Friday 7th November, 2014

If you think about PepsiCo at all, you’d probably think of that fizzy drink which isn’t Coke, and yet the PepsiCo brand covers a multitude of household names – like Quaker Oats, Tropicana and Doritos, with a team of over 5,000 in the UK,  spread over 13 sites. And by 2010, the end result of this expansion as far as the purchase to pay process was concerned, was one which was disjointed and lacked overall visibility.

And as Owen Espley, PepsiCo's Transformation and Release Controller pointed out – unfortunately process was sometimes something of secondary importance, with many invoices not being backed up by a corresponding PO. In fact, he said that pocessing at that point was a time consuming and costly business, with more than 20 FTEs in accounts payable.

Espley knew something had to be done to bring the area more up-to-date and more efficient, but he wanted to be sure that the vendor he chose understood, and could guarantee an improvement to the situation. He contacted around 10 suppliers before narrowing it down to 4, each of whom he met and invited in to present to PepsiCo. One of the key considerations was the accessibility of a team who they could work with. What he didn’t want was to deal with one group of individuals, only to never hear or see anything of them again. Espley was keen to have an ongoing relationship – though of course ROI was important too!

In 2012 they went live with a solution from ITESOFT, and the company is now able to auto-match around 70% of their PO backed invoices - creating efficiencies and reporting capabilities simply not possible before. However, Espley pointed out that organisations faced with an automation project shouldn’t underestimate the people challenge. He said that although the new systems and capacity represent an opportunity for those working in the P2P areas, the new world requires new skill set – ones which not everyone will be able, or want to aquire. He suggested identifying an ambassador within the team, and encouraging that person to engage in face-to-face training who will become a link between the wider organisation, and the different areas of purchase to pay.

But nothing ever stays the same, and PepsiCo has recently launched a Global Shared Services Centre, and are moving globally onto the Ariba network – something which required integration from ITESOFT. But as their win last month at the DM Awards proved, ITESOFT’s solution is one of constant innovation – consistently producing results for their customers. With a number of wins under their belt over the last few years, the funds ploughed back into R&D at the French headquartered company are obviously paying off.