Automating administration: roadmap to eliminate repetitive work

Do you want to automate your administration, but aren’t sure how to go about it in a way that will quickly benefit you? In this blog we share a handy step-by-step plan to eliminate monotonous, repetitive work in a coordinated way. You can automate your administration in 5 easy steps, leaving time for work that is more challenging and makes you happier!

1. Switch to digital submission of purchase invoices

If you are serious about getting started with digital invoice processing to improve your administrative processes, it is important to switch to digitalization completely. Therefore, ask your suppliers whether they want to submit invoices digitally (in PDF format) from now on. Not to a fixed contact person within the company, but via a standard e-mail address. In this way, you ensure that all invoices arrive in one invoice mailbox.

2. Stop receiving collective invoices.

If you work with paper invoices, you want to receive as few documents as possible. Therefore, in that case, it is common to ask for collective invoices. However, these have to pass several approvers, because there are several items on them. If you are going to automate your administration, it is better to have suppliers send invoices that relate to only one service provided. You can process and pay such small invoices a lot faster. This ensures that you maintain a good relationship with your suppliers. Within certain industries, you even get payment discounts if you pay promptly. Depending on the sector in which you operate, this can save you a lot of money!

3. Choose OCR software that interprets invoices and prepares entries

If you want to automate your administration, you can’t do without good OCR software. This looks at where the values are on a document to recognize them. But one system is not the other. It is advisable to choose a smart OCR solution, which is self-learning and uses the knowledge of the user community. Want to get the most out of your OCR software? Then follow these tips:

Make sure all master data is correct in your ERP system. This includes things like the IBAN number, VAT number and the Chamber of Commerce number.
Let suppliers know in advance exactly what to put on the invoice. You can create a standard email for this purpose.
Create a default email for suppliers who haven’t followed your instructions. If an invoice comes in with missing data, all you have to do is check the box to see what additional information you need before sending the standard email to the supplier.
Consider rule recognition. Good OCR software offers this option, eliminating the need to retype lines. You set everything up right once, then you can have invoices booked automatically.
If you receive invoices from a known supplier, copy the entry from the previous time by applying smart logic. Or choose to make the process fully automatic. By automating your administration in this way, you eliminate repetitive work and reduce errors!

4. Accord orders not after the fact, but in advance

Do you know in advance who is going to order what? Then have an executive approve it in advance. This way you can easily tap the invoice after receipt via a matching module. No one has to look at it anymore. By working this way, you save a lot of time. Moreover, at the end of the month there are no surprises when choices are approved internally in advance. After all, you get insight into what you have to pay for the next month. You can do this with physical orders (such as computers or building supplies) as well as services (including courses).

5. Work with workflow software

Invoices that do not include a purchase order and that you have not pre-approved, you do want to approve afterwards. These need to go to the right approvers. If you want to automate your administration, you can do this the smart way: choose good workflow softwareso that you spend considerably less time on the approval process. For example, workflow software allows you to automatically send reminders and set default approvers for certain suppliers. Advanced solutions even allow you to automate the approval of monthly recurring invoices that fall within a certain range. You can use this feature for standard invoices from suppliers you trust. This makes your process efficient and seamless!

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