CBRE Ltd. increases value and spend control with Proactis across 5,000+ properties
CBRE standardised Procure-to-Pay with Proactis, gaining full spend visibility and stronger budget control across complex operations in the UK.
Sector
Property Management
Assets Under Management
£38 billion+
Properties Managed
5,000+
Invoices Processed
150,000+ per year
Customer Since
2016
How Proactis Helped
“It's no small feat to manage procurement processes across over 5,000 different properties. Proactis gives us the perfect platform to ensure that we are at the forefront of delivering both value from procurement and control of expenditure management.”
Head of Procurement, Property and Asset Management, CBRE Ltd.
Delivered consistent Procure-to-Pay processes across all managed properties, involving over 500 employees
Improved budget control for site managers, providing complete visibility of actual and planned expenditure
Enabled substantial growth in transaction volume without increasing headcount
Achieved up to 50% electronic invoice receipt and payment, reducing paper-based processing significantly
Enhanced visibility of supplier activity - spend levels, delivery performance, and contract compliance
Streamlined invoice processing and payment authorisation across the AP function
Integrated seamlessly with 15 different financial systems across CBRE's diverse property portfolio
Strengthened client and tenant confidence through accurate, transparent, and timely financial reporting
Overview
CBRE Ltd. is the world's largest commercial real estate services firm, managing over 5,000 properties across the UK. Faced with the challenge of controlling procurement spend and invoice processing across a large and complex portfolio, the company implemented Proactis as a company-wide spend management platform. Integrated with 15 different financial systems and deployed across more than 500 employees, the solution delivered consistent Procure-to-Pay processes, full expenditure visibility, and significantly improved budget control for site managers.
Challenge
CBRE Ltd.'s UK Property and Asset Management service provides property owners with lease management, accounting, risk management, facilities management, and procurement services for commercial properties including shopping centres, office buildings, and industrial estates. The team manages over 5,000 properties covering 209 million square feet, delivering services to 21,500 tenants.
With an annual procurement spend approaching £290 million, over 8,000 suppliers, and more than 150,000 invoices processed each year, the organisation required a comprehensive, organisation-wide procurement and invoice processing system. Property owners and tenants expected clear, accurate, and timely accounting for all operating expenses - and the existing processes were not sufficient to support the growing scope of the business.
The Property and Asset Management executive team recognised the need for a solution that could provide consistent Procure-to-Pay processes across all managed properties, deliver full expenditure visibility, and scale with ongoing business growth.
Solution
CBRE worked with Proactis to implement an end-to-end procurement solution that could be deployed quickly and grow into a true spend management platform across all properties. The Proactis AP Automation solution improved procurement efficiency whilst enabling the organisation to accurately record and control expenditure across all separate entities.
Available as a hosted solution, Proactis allowed the CBRE team to focus entirely on deployment and day-to-day use, with Proactis managing technical operations. Full deployment across all properties was achieved in just nine months. The system is now used by over 500 employees - from central office personnel to on-site operations teams - and is integrated with 15 different financial systems to support CBRE and its numerous property owners.
Proactis workflow and authorisation rules ensure that purchases exceeding specified values, or those at risk of over-budget spend, are automatically routed to a manager for approval. Up to 50% of invoices are now received, reviewed, and paid electronically, significantly reducing paper-based processing across the portfolio.
About us
Proactis has worked with finance and procurement teams for 30 years. We know what the problems look like - and what it takes to fix them.
Partners
We work with a network of trusted ERP partners who help you get Proactis running alongside your existing systems - and make sure it keeps working as your organisation evolves.
Customers
From day one through to long-term use, our team works alongside yours to make sure you get real value from the platform - not just a successful go-live.
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