3 Questions for Frank Bloemberg
Invoice automization at Pathe bioscopen
Frank Bloemberg will speak at Xchange 2021 on 7 October about best practices in invoice automation at cinema operator Pathe.
Beforehand, we spoke to him in an interview about the digital transformation of procurement and financial processes, how the Corona crisis affected Pathe and what to expect during his live talk at the Digital Networks in Purchasing conference.
What tips would you give to CPOs or CFOs who are currently working on the digital transformation of procurement and financial processes?
In the financial world, the expression “get it right the first time” is used, which is also important for the digital transformation of the relevant processes. If the basic information on purchase orders is correct, matching invoices automatically is relatively simple. You can set up matching processes and workflows for these invoices to process them quickly, efficiently and digitally.
For the finance department, the problems in processing invoices arise from errors in matching the purchase order and invoice data, which must then be adjusted. These adjustments take time and affect the entire procure-to-pay process. If payment deadlines are not met due to errors in processing invoices, this leads to dunning letters.
Processing dunning, in turn, robs the accounting department of time that should be used for other things.
Frank Bloemberg
Senior Controller
Pathe Theaters B.V.
Frank Bloemberg has years of experience in transition management and financial consulting and has worked as a senior controller at and with Pathe for over 8 years. Pathe, part of Les Cinemas Pathe Gaumont with over 125 cinemas across Europe, has been using Onventis for several years in the area of invoice automation.
My advice is therefore not to underestimate the importance of data quality for the smooth processing of payments. Part of the success also lies in making the other services involved in the process aware of the consequences of their role and of the consequences if the required information is incomplete or incorrect. In the end, everyone benefits from the “right first time” principle.
Procurement has been through turbulent times due to Corona. How has your procurement changed and what role do Pathe’s digital processes play in it?
Because Pathe cinemas had to close completely during the Corona pandemic, most of our processes came to a standstill. As a cinema chain, it was important for us to be flexible and to adjust contracts and services where possible to the level of activity in the cinema. Here, we were able to act at any time with our digitally set up processes.
What can Xchange 2021 visitors expect from your presentation?
I hope that my presentation of best practices will encourage people to think outside the box, i.e. to question the usual processes and ways of working. By combining the Onventis Procurement Suite and its invoice automation with Pathe’s know-how of the film distribution process, we have found solutions that could not be mapped in the previous accounting software. I would like to share this experience with you.
Mr Bloemberg, thanks for this interview!
