There’s never been a better time to work across Procure to Pay. Why? Because in tumultuous times, an organisation thrives on the confidence that a sound P2P strategy can provide. Where a company has deep insights into its processing, the control that enables has a direct impact on organisational stability, employee satisfaction and growth. With inflationary pressures, supply chain instability and geo-political uncertainty, effective cash management is paramount.

The Great Resignation
And that presents an opportunity. Both to professionals themselves and to the organisations looking to hire the best of the best. During the latter part of 2022 and on the back of the pandemic, organisations noticed a shift in thinking, a shift which became known globally as The Great Resignation. Employees once content with the status quo found themselves questioning where they wanted to be in the future and where their skills were best aligned and applied. Inflexible organisations with poor training programmes and a lack of future focus found themselves on the back foot.

It’s a Catch-22!
But the problem this presented was two-fold. Organisations that wanted to modernise but were demonstrably tied to the past with paper-based processing and disconnected systems, struggled to attract the right talent and to up-skill those already in the company. And without the organisational strength to facilitate it, were unable to offer the higher salaries that those with digital skills can demand. A Catch-22 situation. And we’re not out of it yet.

Be Curious
However, the key to success lies in taking a holistic view. Both from a personal career perspective and for the company and the culture it wants to create. Take collaboration for example. Departments that were once very separate have become more connected. Despite the dramatic shift to remote and hybrid working which served to physically separate us, the need for better transparency across the business meant that teams have had to co-operate more with each other. And part of that means understanding how our core function impacts on others. The effect of which is personal growth, a louder voice in the company and a broader personal brand. Professionals who place themselves in the path of opportunity are often thought of as “lucky” when promotion comes their way. But often it’s about curiosity. Be curious. Be involved. You might find that it's surprising just how far that "luck" can take you.

Building and Retaining Talent
To stay ahead, so-called soft skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy and strategic thinking are becoming just as important as the core needs of a specific area. And as the transactional element of finance becomes more automated, those with strong analytical skills will find themselves more in demand. To attract and retain the talent needed, organisations will have to demonstrate a desire for a forward-thinking digital programme. And to keep yourself relevant, it makes sense to upskill where you can.

The Revolution of Work
Because there's a quiet revolution going on. Fuelled by data, the technology that sits alongside it, and billions of online transactions between companies, individuals and devices, whole industries are changing and reinventing themselves. New technologies like 3D printing and electric cars have shaken up supply chains and whole sectors. Today’s finance and procurement teams will be increasingly impacted by these shifts, and by new areas of digitalisation such ChatGPT.

Develop a Growth Mindset
It’s easy to be blindsided or overwhelmed by new developments or even to see their relevance, especially when the rate of change is not the same across all sectors and departments, but while some technologies may not hit the mark, it’s clear that the world of finance, P2P and procurement is changing. Whether this is viewed as a threat, challenge or opportunity often depends on mindset, which of course can be affected by any number of circumstances. But if you want to be successful, it’s important that a fixed mindset does not hold you back from the future you deserve. Remember - place yourself in the path of opportunity. The question is, do you feel lucky, well do ya?

You're in control of the P2P function in your business. That's great! So what does it involve? Well, quite a lot actually.

And with the changing culture within many organisations, if you're in charge of the P2P element in your company, you've probably got more responsibility across the board than ever before. And that's a good thing.

Because you're in the best place to bring about some true transformation in the way that your business operates. We often talk about Transformation as if it’s something finite. But transformation across Purchase to Pay is a continuous journey. Your processes and technology can be transformed from what they were, but like going to the gym, what’s fit and healthy today, will be tired and clunky tomorrow if you don’t keep up with things. One of the effects of the pandemic was to focus everyone’s attention on the company’s tech. From internal meetings, to global spend and cash management - it caused companies to scramble to get to grips with their digital strategy.

Data First - Keep it Clean

Many soon discovered that when it comes to understanding processing, it’s data that comes first. The ever-expanding connections between our systems, internal customers and our buyers and suppliers creates a constant and growing stream. But the digital transformation that organisations hope for will never happen if that data isn’t captured or isn’t clean enough. And yet, we discovered that for over 50% of people we spoke to, reporting capabilities were either very poor or needed improvement. And that’s where using the right technology comes in.

The Future’s in the Cloud

If future success and insight lies in a company’s data, its visibility and accessibility lie in how that data is stored. The shift over the last five years has been ever more cloud based, and as security concerns become less relevant as the technology becomes more secure, the idea of a future, 100% in the cloud, seems probable. The world can sometimes be very difficult to predict either from a climate, supply chain or geopolitical perspective, with disruptions costing companies billions. So it makes sense to control what you can. Adding an automation eco-system that can be accessed in real-time by many, is one way to limit the damage created by uncertainty.

Business Partnering and Digital Collaboration

Departments that were once very separate have become more connected. Despite the dramatic shift to remote and hybrid working which served to physically separate us, the need for better transparency across the business meant that teams have had to co-operate more with each other. And it’s not just a nice-to-have. Because finance functions sit at the core of their enterprise, CFOs have the visibility across the business that few other roles have. Over a third of businesses this year have increased their digital collaboration, many with shared KPIs, generating real value to their organisation’s bottom line.

Building and Retaining Talent

This landscape also has implications for careers in finance. To stay ahead, so-called soft skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy and strategic thinking are equally as important as the core needs of a specific area. And as the transactional element of finance becomes more automated, those with strong analytical skills will find themselves more in demand. To attract and retain the talent needed, organisations will have to demonstrate a desire for a forward-thinking digital programme. And to keep yourself relevant, it makes sense to upskill where you can.

Industry 4.0 and the Revolution of Work

Fuelled by data, the technology that sits alongside it and billions of online transactions between companies, individuals and devices, whole industries are changing and reinventing themselves. New technologies like 3D printing and electric cars have shaken up supply chains and whole sectors. Today’s finance and procurement teams will be increasingly impacted by these shifts, and by new areas of digitalisation such as the rise of crypto currencies, with Bitcoin now starting to find its way onto corporate balance sheets.

Risk and Fraud

But with new ideas, come new risks. Where there is a gap in continuity or a changing process - there will always be someone willing to exploit it. So you need to make sure that you have the controls in place to protect against risk, such as duplicate payments and fraud, for example.

But of course, getting to grips with a digital transformation project is never just about the technology. For anyone who’s ever tried to deliver a project without a change management plan, you’ll have learnt the hard way. No matter how shiny the new technology is, if your team aren’t on board, it’s not going to work. Making sure that the right people are involved, that the right voices are heard, and the right decisions are taken based on those voices, will be the difference between an efficient, successful transformation programme and one that falters and fails to deliver.

Accounts Payable as a career used to be treated as either a stepping stone, or overlooked in favour of what's sometimes seen as more more substantial roles in finance or accounting. These areas also tend to offer a more obvious direction in terms of professional development and career progression. These days the role performed by Accounts Payable professionals is more recognised as being a vital one - with an increasingly an important role in the management of a company’s cash flow and financial transactions with suppliers, contractors, and sub-contractors. On top of that, with the increase in technology and processes connecting the different areas of purchase to pay, it's a role where the ability to perform analysis of data is of growing importance. And it's no longer uncommon to have positions such as Directors of AP, or Global AP Director - opening up new and challenging opportunities for the business and individuals.