Restalliance

Previously, the accounting teams managed Restalliance’s AP system, which was mainly manual. Direct purchase statements, overhead invoices and payment vouchers were all entered by hand. In addition to the lack of traceability of these documents, invoices were often approved after payment had already been made. The AP team spent nearly 50% of its time manually crosschecking data and requesting missing credit notes.

“We needed to upgrade our AP management tools and processes to a solution capable of supporting the full invoice lifecycle to better track and optimize AP and ensure the reliability of all financial data,” explains Pierre-Louis Caputo, Director of Accounting and IS Finance Projects at the Restalliance Group.

Designing a data-first AP function

Much more than a digitization project, the Restalliance Group wanted to embark on a true digital transformation of its finance function. The aim of this initiative was to strengthen its internal controls by improving the reliability and traceability of data flows across the full invoice lifecycle, from receipt through approval and payment.

“Above all, we wanted to pay an invoice only if we owed it,” explains Pierre-Louis Caputo. This is certainly a basic principle, but one that is complicated to implement when you receive 600,000 invoices per year, managed by 15 employees. It is difficult for them to check on a daily basis that each invoice has been validated by the appropriate person, linked to an order or delivery note and compliant, as well as to identify any discrepancies.

The group also wanted to empower all employees involved in the invoicing chain and make them aware of the importance of data. “This aspect of employee accountability was at the heart of the project,” continues Pierre-Louis Caputo. “For example, receiving an order incurs costs for the company, so it is up to the operator in charge of receiving it to check that it matches the purchase order.”

Finally, the aim of the project was to automate AP management in order to generate productivity gains on simple tasks. “Freed from repetitive tasks, accountants become more like data managers rather than data entry operators, gaining greater visibility and control over financial data,” continues Pierre-Louis Caputo.

The challenge for Restalliance was to implement a solution that, beyond its traditional functionalities, could also manage its sometimes complex reconciliation processes (one invoice for three orders, three invoices for one order, an invoice with discrepancies on lines, etc.). The company was also looking for a solution that would enable it to set up approval workflows for all its indirect expenses, further supporting the day-to-day work of its accountants. “Basware’s AP solution met these specifications,” explains Pierre-Louis Caputo.

A 10-month delivery with user-ready adoption

The Basware AP project was led by the finance team, rather than IT. “We started with a scoping phase during which we defined the AP processes we wanted to implement,” continues Pierre-Louis Caputo. “This phase was also essential for gaining efficiency during the design workshops.”

Once the tool had been configured, testing and acceptance phases were carried out with the participation of the user teams, ensuring the solution met real operational needs. The group also took advantage of this acceptance phase to train the teams, which enabled them to be operational as soon as the tool went live. “The project was completed in 10 months, from the call for tenders to the launch,” says Pierre-Louis Caputo. As soon as it went live, the solution was able to process all incoming invoices.

High automation across the invoice lifecycle

With the Basware solution, 80% of the Restalliance Group’s annual invoices are processed automatically, received via EDI feeds and linked to a purchase order. Nearly 70% are managed without human intervention (touchless), from receipt to approval for payment.

“Our goal is to pursue continuous improvement and push our ability to automate the end-to-end invoicing process as far as possible,” explains Nicolas Chassard, Accounts Payable Manager at the Restalliance Group. “Automation is not a one time project, but an ongoing journey.”

AI enters the AP process

AI plays a central role in enabling high levels of automation and accuracy across Restalliance’s invoice lifecycle.

With the implementation of Basware’s SmartPDF, Restalliance has taken its AP process automation one step further. With this solution, suppliers can send their invoices in PDF format to a dedicated email address. SmartPDF, which incorporates AI technologies, uses machine learning trained on millions of invoices to convert the PDF invoice into an electronic invoice ready for automated processing in the system.

“20% of our invoices are processed through SmartPDF, 90% of which are processed automatically,” says Nicolas Chassard.

“SmartPDF learns as we process invoices, continuously improving data recognition and accuracy over time, with the aim of gradually eliminating the need for manual intervention. With SmartPDF, we have saved even more time, reduced errors and improved invoice traceability.”

In line with this automation and optimization approach, Restalliance now leverages the data generated by the process via Basware Insights.

“This analysis tool allows us to fully exploit the available indicators generated by AI-driven invoice processing to uncover new performance levers, support management decisions and improve AP processes.”

“We also plan to make better use of the indicators available in Basware’s Insights solution to improve the quality of our data and the management of our day-to-day performance,” adds Nicolas Chassard.

Today, the Restalliance Group is continuing to optimize its use of the Basware solution.

“We will continue to increase task automation so that our AP team can focus on higher-value tasks,” continues Nicolas Chassard.

Redefining the AP role

With these tools, the role of AP clerk within the Restalliance Group has changed significantly. People still play an important role, but their focus is now more on communication with the various departments and stakeholders, and on quality management that supports compliance and audit readiness.

“We had to reinvent the profession,” explains Nicolas Chassard.

“In particular, we have appointed three Basware advisors, who are responsible for supporting the team on a daily basis to make optimal use of the solution, ensuring compliance with best practices in our tool (order and receipt management), working with purchasing on the various reference systems and uses, and working with validators to raise awareness and provide support. They also liaise with suppliers to communicate our expectations. Their role is now less focused on accounting in the strict sense of the term, and more oriented towards support, governance, and coordination.”

“We intend to capitalize on the approved Basware platform to comply with the e-invoicing mandate, starting with the receipt of invoices,” explains Nicolas Chassard. “This gives us confidence that we can adapt to regulatory change without disrupting our core finance operations.”

By standardizing invoice processes, strengthening compliance, and leveraging intelligent automation across the invoice lifecycle, Restalliance has transformed AP into a reliable, scalable finance function. With Basware as its Invoice Lifecycle Management platform, the group is well positioned to support future growth, regulatory change, and continuous improvement.