Basware E-Invoicing Solutions Now PEPPOL-Compliant

Expanded commerce opportunities available for European customers

Stamford, Conn.—May 2, 2012Basware Inc., provider of e-invoicing and purchase-to-pay solutions, built PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online)-compliant procedures and protocols into all of its e-invoicing solutions, expanding commerce opportunities for its customers across Europe. The PEPPOL initiative, co-funded by the European Commission, is to enable EU-wide exchange of electronic invoices and business documents among private and public businesses of any size to foster European-wide commerce opportunities.  

Involved in the PEPPOL initiative since its inception in 2008, its implementation of PEPPOL comes three months before the Norwegian Government will mandate contracting authorities to require that all suppliers must invoice them electronically with the use of PEPPOL infrastructure as the preferred approach.

“PEPPOL marks a step forward in open, collaborative commerce,” said Esa Tihilä, Chief Executive Officer, Basware. “Automating purchase processes, along with a common way of working across Europe, will significantly boost commerce opportunities between private and public businesses of every size.”

The Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi) states that this mandate by the Norwegian Government will make PEPPOL the ‘backbone of public electronic invoicing in Norway.’  PEPPOL anticipates similar requirements from governments across Europe over the next few years.

“The high standards for invoice content set by PEPPOL will ensure public authorities receive better-quality invoices,” said Olav Astad Kristiansen, Senior Adviser, Difi. “The wider business community will also prosper through simpler and more efficient invoicing processes.”

Basware’s customers now can send and receive PEPPOL-compliant e-invoices and documents to customers and suppliers. Staples Finland, a key supplier of office and industrial supplies to government agencies, has become one of the first companies to start using PEPPOL-compliant e-invoices.

“As a supplier it is essential to be PEPPOL-compliant to meet customer demands,” said Pekka Leppälä, Sales Director, Staples. “When sales and invoicing processes are harmonized, it makes the relationship between buyer and supplier mutually beneficial and opens up new business opportunities, particularly against our competitors that may not yet be compliant.”

The level of standardization delivered by PEPPOL holds significant advantages for businesses of every size. PEPPOL will ensure greater transparency through e-invoicing, and increase public accountability of business deals. PEPPOL implementation will also enhance the automation of purchase-to-pay, speed up administrative activities and reduce costs, while encouraging green, sustainable purchasing. E-invoicing enables buyers to benefit from automated, error-free invoices that improve their ability to forecast, while suppliers benefit from faster payment cycles and improved cash flow and visibility.

Basware believes in openness and collaboration between all parties across trading networks,” Tihilä continued. “The support we have provided to the PEPPOL initiative is based on recognition and understanding of the importance in providing an EU-wide standard for electronic document exchange upon which organizations can rely to automate their P2P processes.”

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