PayStream Advisors delivers unbiased, third-party market trend information, assessments of financial automation technology, and innovative ideas to business
leaders in healthcare, consumer billing, finance and treasury, accounts receivable and accounts payable.
PayStream ePayables Summit Breaking Down the Walls for a Paperless AP June 15-17, 2010 Charlotte, NC
Day 1- Tuesday June 15th
10 AM – 12 PM
Learning Lab A
Payables Performance Measurement
"We can't improve what we can't measure." This simple phrase sums up the objective of this learning lab - to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) leading finance professionals are adopting to:
• benchmark their organizations processes • set new targets for success, and • measure results against stated objectives
Participating in this lab you will leave with an actionable blueprint for measuring and managing payables performance across several dimensions including process efficiency, discount capture, working capital optimization, and vendor management.
Presenter: Joe Fox, Senior Director - Network and Financial Solutions, Ariba, Inc
Learning Lab B
P-Cards: Paper or Plastic- What You Don’t Know About Purchasing Cards
What's new isn't the fact that p-cards have become corporate mainstream, but rather, that p-cards are now finding their place as a means for larger, recurring purchases like temporary labor, computers, software and corporate travel. This session will offer valuable insights for business executives and managers who are considering an initial p-card program, as well as people at larger companies already using p-card programs that are looking for ways to further streamline purchasing operations and/or reduce the net cost of goods and services they need to buy.
12 PM – 1 PM Buffet Lunch
Learning Lab C
Imaging Ivy League: Lessons from a Tenured Imaging and Workflow Professor
The bell has rung and class is in session. Join in as an expert in the finance industry shares their experience in IWA with the class. The need for cost containment and enhanced productivity has encouraged organizations to look for new ways to cut expenses and automate traditionally paper based and labor intensive processes. Imaging and Workflow Automation is emerging as the leading technology to do just that. Our professor will guide you through the benefits of this technology and show you why companies like yours are finding they can’t afford to wait any longer. Explore how IWA solutions strengthen controls, drive down costs and increase efficiencies. You cannot afford to sleep through this class!
Learning Lab D
Complex Payables & Your Control Framework: The Shifting Demands of AP
The role of the Accounts Payable Professional is morphing rapidly from purchase accountants to process and expense control experts. Today’s environment demands managers to become experts in all facets of their business plus become vigilant hawks for risk, fraud, and process monitoring. In this panel session, we have assembled three AP experts to explore the critical role that today’s manager need to play in managing the entire purchase to pay process from the creation of an obligation to its ultimate payment. Participants will discuss these new management roles and discuss control roles, tools and techniques and why your job depends on not only understanding more about your process controls, but also becoming an expert in their use and application.
Day 2- Wednesday June 16th (Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall)
8:30 am Opening Remarks and Panel Discussion:
Finding the Right Solution in all the Chaos- A Panel Discussion
We throw around words like data capture, OCR, Imaging and Workflow, IDR and electronic invoicing- but what does it all mean? They are all part of the fundamental paradigm shift from paper to electronic invoices. However, the difference between them is as vast as the difference between a tornado and a hurricane. Industry experts will explore the distinctions between the various technologies that can help you go paperless and give you a unique insight into the pros and cons of the options available to you and your Accounts Payable Department.
9:30 am – 10 am Coffee Break in Exhibitor Hall
10: 00 am – 11:10 am Breakout Sessions
Smart e-Invoicing: How Global Companies Achieve Touchless Invoice Processing
E-Invoicing is a top priority for global companies in 2010; however, many companies are concerned that e-invoicing is complex and may even increase costs associated with handling bad invoices. In this session, you will learn how you can quickly and easily move to “smart e-invoicing.” Attend this session and learn how you can:
Achieve a smooth transition to smart e-invoicing that maximizes your electronic invoice volume
• Set up three levels of defense for eliminating invoice exceptions that increase AP staff efficiency Provide a supplier portal that conveys real-time invoice status, virtually eliminating supplier inquiries • Comply with local e-invoicing tax and e-signature authorities Extend the return on investment in your existing ERP and AP systems • Join this session to learn from industry experts on how to virtually eliminate paper and the invoice exceptions and supplier inquiries that you have come to expect with manual processing.
Client Case Study Presented with Joe Fox, Senior Director Network and Financial Solutions, Ariba
Workflow Secrets: Technology and Your Change Management Strategy
You have done your homework, double checked your research and built your business plan. Now you just have to get the approval, easier said than done. How do you align your company’s culture, values, people, and behaviors — to encourage the desired results? Learn how others have hurdled this daunting task and leave with tips you will be able to use immediately.
Learn how to: • Effectively communicate the message, • Address the “human –side” systematically, • Assess the cultural landscape, and • Gain the support of every layer of the corporate ladder
11:20 am – 12:30 am – Breakout Sessions
A New Flight Plan: Insights From a Total AP Overhaul
Southwest Airlines is in the final phases of implementing several major technology enhancements: conversion from a mainframe accounting system to an EPR; conversion from back-end-imaging to front-end imaging with OCR and workflow; conversion of T&E from an excel spreadsheet to an ERP-managed solution; implementation of a p-card program emcompassing 800 plus cards; and an implementation of software to prevent duplicate payments and vendor fraud. In this serssion, these innovative AP Supervisors will share with you lessons learned throughout the AP overhaul process.
Cicley Lopez, Senior AP Supervisors, Southwest Airlines Michelle Price, AP Supervisors. Southwest Airlines
Using Analytics to Drive Your Working Capital
The marketplace has an increasing need for information and for the powerful analytics to process large amounts of information, specifically around your financial supply chain. During this session Citi will cover the best analytical practices across all spend categories that will give organizations visibility and insight for decision-making. Consultative recommendations from the analytics can help companies realize potential cost savings and greater efficiency within your Accounts Payable processes as well as payment and working capital strategies. Citi will also outline ways to streamline your company’s entire procure-to-pay process including but not limited to electronic purchase order delivery, invoice automation, and workflow, a full suite of electronic payment solutions; working capital tools including cards, discount management, and supply chain finance.
Client Case Study Presented with Ed Simpson, Procure To Pay Market Manager, Citi
Secrets of the Trade: Developing and implementing your electronic invoice Discount Management platform
So you’ve decided to move forward with your electronic initiative – Now what? First step – uncover the lessons learned from those who have done it first. In this session, see how in three short years Yum! Brands was able to successfully implement an electronic invoicing system and how that enabled them to introduce Discount Management into their process. Today they are seeing over $700 million in savings thanks to Dynamic Discount Management and have less than 20 thousand paper invoices. Listen in as the Director of Accounting tells you how they did it.
Will Creech, Director of Accounting, Yum! Brands, Inc
Using OCR and Data Capture to Improve Accounts Payable Department
Who knew that removing paper from corporate America would be more difficult than putting a man on the moon? While the decades-old promise of a “paperless office” has yet to be fully realized, proven technologies do exist that can limit the amount of paper processed in finance organizations – while improving productivity and efficiency. As companies understand that OCR and data capture technologies deliver tangible benefits, including increased accuracy, lower costs and expense visibility, these tools are gaining rapid traction. Our expert will demonstrate for you how by automating your Accounts Payable department using in-house scanning and imaging and document archiving you can effectively reduce headcount and increase productivity.
Damien Hitnariansing, IT Project Manager, Take-Two Interactive Software
3:10 PM – 3:40 PM Afternoon Break in Exhibitor Hall
3:40 PM – 4:50 PM Breakout Sessions
Using Metrics and Benchmarking to Drive Your AP Automation Strategy
Given that “doing more with less” is the mantra of 2009, how do you accomplish your goals with limited staff and non-existent budgets? Evaluating key indicators of the people and processes in place are the true keys to transforming your P2P organization. PayStream has identified the 12 Key Performance Indicators of the Accounts Payable, Travel & Expense and Discount/Payment Management. This model serves as a recommendation for organizations to follow in improving their own P2P operations by closely analyzing the entire approval to payment process from the following areas: costs, quality, effectiveness, productivity, strategic alignment, employee and supplier-specific issues. In this session, PayStream’s research director will share her experiences at building a simple dashboard to monitor and drive your invoice and expense management improvement process.
Sush Koka, Research Director, PayStream Advisors
Implementing e-Invoicing and Payments
Mohawk Industries was an early pioneer into e-Invoicing, having launched a successful e-Invoicing project several years ago. More recently, Mohawk has been attempting to “close the loop” by automating supplier payments using Pcard “Buyer Initiated Payment”. In this session, Tracy will share the initial objectives behind Mohawk’s e-Invoicing initiative, how it integrates into their business process, key lessons learned, and then discuss how implementing electronic payments is helping Mohawk complete their vision for the invoice to pay process and share preliminary results from that initiative.
Day 3, Thursday June 17th (Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall)
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM Panel Discussion
Are you a Mac or a PC? Hosted Technology Versus Outsourced Services
Until recently, technology and automation were concepts that were limited to the Fortune 1000 organizations as mid market and small companies were daunted by the huge financial and time investments required to implement licensed software. Today, with the evolution of hosted delivery models and outsourced services the doors of automation have been opened wide for smaller companies. Join our panelists as they discuss this hot topic and provide valuable insights into the multiple options now available for companies seeking to streamline and optimize their paper-driven processes.
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Coffee Break in Exhibitor Hall
10:00 AM – 11:10 AM Breakout Sessions
Imaging Migration: The Path from Back-end Imaging to IWA
As the heat rises in the summer, African zebras find their endless supply of green foliage begins to dry up. They are forced to follow the trickling river that they know will eventually lead to greener pastures. In much the same way, companies who have already implemented simple back-end imaging solutions are finding that the simple scanning of invoices after it has been processed is no longer enough to sustain the growing needs of their AP department. In this session, learn how companies like yours have transformed their current back-end imaging solution into a full imaging solution.
5 Simple Truths Behind Supplier Onboarding
Whether you are considering electronic invoicing or are already on the path, you know the most critical success factor is gaining supplier adoption. We will share 5 things that you need to know to make your program a success! Get a first hand look into what influences a supplier’s adoption decisions and the factors you need to embrace on-board suppliers. Service providers have made complete businesses out of this and have processes, tools and systems to support the complexities of supplier onboarding so listen in as one shares their secrets. By the end of this workshop, you will learn how to think like your supplier counterpart to greatly accelerate your adoption results.
11:20 AM – 12:30 PM Breakout Sessions
Cash flow diplomacy: the role of a working capital czar
How does a global giant drive change across divisions and geographic regions? Who is responsible for coordinating P2P initiatives impacting corporate and regional enterprises? Surprisingly, for most organizations the answer is “no one”. How can you build a single P2P strategy to seed and coordinate cross-functional initiatives? In this session, attendees learn from the trials and tribulations of an energetic manager who has wrestled with the difficult strategic decisions required to carve out his informal role as Chief Payment Officer.
Managing the complexities of an outsourced e-payables relationship
Outsourcing was the buzzword of 2007 – is it still viable in 2010? – and what do you need to know to evaluate the its’ merits today? In this fact- filled sessions, learn how a retail giant off-shored most of its AP functions. Are you curious to learn about the decision to outsource? Learn from the hands-on experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from the manager who oversaw the project to transfer more than 50 positions. Discussion will include, uncovering the facts and myths about outsourcing; gaining the inside track on managing outsourcing relationships; insight into transition planning, outsourcing governance and change management; Plus take practical lessons from the human side – how to communicate and manage staff when their jobs are being eliminated. Buckle your seat belts for a learning adventure.
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM Buffet Lunch and Panel Session
Integrating Purchasing and Payables: Defining and Aligning your P2P Strategy
Procure-to-pay automation, including electronic procurement, invoice automation and discount management initiatives, need a framework to ensure that programs are approached on a strategic basis, which bridges the supply chain, accounts payable and finance functions. Our most recent research shows that many enterprises are still implementing electronic invoicing or stand alone discount management or supply chain finance programs, not truly integrated projects. So far, only a limited number of enterprises have stepped up to this challenge and are implementing projects that span the entire procurement payment process. However, this number is steadily rising, as corporate enterprises begin to understand the benefits of integration and alignment between the procurement and payment functions, which until recently were separate silos. In this session, attendees learn from the trials and tribulations of a vigorous manager who has fought to bring all sides together to create a truly integrated system.
1:50 PM – 3:00 PM Closing Session
How to Turn Your AP Operation into a Profit Center
Open the Wall Street Journal and every day you will find a “Gloom and Doom” report on companies cutting jobs and losing money. Your goal is to keep this from happening to your company, but how can your part help the big whole? This session outlines a three-part strategy that CFO’s, Controllers and Treasurers should already be implementing in their AP departments: 1) find the cash already tied up in working capital; 2) make investments that will generate ongoing cost reductions; 3) tackle weaknesses in enterprise information that impairs visibility. PayStream estimates that a $7 billion company has at least $70 million in excess working capital tied up in poorly managed receivables and payables. In this session, learn how to build your roadmap toward finance efficiency with benchmarking, investment decision-ing and improved reporting to improve cash visibility.
