Build your Purchase-to-Pay Outperformance Entourage
Blog: Kofax - Smart Process automation
Get to know the IT committee before kicking off your automation project
You’ve done the research, you ran the numbers, and you know that your accounts payable and purchasing departments are capable of outperforming expectations through stronger collaboration and the right purchase-to-pay automation technology. Now it’s time to implement the changes and find the solutions to make it happen – but you can’t do it alone.
Meet the IT committee
If your organization is like most medium to large-size companies, the decision-making process, and selection of your P2P automation technology will be handled by a cross-functional committee made up of a diverse mix of departments and backgrounds. Of course, you’re leading the charge, IT will play a big role, and you’ll probably need a green light from executive management. But who else do you need on your side?
According to research from LinkedIn®, technology decision making goes beyond the senior IT department. In fact, they found that while IT is heavily involved throughout the entire project, 78% of the IT committee works outside of IT.
Most IT committees include these members:
- Application managers are typically leaders of business units for other programs that will need to work seamlessly with your P2P technology, such as your ERP or CRM systems.
- Enterprise architects are responsible for running servers and other foundational elements of the enterprise.
- Project managers keep the project on track and manage the implementation.
- Other department managers act as the intermediaries between technical staff and senior leadership.
Their goals
Your IT committee is there to evaluate the cost and scope of this project with varying interests. While evaluating vendors and solutions, you’ll focus on optimizing your P2P processes. IT will dig into the technology and unanswered questions about the software. Project management will want to know about the vendors’ implementation experience, project cost, and scope. Other members of the committee may want to make sure the chosen vendor understands your business and its unique needs.
Make the committee’s goals your goals
Anticipate your IT Committee’s concerns and be ready to tackle them to keep your project running smoothly. Build your business case for automated vs. manual processes. Make sure you have proof points and real-world success stories from vendors. And, don’t forget a thorough implementation plan that takes into account training and change management.
Check out our infographic and get to know who you’ll need in your corner for your P2P automation project.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
