At Arcivate, we recently had the opportunity to share a booth at the AI World Tours alongside our partner, Fudgelearn. It was an enjoyable and insightful experience for everyone involved—not just because of the focus on AI, but because it opened the door to broader, more meaningful conversations around system adoption and automation.
What stood out most was the refreshing openness from attendees. Rather than sticking to the now-familiar question, “What are you doing for AI?”, discussions quickly evolved into deeper, more practical topics. Many organisations shared real challenges—particularly around failed invoice automation implementations and the day-to-day complexities within procure-to-pay (P2P) processes.
Moving Beyond Technology-Only Conversations
While AI may have been the headline, the real value came from exploring issues beyond technology. Conversations highlighted that success in automation isn’t just about tools—it’s about how processes are designed, implemented, maintained, and, crucially, adopted by people within organisations.
Several recurring themes emerged when discussing past invoice automation challenges:
- Was the correct solution selected
- Was there a lack of user adoption?
- Did the chosen solution fail due to:
- Technical issues (e.g. EDI integration, OCR limitations, ERP integration challenges)
- Data quality problems
- Inefficient or poorly defined processes
- Failure to listen to expert advice
These reflections reinforce an important truth: even the best technology cannot succeed without the right foundation.
A New Way of Thinking
It’s time to rethink how organisations approach invoice automation. Success lies not just in selecting the right vendor, but in fostering an environment where processes are clearly defined, users are empowered, and adoption is prioritised.
Giving teams a voice—allowing them to engage with and shape the process—can significantly accelerate outcomes and improve long-term success.
The Power of Partnership
There are clear synergies in working with partners like Arcivate and Fudgelearn. Together, we can address many of the root causes behind previous failures by aligning technology, process, and people.
Let’s look at how this collaboration supports the P2P journey:
1. Raise a Requisition (Order Creation)
- Arcivate: Ensures consistency of information, improving downstream invoice matching.
- Fudgelearn: Guides users to make the right decisions within defined business processes, ensuring accurate and consistent data capture.
2. Goods Receiving
- Arcivate: Emphasises the importance of receipts for enabling touchless PO invoice processing.
- Fudgelearn: Ensures users understand and complete the process efficiently and correctly.
3. Invoice Processing
- Arcivate: The Mi Invoices application automates matching and integrates seamlessly into Oracle ERPs.
- Fudgelearn: Supports payables teams in completing transactions through to payment and managing ERP-related holds.
Driving Adoption for Long-Term Success
These examples represent just a portion of where strong user adoption can transform outcomes. Ultimately, the success of any ERP implementation—or third-party integration—depends on how well people engage with the processes behind the technology.
Adopting new systems requires more than just deployment; it requires a clear strategy, the right partnerships, and a focus on enabling users at every step.
By taking a holistic approach—combining technology, process excellence, and user adoption—organisations can unlock the full potential of invoice automation and drive sustainable success.
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