In this episode on the AP Now podcast, Mary Schaeffer is joined by Ellen Leith, founder of the Purchase to Pay Network. Ellen joins us from the UK to discuss the five biggest trends impacting the purchase-to-pay function, or as we call it on this side of the pond, the procure-to-pay function. While many of the issues are the same on both sides of the ocean, it is fascinating to hear Ellen’s take on them.

She begins by describing how she identified a gap in the marketplace when it came to finding good information in one place for the purchase-to-pay function as her impetus for starting the Network. She then went on to identify and discuss the five most important trends impacting the function. She believes, as we do here at AP Now, that analytics will play a big role but cautions the audience to be smart about the KPIs they choose to monitor. Otherwise, time is spent cranking out numbers that could be used for other purposes.

Partnering with other business units, taking advantage of cloud technologies and being alert to identify risk were also discussed in some detail. The discussion at the end about corporate social responsibility is not something often discussed in relation to accounts payable and procure-to-pay. After listening to Leith that may very well change.  

Host: Mary Schaeffer (www.ap-now.com)

Guest: Ellen Leith (www.p2pnetwork.org)

Sponsor: Stampli (www.stampli.com/APNow)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com