When it comes to invoicing, fast is good. But smart is better. And connected and global are critical. Recognizing this, Ariba, an SAP company and a leader in invoice and payment management solutions, today announced expanded capabilities delivered as part of the latest release of the Ariba® Network that are setting a new standard for the way invoicing is done. The Ariba Network is the world’s largest, most global business-to-business trading platform and is used by nearly 2 million enabled buyers and sellers to exchange over 70 million invoices per year. With the new features embedded in the network, these companies can drive an end-to-end invoicing process that is more global, intelligent and simple than ever.

“Automation is usually the first step companies take to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their accounts payable operations,” says Christopher Dwyer, Research Director at independent research firm Ardent Partners and author of ePayables 2015: Higher Ground. “But to really move the function to higher ground, companies must leverage the connectivity of business networks to centralize data collection, data analysis and provide a gateway for collaboration both within and beyond the enterprise on a global scale.”

Connected, Smart and Simple

Leveraging Ariba’s cloud-based applications and business network, companies can enable a closed-loop process that is connected to procurement and integrated with their suppliers so that they can capture and settle invoices more simply and efficiently. And they can manage all elements of this process in a completely touchless manner with proper governance along the way.

“Having a single platform to manage supplier onboarding as well as integrate purchase order and invoice automation is a major advantage to organizations like ours that are looking to simplify these activities,” says Art Noe, Director, Global Procurement Services for Quad/Graphics.

Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions agrees. “This is a unique strength of network-based solutions,” he says. “And it leads to even further benefits up and down the supply chain.”

Among the new features in the latest release that are creating benefits for sellers on the Ariba Network are enhanced services invoicing capabilities that support multi-level hierarchies for orders and invoices and make it easier to manage large volumes of line items and their related closure/invoice requests.

Global

As business becomes more global, the ability to meet complex tax and compliance requirements that vary by country becomes more critical. The countries in which Ariba supports VAT compliance requirements comprise more than 90 percent of the world’s GDP. And three more have joined the list, making Ariba the most global invoicing solution on the market:

Tax Services Invoicing for Brazil - Brazil has complex and unique requirements governing the creation of tax invoices for the delivery of services that vary by locality. With the latest release of its network, Ariba delivers an end-to-end services invoicing solution that includes support for signing, submission and receipt of invoices from Sao Paulo, and delivery these invoices to the buyer.

Tax Invoicing for Chile and Colombia - Like Brazil, Chile and Colombia have their own complex requirements governing the creation of tax invoices, their validation by the tax authority and validation checks through to payment. With the latest release of the Ariba Network, Chilean and Colombian companies can automate the invoice submission process and guarantee that their invoices are current and valid. And buyers can focus on their business needs rather than the complexities of legal invoice formats and tax authority integration in these countries.

“Network-based solutions are the future of business,” Dwyer says. “And companies that want to drive real AP transformation need to leverage them.”

To learn more the Ariba’s solutions and the value they can deliver, visit: www.ariba.com.

About Ariba, an SAP Company

Ariba is the world’s business commerce network. Ariba combines industry-leading cloud-based applications with the world's largest Internet-based trading community to help companies discover and collaborate with a global network of partners. Using the Ariba® Network, businesses of all sizes can connect to their trading partners anywhere, at any time from any application or device to buy, sell and manage their cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before. Companies around the world use the Ariba Network to simplify inter-enterprise commerce and enhance the results that they deliver. Join them at: www.ariba.com.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 291,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

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