Top considerations when implementing a paperless purchase order system

Paperless purchase order systems can be a huge boon for organisations. On a surface level, the immediate benefits include savings on paper costs and a reduction in wasted admin time, which attracts many businesses to adopt them. However, below the surface, paperless systems can have a slew of other benefits to offer — if you know what to look for.

If you’re thinking about adopting a paperless purchase order system for your organisation, there are a few things to be aware of before making your decision.

Approval Automation

The approval process can be longwinded and difficult to manage, but some PO software includes integrated automation for the approval process, speeding it up tenfold. With an automated approval workflow, purchases and expenses manage themselves.

When looking for PO software, consider a system that provides control over who approves and rejects POs on a per-request basis, rather than rigidly locking you into an inflexible way of working.

Fraud Protection

Powerful PO software features automation tools that strengthen your approval process. For example, IRIS Financials’ purchasing module integrates with your financial data; you can then set up complex document approval scenarios using information from anywhere within your financial database, enabling you to set automatic filters that route requests to the correct key stakeholders.

You should also look to eliminate ambiguity in your approval process with electronic proofing.

Electronic Audit Trail

Once you go paperless, you won’t have access to a filing cabinet of transactional documents any more, but this doesn’t change the need for a full audit trail.

Choose a software package that provides accountability with comprehensive, easily searchable audit functionality. You’ll soon find the ability to go back and find specific transactional documents invaluable, as it’ll free up the time you used to spend flipping through folders in the filing cabinet.

This also eliminates the possibility for human error, as your audit trail doesn’t need to be manually logged and documents can’t be accidentally misplaced.

Ease of Use

Does the paperless system you’re considering require a chunky desktop computer and specialist software? A sheet of paper has “always-on” functionality; you can take it anywhere, and it will be just as legible. When you switch over to a paperless system, you won’t want to lose this functionality.

IRIS Financials’ cloud-based system runs on your internet browser and can be used on any device, making it fully portable — just like paper. Users access the system from the same tailored portal, making it easy to roll out across your organisation.

All-in-One Functionality

When introducing a paperless system, the last thing you want to do is to overcomplicate the process with a fistful of other programs. Look for a financial system that has solutions for every business and organisational need.

IRIS Financials has a slew of modules that tackle a range of problems. It’s designed to eliminate manual paper-based orders and requisitions, enabling a paperless order system that works on every level. If you want to reap the full benefits of a paperless order system, consider adopting IRIS Financials’ powerful integrated software solution suite.