Supply chain transparency has been a top priority for procurement executives for the last five years, and it is becoming increasingly important as global economic relationships continue to evolve. According to Ivalua, 77% of organisations consider supply chain transparency critically or highly important, yet only around 31% are satisfied with their current visibility into their supply chain.
Most procurement teams recognise that gaps in data, information and systems limit their ability to achieve full supply chain transformation. As these organisations continue to rely on traditional data systems like ERPs, creating a simple, connected procurement process can be a challenge.
Some of the common supply chain visibility challenges we hear from customers include:
- Lack of integrated tools to track and support end-to-end process control
- Difficulty adapting existing data into the formats needed to support procurement protocols, including international e-invoicing standards
- Limited ability to reroute failed communications
For customers using Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, there are capabilities within Dynamics that can help address these challenges, but they often only provide a surface-level solution. At Lasernet, we work alongside Microsoft to help solve the document and communication challenges our mutual customers face.
Supply chain visibility: real-time procurement document delivery status
A major challenge for procurement teams is knowing whether an invoice has been sent, received or rejected by a supplier. Dynamics can generate an email and attachment to send directly to the supplier, but there is no confirmation that it was received or that the attachment was not blocked.
With Lasernet’s email tracking module, teams can track and report on whether an email and attachment has been delivered and opened.
This functionality gives procurement professionals the information they need to confirm successful delivery or take action on sent purchasing documents.
Data adaptation: delivering procurement documents in the right format
As more organisations work within international procurement policies, there is a growing need to support multiple document formats. In Europe, as e-invoicing regulations continue to roll out, organisations need flexible systems that can take data from Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and deliver it to the end recipient in the correct format.
Out of the box, Dynamics offers a select number of formats. With Lasernet, the number of available output formats can be extended, helping teams meet different customer, supplier and regulatory requirements.
This is critical for procurement professionals because delayed or incorrectly formatted documents can disrupt supply chains. With e-invoicing, inaccurate documents can also create compliance issues and potential financial penalties.
Lasernet can help procurement teams understand whether a document has been received, opened or rejected. If something is rejected, the team can run a report and either resend or reformat failed communications.
Addressing failed communications: real-time failure avoidance
Communications can fail for several reasons, including incorrect or missing email addresses, spam filters or recipient email configuration rules. Often, an ERP system does not alert the user when a communication has failed, which can lead to disruption in the procurement process.
With Lasernet embedded in Dynamics, teams can run a report, identify failed communications, understand why they failed and then rerun or edit those communications to support business continuity.
For procurement teams, this visibility is essential. By reporting on failed communications, teams can address problems quickly, improve processes and reduce the risk of business disruption.
For procurement teams working in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, Lasernet can help increase supply chain visibility and improve control over document delivery. To learn more, reach out to our sales team for a personalised demo by filling out the form below.