Royal FloraHolland brings simplicity to its Purchase to Pay process

Royal FloraHolland wanted a simpler, more user-friendly Purchase to Pay (P2P) process and, at the same time, to make invoice processing less complex. The existing environment required a lot of user support and maintenance, so Royal FloraHolland saw opportunities to align the process better with day-to-day practice. After exploring whether the existing solution could be optimised, the organisation decided to explore the market again. Spendlinq guided the software selection and then supported Royal FloraHolland as a knowledge partner and process expert during the implementation of a new P2P solution. There was one clear condition: the new P2P environment had to be operational before the existing software contract expired.

The challenge

In practice, the existing ordering process required a relatively large amount of support. Few catalogues were available, so almost all requests were submitted as free text. For employees, including many occasional purchasers, this made the process less straightforward to use.

The coding used was also not always easy for requesters to interpret, so support was regularly needed during the ordering process. In addition, resolving discrepancies between invoices and purchase orders required extra steps and coordination between Accounts Payable and requesters.

Royal FloraHolland also saw opportunities for simplification in invoice processing and contract management. Some of the invoices were processed through a separate solution, and the available contract management functionality was used only to a limited extent in practice. The organisation wanted to support these processes better and organise them in a more integrated way.

Royal FloraHolland investigated whether reconfiguring the existing solution could deliver the desired improvements. When it turned out that this would require a substantial investment and effort, the organisation decided to also explore other solutions on the market and to start a new software selection.

The role of Spendlinq

Spendlinq initially guided Royal FloraHolland through the software selection, bringing broad knowledge of the P2P software market. The project team was supported in translating ambitions and pain points into requirements for a new solution in a structured way. Spendlinq’s standard question library was used as the basis, supplemented with specific requirements from the Royal FloraHolland organisation.

Use cases were also developed around processes that were specific to Royal FloraHolland. This made it possible to assess the different solutions in practice and actively involve relevant stakeholders in the selection.

After the software choice, Spendlinq supported Royal FloraHolland as a process expert during the implementation and in the decisions on processes and configuration. The planning was an important condition here: the existing software contract expired on a specific date, and the organisation wanted to avoid an extension because of the costs. The new environment therefore had to be operational within the agreed timeframe.

The solution

The selection process identified Medius as the best fit, with the Procurement, Accounts Payable Automation, Contract Management and Supplier Onboarding modules.

Simplicity was central to the design of the new ordering process. Forms with predefined coding help users submit requests correctly, and the number of approval steps has been reduced. The handling of invoice discrepancies has also been redesigned. Differences between an invoice and a purchase order are resolved through a defined workflow. Employees are automatically involved in the review and communication about it takes place within the application. This removes a large part of the email and phone coordination between Accounts Payable and requesters.

The rollout was phased, with the Digital department as the first pilot. The rest of the organisation then moved to the new way of working within the planned timeframe. By now, 500 to 600 end users record their requests and approvals in the new environment and all invoices are processed through the platform. The implementation of Contract Management and Supplier Onboarding is the next phase.

The technology

The result

With the new way of working, Royal FloraHolland has made its P2P process simpler and easier to control. Users are guided through the process better when submitting requests, which means fewer errors and less operational support. The approval process also has fewer steps, which contributes to shorter request lead times.

For Accounts Payable, the new approach to invoice handling in particular is a major improvement. Discrepancies are reviewed and resolved within a single workflow, which means less manual coordination and more efficient invoice processing.

At the same time, Royal FloraHolland has laid a foundation for further professionalisation of the P2P process. With the further implementation of Contract Management and Supplier Onboarding, contract and supplier processes will be integrated further too. Step by step, this creates a simpler way of working that fits users better and requires less operational management from the organisation.

About Royal FloraHolland

Royal FloraHolland is a cooperative of growers and an international trading platform for flowers and plants. The organisation brings together growers and buyers from the international horticulture sector and facilitates trade through physical auctions and digital services. The origins of Royal FloraHolland go back to 1911, when the first flower auction was founded in Aalsmeer.