Bauer Media achieves straight-through invoice processing and payment with Proactis

Challenge 

Bauer Media is part of the Bauer Media Group - Europe's largest privately owned media and publishing group, reaching millions of people worldwide through over 600 magazines, more than 400 digital media outlets, and over 100 radio and TV stations. 

The Group is made up of many entities, and the decision was taken to centralise the Accounts Payable function so that all invoices would be directed to a single location for processing - improving control, visibility, and efficiency. Previously, paper invoices were spread across numerous locations, insight into costs was limited, and the AP team had no reliable way to communicate payment timescales to suppliers. 

Expenses processing was also highly resource-intensive - managed manually through spreadsheets, with paper receipts sent by post. Receipts were frequently lost and the process was difficult to audit. Bauer Media required a solution that would deliver straight-through processing, full cost visibility, and a more efficient, auditable approach to expenses and supplier payments. 

Solution 

Bauer Media extended its existing Proactis Invoice Capture deployment to achieve straight-through processing from purchase order through to payment. By quoting PO numbers on invoices and integrating Proactis seamlessly with SAP, the majority of invoices now flow through the system automatically with no manual intervention required. Any mismatches or errors are automatically routed to the relevant business unit through Proactis workflow - improving both speed and auditability. 

Proactis also enabled Bauer Media to introduce a 'No PO, No Pay' policy. Invoices received without a valid purchase order number are automatically returned to the supplier for correction. All spend data is kept accurate and up to date, providing complete visibility of actual and planned expenditure across the business. 

For the freelancer and contributor community, Bauer Media implemented a self-billing process using Proactis, which raises invoices on behalf of contributors and ensures all are paid to agreed terms through SAP integration. The paper-based expenses process was also replaced with a fully electronic system, allowing staff to attach receipts digitally for faster reimbursement and reduced processing cost.