In the process of a Purchase-to-Pay-implementation (P2P), there are quite some opportunities for optimisation. This blog provides you with six best practices for a better implementation of P2P-software; these best practices are gathered by our consultants during implementations of new P2P-software.
1. Bulk catalog
The best choice is to upload one 'bulk catalog' to the new P2P-system instead of uploading a catalog per supplier. This bulk catalog is basically an export from all products and suppliers, coming from your current ERP-system. This export will serve as input for the new catalog in the new P2P-system.
Subsequently, you can create an export per supplier and ask each supplier to review this export or they can submit an entire new catalog in a pre-defined template.
Our advice is to use a phased approach (not all suppliers at the same time) so you can manage the P2P-project more easily; better for your own resources and resources from the suppliers.
2. Periodic meetings with P2P-supplier
Schedule periodic meetings with the contact person(s) from P2P-suppliers to discuss possible errors and issues. In addition, it is worthwhile that the contact person(s) of P2P-suppliers is/are also informed about the internal processes of your organisation. Keep them (frequently) informed about updates and changes in the implementation strategy.
3. Alignment of regular activities
It is important that regular procurement activities are aligned with all P2P- processes and this certainly applies to the supplier onboarding process. If a new article is added by the procurement team following current (old) procedures and system, this article must also be added to the new P2P-system.
4. Transfer to the line organisation
If you work with a P2P-project team, it is important to include the line organisation when discussing (important) choices. They will be working with the new P2P-software later on; hence, they need to adopt the new system and corresponding processes from the very beginning.
5. Escalations
Set up an escalation-matrix to enable quick problem-solving during the implementation process.
6. Structured working
Always work with correct versions of catalogs. When verifying catalogs, it might be necessary to check catalogs multiple times which results in multiple catalog-versions. Therefore, please work with unambiguous file names and correct version denotation.
More information
Would you like to know more about the implementation of procurement software and P2P-software in particular? Please refer to our information page.
