PROACTIS Targets eProcurement Deployment Friction

Digital procurement and spend control firm PROACTIS is now targeting the friction companies face when looking to deploy these solutions.

An announcement on Monday (Sept. 5) said PROACTIS has teamed up with Sopra Steria, a company that provides businesses with digital transformation programs. Together, the businesses will look to streamline adoption of PROACTIS’ solutions, including strategic sourcing, supplier management, procure-to-pay, accounts payable automation and other tools.

“Increasingly, PROACTIS is becoming involved in large-scale transformation projects,” explained the company’s CEO, Rod Jones, in a statement. “This partnership brings together great synergies, enabling customers to benefit from the recognized expertise of Sopra Steria and the proven benefits of class-leading technologies from PROACTIS.”

Sopra Steria U.K. BPS Director Ian Fitzgerald highlighted the trend of companies looking to more efficiently deploy automated business processes to see the benefits of such tools faster.

“Customers are increasing their focus on transforming critical business processes using a range of technologies, digital tools and approaches that are delivered in a variety of ways with rapid payback,” Fitzgerald said. “The partnership with PROACTIS will enable Sopra Steria to offer a range of customer benefits by using highly configurable, off-the-shelf Spend Control software that is fast to deploy, simple to integrate and easy to use. This will provide customers the fastest payback, while supporting true business transformation.”

The procure-to-pay industry is expected to see significant growth this decade. A report issued last July from Technavio predicted a 15.77 percent CAGR for companies providing this kind of solution between 2016 and 2020.

Analysts attributed that growth to the rise in companies outsourcing this business process and other benefits associated with cash management and savings.

“Client firms can improve their economical cost structure, as they do not have to pay for extra office space, equipment or specialist employees,” explained Technavio Lead Analyst Amit Sharma in a statement announcing the report. “They also do not need to invest in in-house staff training.”