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Getting more from Purchase-to-Pay (P2P)

The Finance case for stronger spend control

When purchase orders (POs) are incomplete or inaccurate, routine invoices become exceptions in the Accounts Payable (AP) process. AP then spends time correcting information and resolving PO mismatches before payment can proceed.

At scale, that work can exceed capacity, pushing up processing costs and creating further downstream errors. It also leaves budgets and cash forecasts relying on incomplete information.

This whitepaper examines why avoidable work enters Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) processes and how organisations can address the issue without replacing the P2P system or ERP already in place. It shows how a controlled purchasing process improves the purchase record and how invoice automation reduces routine handling. Finance gains a reliable view of spend and lower invoice processing costs as volumes grow.

Key takeaways from the whitepaper

Identify where avoidable work enters the P2P process
See how invoice automation reduces routine AP work as volumes grow
Understand how accurate purchase records protect budgeting, forecasting, and spend control

Laptop mockup displaying the Proactis whitepaper cover, "Getting More from Purchase-to-Pay (P2P): The Finance Case for Stronger Spend Control," featuring a photo of a smiling businesswoman in conversation with a colleague.

Real-world Examples

A 2020/21 internal audit by the City of York Council found that 44% of invoices linked to a purchase order were dated before the PO itself was raised. That process deviation impacted 11,200 invoices in a single year, with over 6,000 dated more than 10 days before the PO.

From the whitepaper, you’ll learn how Leeds Beckett University used our Marketplace solution to increase on-contract spend and reduce maverick purchasing. You will also see how Wigan Council added Invoice Capture to their existing Unit4 system, and the many benefits they experienced.

A stronger P2P process starts with greater visibility both before and after a supplier invoice arrives. This whitepaper demonstrates the avoidable costs (in both time and money) and how to prevent them, backed with real-world examples of Finance and AP outcomes from organisations already getting more from their Purchase-to-Pay process.

Strengthen your P2P process and see where avoidable costs hide.

Complete this form to download the whitepaper and begin your Purchase-to-Pay process evolution.

FAQs

Why do invoices become exceptions in Accounts Payable?

A recent local authority audit found that 44% of invoices linked to a purchase order were dated before the PO itself was raised. Invoice exceptions often begin with the purchase rather than the invoice. When a PO is raised late or contains incomplete or inaccurate information, the invoice may not match what is on record. AP must then investigate and correct the mismatch before payment can proceed. As purchasing volumes grow, that avoidable work consumes more AP capacity.

How can I reduce invoice processing costs without replacing our existing ERP?

If you want to know how to reduce invoice processing costs without replacing your ERP or P2P system, start by addressing the points where avoidable work is created: the purchase itself and the supplier invoice that follows.

Helping employees to find approved suppliers and accurate purchasing information reduces mismatches before they happen, while automating invoice data capture reduces the manual effort required once invoices arrive. You can achieve these aims through our Marketplace and Invoice Capture solutions. Both work alongside the systems you already have in place with no need for a rip-and-replace.

How does invoice automation reduce AP workload?

Invoice automation extracts and validates invoice data as it arrives, rather than relying on individuals to manually key in the information and check every line. Straightforward invoices can move through matching and approval with minimal handling, freeing your AP team to focus on the smaller number of cases that genuinely need investigation.

How can more accurate purchase records improve cash flow forecasting?

Cash flow forecasts rely on knowing what’s already been committed, not just what’s been invoiced. When purchase orders are raised late, incomplete, or inaccurate, Finance ends up working from an incorrect view of committed spend. Forecasts and budgets are then based on information that fails to reflect what’s actually happening in the business. A process that captures accurate purchase information from the outset (rather than relying on it being corrected later) gives Finance a more reliable, real-time view to build forecasts from.