 59% in total processing costs. 13 In the private sector, it all adds up to significant savings of about 1 2% of turnover. The public sector will see huge advantages too. In Europe, over 40 billion could be saved by replacing paper invoices with electronic ones. 14 By developing solutions that meet the needs of very different organizations large and small, across markets from retail to finance we aim to help businesses reduce their costs even further. We know that two-thirds of accounts payable and finance professionals have put reducing processing costs at the top of their priority lists for 2014. 16 So with cost savings like these, it s no wonder e-invoicing is on the brink of mass adoption. How long does it take to achieve those savings? The payback period is proving to be as little as six to eighteen months. 15 While implementing e-invoicing will bring significant costs savings, at Basware we believe that this is not the end of the story. Every business has its own specific ways of working and opportunities to extract greater value from e-invoicing. 13, 14, 15 Bruno Koch, E-Invoicing and E-Billing Key Stakeholders as Game-Changers, Billentis, 2014 16 Ardent Partners, epayables 2014: The Quest, 2014 Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 9
2. EASE OF USE What makes a new technology easy to use? An interface that recognizes the understanding and skills of its users, easy installation, and a match to the needs of the business. We build our solutions on a platform that s secure and scalable, and enables customers to easily integrate e-invoicing with current infrastructure and processes. But more than that, we ve developed our e-invoicing solutions with the user in mind. This means intuitive interfaces that are simple and easy to use. We have also created a range of applications and packages that offer real choice for different types of businesses from smaller suppliers who want a simple and free solution, to larger buyers requiring systems integration, additional services and dedicated expertise. By making e-invoicing easy invoicing for businesses and organizations of all shapes and sizes, we can help everyone realise the potential of e-invoicing sooner. Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 10
3. PROVEN A mature technology that has proven that it works and carries low risk will attract the Late Majority and the Laggards those conservative organizations who want the best but prefer to let others test it out first. Seeing the technology deliver real competitive advantage gives the latecomers the confidence to make the switch. This is happening with e-invoicing. Our solutions are already at work within organizations of all sizes around the world including SITA, Finnair, Philips, The Co-operative Group, UniCredit Bank and Heineken. We process 80 million e-invoices and e-documents annually in the Basware Commerce Network, and our customers are proving daily that the move to e-invoicing offers substantial benefits with minimal risk. The more companies see these success stories, the faster they will be to adopt solutions for themselves. Companies can point their suppliers in the direction of our activation services, which can enable them to gain maximum advantage quickly and easily. Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 11
4. AN OPEN NETWORK Businesses operate within eco-systems and networks. When leaders within those networks change their behavior or introduce new beneficial ways of working, adoption by other members accelerates. This network effect is a key driver for e-invoicing. Unlike most other commerce networks, the Basware Commerce Network is an open network. Openness enables the network effect to really take hold as businesses can easily connect with more of their customers and suppliers. Open networks are what have enabled mobile phones to take off. Imagine if they were closed: you could only call people with the same network provider. It is the fact that network providers have agreed to cooperate in an open way that makes the service really useful to its users. It s the same with e-invoicing. We believe that the true benefits of e-invoicing can only be achieved if service providers agree to work together and allow their networks to mesh, creating the sort of open commerce network that s never been seen before. The Basware Commerce Network is an open network which already connects a million companies across 100 countries. We have partnered with 170 e-invoicing service providers, and we are actively working to reduce barriers to entry across the industry. Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 12
5. INNOVATION Innovation is a key driver for technologies to become mainstream. Take mobile phones, again, as an example. The original application of voice calls was compelling but services such as SMS played a pivotal roll in the pace of user adoption. Today, the global rush towards smartphones is driven by innovation in applications and social media. In many ways, we view e-invoicing to be like mobile voice calls the beginning of the story and reason for businesses to connect. The rate at which those connections happen will only increase as new value-added services come online and begin to unlock even greater value for organizations and economies worldwide. As this happens, the e-invoicing agenda will move higher within companies, and increasingly become a CFO-level subject. With their higher vantage point and an understanding that e-invoicing is a platform to achieve much more than merely cost savings, the specter of business as usual will come closer, faster. Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 13
ACCELERATING THE FUTURE WITH BASWARE E-invoicing is well on its way to becoming business as usual. We expect adoption to pass the tipping point within the next 18 months to two years. In a short time, organizations will be wondering just as they do with the internet and smartphones how they ever managed without it. We believe Basware e-invoicing customers are uniquely placed to take advantage of the changes taking place. Our solutions enable you to deliver new operational efficiencies, greater financial control and a rapid return on investment. Basware Supplier Activation services can help you achieve 100% e-invoicing from day one. And, the Basware Commerce Network means you will be joining the world s largest open commerce network. In addition, we are committed to driving new service innovation to help you unlock increasing levels of value for your organization, your partners and suppliers. Our new Financing Services spanning e-payments, dynamic discounting and factoring services are just the beginning. Your end-users will find our solutions intuitive and easy to use. Our experience of working with some of the world s leading companies means you will not only be adopting tried and tested technology, but you will also benefit from the implementation and management know-how of our global experts. Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 14
NEXT STEPS If you re ready to move to e-invoicing or are currently evaluating its potential for your business, talk to us and discover how we can help you unlock the potential of e-invoicing. Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 15
INDEX BIBLIOGRAPHY Malcom Gladwell, The Tipping Point, 2000 Bruno Koch, E-Invoicing and E-Billing Key Stakeholders as Game-Changers, Billentis, 2014 Ardent Partners, epayables 2014: The Quest, 2014 * European E-Invoicing Service Providers Association (EESPA), e-invoicing study, 2014 * Basware, Creating Payment Energy: Unlocking the value of B2B payment networks, 2014 * FURTHER READING Esa Tihila, Why e-invoicing will soon become business as usual, 2014 ** Basware, The culture of late payment, 2014 * Purchasing insight, Electronic Invoicing The next steps towards digital government, 2014 Basware, e-invoicing the path to a $7 billion bottom-line oppportunity, 2014 * Rowan Lemly, How do you solve a problem like late payments?, 2014 ** * Available in the Basware Knowledge Center at www.basware.com ** Available on the Basware blog at www.basware.com Basware on Social Media www.twitter.com/basware www.linkedin.com/company/basware www.facebook.com/baswarecorporation www.basware.com Copyright 2014 Basware Corporation Basware Corporation 2014 www.basware.com 16