Spend Matters » Jason Busch

The Hidden Procurement & Supply Chain Benefits of Chinese/US Cross-Border Swine Deals (Part 2)

Jason Busch — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:39:41 +0000

As the NYT pointed out in a column highlighting some of the details (and regulatory scrutiny) surrounding the recently announced acquisition of Smithfield Foods by Shuanghui International, a partially state owned/influenced Chinese firm, closure of this deal in particular is not a given. But something we can take away from the proposed transaction regardless is not just Western capacity in the agricultural and food supply chain, but also the value of enhanced supply chain visibility and risk standards in driving deals and valuations in these areas.

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posted in Commentary by Jason Busch

Analytics at the Core of P2P and E-Invoicing: Bridging the A/P, Finance and Procurement Gap

Jason Busch — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:05:05 +0000

One of the key elements of advanced analytics is not just increasing dataset complexity (e.g., adding more and more source data, like back-end financial systems and card-payment data) but rather exploring the key intersections and trending of the combinations of assets. “Big data” is almost a misnomer in this context. The queries and visualizations that sit on top of slices of the underlying dataset combinations are even more valuable.

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The Hidden Supply Chain Benefits of Chinese/US Cross-Border Swine Deals (Part 1)

Jason Busch — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:07:28 +0000

Excuse our slightly biased headline, but we find it more than a little amusing that China would find a way to import porcine food safety through a recently announced acquisition (pending regulatory approval) of Smithfield Foods by Shuanghui International. Now if you look at Shuanghui’s list of shareholders, this might seem like a typical cross-border PE-led takeover. After all, private sector firms are listed among the major Shuanghui shareholders. However, there are potential reasons for welcoming this transaction.

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posted in Commentary by Jason Busch

Basware: The P2P Conundrum Keeps Chugging (Part 1)

Jason Busch — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:37:42 +0000

We’ve always liked dealing with the folks at Basware. Unlike many other tech firms in the P2P sector, at Basware there’s a general awareness that deep technology and product knowledge is essential. This holds true on the marketing and sales front, but it also cascades up and down product management and even into the corporate development side of the business. Those who know Basware well for its software-based e-invoicing capabilities are well aware of the peel-the-onion depth that has gone into the product over the years. Basware is not only impressive as a tool for A/P efficiency, however. It’s a toolbox that in the right hands and with the right support behind it can make A/P strategic to the business versus just being a cost and risk center.

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Mexico’s New E-Invoicing Requirements: Invoiceware’s Solution Elements

Jason Busch — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:39:47 +0000

Jason Busch concludes his interview with Invoiceware International with a glimpse into what their software can do for companies who must comply with Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile’s e-invoicing standards. A preview: they go deep into the applications, as ERP systems were not designed for this type of business process or change, especially on a localized level.

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posted in Technology by Jason Busch

Spend Matters and MetalMiner: New Names and Faces!

Jason Busch — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:18:29 +0000

I’ve always joked that we’ll know we’ve made it as a company when our offices become so cramped with employees that someone has to set up desk space in our supply closet. Well, Spend Matters (and our parent company, Azul Partners) is growing up! We’ve recently added a number of new faces to our team, with even more joining in July.

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posted in Commentary by Jason Busch

Does Procurement Need a PMO? Best Practices and Tools for Project Management

Jason Busch — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:04:51 +0000

A number of us at Spend Matters originally came from a consulting background where the project management office (PMO) function is an essential component of larger projects, especially around systems implementation or large-scale procurement and sourcing projects impacting a wide range of functions and individuals across a company. As background on the topic, Wikipediadefines a PMO as “a group or department within a business, agency or enterprise that defines and maintains standards for project management within the organization.”

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posted in Commentary by Jason Busch

Mexico’s New E-Invoicing Requirements: Supply Chain, Archiving, Integration Compliance

Jason Busch — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:32:48 +0000

Mexico recently accelerated the implementation of its e-invoicing requirements. The compliance requirements under the Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet (CFDI) are complex by any electronic invoicing standard. In a multi-part series featuring an interview we recently conducted with Invoiceware’s CEO Scott Lewin and VP of Marketing/Product Strategy Steve Sprague, we’ll explore the impact of the legislation and how it came into play based on the latest announcement. Spend Matters: Am I responsible in any way for lower-tier (i.e., not tier 1) supplier e-invoicing requirements in Mexico? Invoiceware: You are not responsible for the supplier. But the taxes that are registered [...]

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posted in Commentary by Jason Busch

Analytics at the Core of P2P and E-Invoicing: Basware’s Transformative Effort

Jason Busch — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:00:59 +0000

For many P2P providers (aside from those with robust spend analysis modules that extend beyond GL and invoice-centric analysis), analytics has been a bolted-on afterthought. It’s included in the solution as a standard set of reports, or it’s an inexpensive – yet often somewhat useful – add-on buried in the price sheet. Regardless, analytics are historically of secondary concern and certainly not a selling point to users, who are more interested in the process, workflow, processing, routing, validation, matching, integration and other components of the e-invoicing and eProcurement applications. Analytics? Just give me some reports.

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Mexico’s New E-Invoicing Requirements: Advantages, Cross-Border Impact, and Brazil/EU Comparisons

Jason Busch — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:42:32 +0000

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posted in Commentary by Jason Busch