Ask any buyer where their week goes and you’ll hear the same story. Has the supplier received the PO? Have they accepted it? Is the delivery date still right? And from the supplier’s side: has our invoice been approved, and when will it be paid? Every one of those questions means another email, another phone call and another delay. i2B is built to answer them before anyone has to ask.

Purchase orders that don’t go missing

Lost or unacknowledged purchase orders are one of the most common P2P headaches. With i2B, you get confirmation when a supplier has received an order, and automatic reminders prompt them to acknowledge, accept or decline it. No more ringing round to find out whether an order has even been seen.

Changes agreed in one place

Plans change. A supplier needs to move a delivery date, or you need to adjust a quantity or price. In i2B, suppliers can update delivery dates and acknowledgements directly, and change requests are raised, accepted or declined online, with a full change history behind every order. Everyone works from the latest version, not the one buried three replies down an email thread.

Deliveries everyone can see

Suppliers can create bar-coded delivery notes showing the PO number, line, part number and quantity, and attach documents such as quality certificates. Real-time notifications keep your team informed of what is on its way, and real-time integration helps eliminate stock-outs. When goods arrive, matching them against the order is quick and accurate.

Fewer “where’s my payment?” calls

Supplier queries about invoices eat up accounts payable time. Through the i2B Supplier Portal, suppliers can submit invoices and check invoice status for themselves. Because i2B performs 2-way and 3-way matching, suppliers can only invoice against what was ordered and delivered, which means fewer disputes and fewer exceptions to chase.

Performance data you both share

Good supplier relationships are built on facts, not hunches. i2B provides supplier performance reporting on measures such as on-time delivery, order fulfilment, response times and commitment accuracy, and open order, forecast and on-time delivery statistics can be shared with your vendors. When both sides see the same numbers, conversations about improvement become far more constructive.

Easy for suppliers to say yes to

None of this works if suppliers won’t use it. The i2B Supplier Portal is free for suppliers, needs no software installation and works on any internet-enabled device, including mobiles. It’s built around simple icons and search, so very little training is needed, and how-to guides are provided. New suppliers can be brought on board with i2B Supplier Onboarding, which collects their information electronically so it is accurate, complete and compliant before they start trading with you.

From chasing to collaborating

When buyers and suppliers can see the same orders, changes, deliveries and invoices, the run-around disappears. Your procurement team gets back to procuring, your AP team handles fewer queries, and your suppliers know exactly what is needed from them at any point in time.

Ready to get your suppliers on the same page? Contact the i2B team to arrange a free demo.