Disclaimer: This is a pre-release of a new Purchase Order functionality in Ocerra, which is available upon request for early access and beta testing. Please read below to learn more about this solution, its benefits and who should consider using it.
We are excited to introduce a new addition to our Ocerra AP automation solution: Purchase Orders (POs).
The Ocerra POs allow the creation, approval and sending of POs to suppliers, following an automated 2-way match.
Product Overview
The Ocerra PO is a lightweight solution designed to streamline the procurement process for small and medium-sized companies. It operates independently from your accounting or ERP system, offering a dedicated feature within the accounts payable (AP) automation framework for creating and managing purchase orders.
This approach simplifies procurement, ensures secure financial processes, and is cost-effective. It achieves these goals without the usual complexities of integrating purchase order functions into larger systems, offering greater flexibility and ease of use.
It's important to note that Ocerra POs is a standalone feature and is not intended to replicate the extensive financial capabilities found in ERP systems. The main purposes of Ocerra POs is to help your organisation in:
Initiating the use of POs if you haven't already.
Digitising POs if you currently handle them manually.
Providing a useful tool to test the PO process before transitioning to more advanced POs in your accounting or ERP system and
Establishing secure financial processes - implementing POs is a cornerstone of effective AP fraud prevention.
We strongly believe that implementing POs is a cornerstone of effective AP fraud prevention. This is one of the reasons we have taken the initiative to develop this critical functionality and actively promote the use of POs within your ERP or accounting system. While we offer robust fraud protection features like bank account and tax number extraction, supplier validation, and invoice layout checks, these measures complement the core principle of secure financial processes. Purchase Orders, on the other hand, serve as the guardrails at the top to keep your payables safe.
Purchase Order Automation: the features of the Ocerra PO
Ocerra PO feature allows creating PDF POs, approving, and then emailing them to suppliers, following an automated 2-way match once the invoice is received.
Here are the core features of the Ocerra PO system:
Create POs
Users can create POs specifying the items and services needed, required dates, quantities, and other relevant information. There is also an option to add imported subaccounts, branches, projects, and tasks to standardise and centralise the procurement process.
Approve POs
POs can be approved by the same users or routed for approval if it exceeds predefined spending limits. This flexible approval process ensures that routine purchases proceed swiftly while maintaining control over larger expenditures.
Make an Order
Effortlessly initiate orders by emailing a PO directly to a supplier. A generated PDF for a PO will be automatically attached to the email. There is also an option to utilise our predefined email templates or craft your custom message. Rest assured, your company's email address is seamlessly integrated, ensuring consistency of communication.
Other key features include options to:
Customise POs
On the header level, Ocerra allows customising a PO with the company’s logo, contact and company information, currency, payment terms, and reference details such as the buyer’s name or department.
On the footer level, you can add delivery terms, legal information and other additional institutions, comments, and notes.
Create multiple PO templates
Create several PO templates to serve different business needs or different supplier requirements. For example, you may have a separate PO template for services and a separate template for goods.
Add terms page
Extensive terms and conditions can be added separately on a dedicated page, making it easy to include comprehensive contractual information when needed.
Create email templates
Streamline communication with suppliers by creating email templates specific to each PO template. This saves time, ensures consistent messaging, and reduces errors.
Attach documents
Make additional document attachments to the email when sending POs from Ocerra to your supplier.
Automated 2-way matching
Ocerra automatically matches POs with Invoices, including line items, so you can compare and approve before exporting an invoice to your system. This ensures accuracy in billing, prevents overpayments and helps streamline the approval process.
Reporting & Analytics – (coming soon)
Order history and supplier performances.
Standard reports and customisable dashboards to offer insights into purchasing trends, cost analysis, and supplier evaluation using OData reports.
Mobile PO creation - (coming soon)
We are working on bringing POs to mobile devices to provide you with flexibility in managing your procurement process while on the move.
In summary, a standalone Purchase Order feature in the Ocerra AP automation system offers simplicity, flexibility, cost-efficiency, and reduced complexity, making it an attractive option for businesses looking to streamline their procurement processes.
Try it out!
Early access is available upon request for our existing customers. Please send us a support ticket with the title “PO early access", and we’ll provide you with the getting started information.
Ocerra's POs will be available for Beta testing only until the end of the year. Act quickly to secure your spot and help shape the future of Ocerra POs.
Your feedback is invaluable to us, and after the trial, we'll send you a brief questionnaire, including questions about further product development and pricing.
New to Ocerra?
Get in touch with our sales team and tell us about automation goals so we can determine if Ocerra is a good fit for your organisation.
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