Summer is just around the corner. For some, it’s already well underway. It’s a time often associated with relaxation, ice cream in the sun, and quality time with family and friends. However, at the workplace, temporarily left behind, reduced staffing means the holiday atmosphere isn’t always experienced as relaxing.
Even though the pace within the organisation may slow down, maintaining a high level of service can still be a challenge when fewer hands are available. Many would even argue that the summer holiday period is one of the most stressful times of the year in terms of internal task management and resource strain. This also applies to the finance function.
Who is covering for whom? Which tasks are the highest priority? And what can wait until after the holidays? These are just a few of the questions you’ve probably had to deal with.
One of the tasks that can quickly create bottlenecks is the handling of supplier invoices.
Fewer invoices are typically received during the summer months, as business activities slow down. But the invoices that do come in still need to be processed.
That task can be extremely time-consuming. For several reasons. Perhaps the volume of invoices is greater than expected. Perhaps the employee handling the task isn’t used to dealing with invoices daily. Or perhaps the invoices contain errors or missing information, requiring the employee to spend time figuring out what’s what.
The latter is a near certainty. We’ve processed millions of invoices through our solution, InvoiceFirewall, and the data shows that up to 40% of all supplier invoices contain errors or missing information to some extent.
Errors and omissions take time to fix. And they require availability. And availability is often in short supply during holiday periods.
This illustrates why it can be helpful to have a robotic colleague on hand. One who never takes a holiday, never gets sick, and is always at work. That’s exactly the kind of colleague we’ve developed at efacto. We call this colleague InvoiceFirewall.
InvoiceFirewall is your defence against error-filled and incomplete invoices. The intelligent solution automates the validation of incoming invoices before they reach your ERP or invoice workflow system.
If possible, InvoiceFirewall automatically corrects errors and fills in missing information. If not, the invoice is returned to the supplier with clear instructions for data enrichment. The result? Errors and omissions are either resolved or flagged before the invoice hits your internal systems. That means less manual work, higher data quality, less pressure on your staff, and fewer bottlenecks. A clear advantage during summer periods with reduced staffing.
Although InvoiceFirewall is an extremely strong support tool during peak periods like holidays or illness, its value extends far beyond that. The solution adds value every single day.
InvoiceFirewall is a vital component of a modern and automated finance function. It ensures visibility, efficiency, and frees up time so you can focus on what truly creates value for the business.
Wishing you a wonderful summer holiday!
See how InvoiceFirewall can make your supplier invoice handling more efficient.