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Úloha obstarávania pri maximalizácii hodnoty prostredníctvom platieb dodávateľom

Alexandra Blake
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Alexandra Blake
10 minutes read
Blog
december 24, 2025

Procurement's Role in Maximizing Value via Supplier Payments

Implement automated vendor settlements now to cut cycle times and lift financial efficiency. Link invoices, term sheets, and settlement runs in a single workflow, enabling decisions to be made quickly and within budget.

Použite analytics to map expenditure by vendor and category, and set a regular cadence for reconciliations while you monitor performance against negotiated terms. Keep the источник of truth in a streamlined platform that provides access to finance and operations, with podpora via a vendor portal and data feeds.

Embed proqsmarts as a decision aid to propose optimal settlement timing and discount capture, turning data into concrete actions. This move yields tangible benefits such as faster closure, improved cash-flow metrics, and tighter expenditure control, pohybujúce sa toward a more resilient vendor network within the corporate framework.

For finance teams, this next step is to pilot with two high-volume partners, measure impact over a quarter, and scale within a formal governance model to sustain efficiency and analytics access for ongoing optimization.

Practical levers to maximize value through supplier payments

Practical levers to maximize value through supplier payments

Adopt dynamic discounting and automated three-way matching to cut days payable outstanding by 5–15 days and improve cash-flow visibility. In the primary stage of the purchasing workflow, route requisitions through a streamlined process that minimizes manual work across the finance cycle.

Leverage technologies with easy adoption to standardize terms and automate approvals, enabling efficient purchasing with lower cycle times. A streamlined platform covers requisitions, PO creation, and remittance routing from a single view.

Use proqsmarts analytics to provide decisions at scale. Data from market conditions, vendor performance, and ongoing interactions with external partners informs term choices, early-settlement opportunities, and program mix.

Include a quarterly review of the market and supply network to ensure ongoing alignment with cost and service goals. The aim is to balance liquidity and risk while keeping process controls tight and auditable.

Standardize requisition templates and PO data to ensure efficient work across teams. A well-defined data model reduces manual checks and enables purchasing to be proactive, not reactive.

Negotiate early-settlement terms with vendors and pilot supply-financing options. Track discount capture, settlement accuracy, and cycle-time reductions to show measurable benefits for both sides.

Adopt continuous improvement practices and expand a single-channel platform across the network to simplify ongoing interactions and reduce friction during work.

Early Payment Programs: trade-offs between cash flow and supplier discounts

Early Payment Programs: trade-offs between cash flow and supplier discounts

Adopt a two‑tier settlement approach: offer a 2% discount for settlement within 10 days on high‑volume requisitions, with a monthly cap per vendor and automated enrollment. Start with coverage of about 60% of qualifying spend in the first quarter and expand based on data from executions, monitoring, and experience.

This framework moves cash towards those vendors that adhere to terms, and improves working capital metrics when used selectively. It incorporates data from requisitions and orders to stage eligible invoices, and uses a transmitter‑style feed to disclose new terms to key vendors. Evaluations determine where to push participation, backing initiatives with organisational support and a strategic, detailed plan that aligns with capital needs and risk appetite.

Operational design centers on adherence, training, and monitoring. Start with a pilot phase to capture those savings and to refine the elements of the program, then scale to accelerate faster processing and smoother onboarding. The aim is to empower treasury and procurement teams to balance cash flows with supplier discount value, while maintaining a strong supplier experience and avoiding excessive capital lock‑up.

Scenár Discount Dni Eligible Spend Participation Estimated Savings Annual Financing Cost Net Impact
Konzervatívny 2% 10 $40,000,000 60% $480,000 $1,440,000 -$960,000
Mierne 2% 10 $80,000,000 50% $800,000 $1,600,000 -$800,000
High discount 4% 15 $60,000,000 70% $1,680,000 $1,680,000 $0
Break-even 6% 10 $50,000,000 80% $1,200,000 $1,000,000 $200,000

In practice, the break-even point occurs when the stated discount rate equals the cost of capital. If the discount exceeds the cost of capital, the net impact becomes positive; otherwise, the program should be constrained to the most strategic, high‑value relationships. Track those metrics as part of a phased rollout, and adjust participation by supplier risk, order frequency, and historical adherence to terms.

Dynamic Discounting: implementation steps and monitoring metrics

Start with a 90-day pilot in a targeted category using a centralized esker-driven workflow, with explicit controls and analytics to quantify efficiency gains and early-discount uptake across the vendor base. There is merit in a phased rollout that aligns with needs and audit requirements.

  1. Define objective and opportunity in the targeted category: set strategic savings targets, required cadence, and a baseline for cash flow; assign a stakeholder sponsor and a comprehensive business case.
  2. Map current processes and design the Esker workflow: document end-to-end processes, identify bottlenecks, and install routine controls for discount eligibility, approval, and exception handling; ensure you can break bottlenecks and move toward automation.
  3. Establish data integration and system architecture: link ERP, accounts payable, vendor data, and discount terms; utilize a comprehensive data model; set up analytics-ready dashboards and ensure data quality.
  4. Configure discount terms and automation in Esker: set thresholds, establish the approval flow, and create alerting for non-compliance; ensure end-to-end visibility across the ends of the cycle.
  5. Pilot execution with a subset of vendors: monitor uptake, collect feedback, adjust discount tiers based on needs; move toward easily scalable rollout; refine thresholds.
  6. Scale and sustain: roll out to additional categories, embed the practice in routine vendor engagement, and maintain a moving cadence of phase reviews; monitor breakpoints and continuously optimize processes.

Monitoring metrics:

  • Strategic uplift and adoption: track the share of eligible invoices that capture a discount and how widely the program is adopted across the vendor base.
  • Discount uptake rate: percentage of eligible invoices with a viable discount term that realize a discount.
  • Average discount percentage and net benefit: quantify the average discount and translate to cash-flow impact for the category.
  • Days early and cycle time: measure days saved before settlement and the time reduction in the AP process.
  • Efficiency and automation: quantify touches removed, integration reliability, and the percentage of invoices flowing with minimal manual intervention.
  • Controls and risk: monitor routine controls adherence, exception rates, and escalation times.
  • Data quality and analytics readiness: track data completeness, accuracy, and dashboard usage across stakeholders.
  • Stakeholder feedback and continuous improvement: collect input from finance, category owners, and vendor partners; link feedback to phase-based improvements.
  • Phase progress and breakpoints: report progress per phase, with clear go/no-go criteria to move to the next phase.
  • There is a correlation between vendor engagement and uptake: ensure feedback loops are in place and acted upon.

Payment Terms Negotiation: aligning terms with working capital goals

Start with a defined, comprehensive framework for settlement terms that links to working capital metrics. Define primary terms (net 30, net 45, or net 60) by category and offer early-settlement discounts where finance can realize predictable treasury savings across multiple vendors.

Use forecasting models to map liquidity needs and leverage corporate card programs as a liquidity bridge during peak cycles. Align term proposals with cash-flow forecasts and capture outcomes in dashboards to compare scenarios across multiple platforms.

Within this structure, define primary terms, with adherence to the defined windows embedded in each vendor agreement. This comprehensive approach fosters predictable coverage and reduces risk across procurements, creates alignment across teams.

Here is how governance translates into practice: emphasize across platforms, set a single point of contact, define a review cadence, and apply a simple rubric to evaluate each deal. This emphasis fosters innovation in negotiating tactics. this approach aligns teams and budgets.

Mitigate risk with tiered leverage: primary suppliers receive extended windows; smaller vendors access shorter terms with optional early-settlement discounts. Avoid serious liquidity stress by adjusting terms proactively. Monitor coverage and adherence through dashboards to sustain outcomes across the portfolio.

Establish a quarterly review to adjust terms based on forecasting inputs and vgsi benchmarks. Use a formal cadence to prevent drift and ensure the primary goals remain within tolerance.

Across categories, comprehensive data platforms consolidate settlement data from multiple dashboards, enabling procurement teams to assess which deals create sustained liquidity improvements and which risk profiles require tightening.

Here is a concrete playbook to start today: map current terms, segment vendors by spend and risk, pilot revised terms with top five vendors, measure outcomes using vgsi scores, and scale successes.

Adherence to this disciplined framework reduces volatility, sustains outcomes, and aligns deals with primary objectives.

Payment Governance: fraud prevention, auditing, and regulatory compliance

Adopt a centralized, ongoing governance stage with automated controls and real-time fraud screening to mitigate losses and ensure regulatory compliance. This proqsmarts-enabled framework is led by cross-functional teams and is able to deliver a single view that improves both speed and accuracy, good for risk management.

Maintain detailed, auditable trails across every transfer, with independent reviews and automated reconciliation. The right approach yields a fast, comprehensive spätná väzba loop, which supports both internal and external audits and strengthens coverage medzi regiónmi.

Regulatory compliance: map requirements into a unified controls matrix for AML, KYC, data privacy, tax, and sanctions. Use automatizácia to enforce thresholds and exception handling across jurisdictions, extending coverage widely and ensuring consistent processing records. This approach also handles deals across multiple markets.

Governance structure: appoint subject-matter leads a leading rozšírené teams to oversee the controls lifecycle. This framework plays a key role in establishing clear thresholds, escalation paths, and a streamlined investigation workflow; this approach delivers faster outcomes, while maintaining accuracy and accountability.

Performance measures and efficiencies: track faster outcomes, reduce false positives, and realize several efficiencies by standardizing playbooks and reusing automation. proqsmarts dashboards provide a continuous view of risk posture and compliance status.

Program pokračuje to mature: ongoing governance reviews, stage-based checks, and feedback-driven refinements keep controls aligned with regulatory changes and emerging fraud patterns. Stakeholders across rozšírené teams maintain a shared proqsmarts view, reinforcing good practices and broad coverage.

Supplier Financing Options: arranging liquidity without burdening buyers

Recommendation: automate a cloud-based early-pay program combined with a vendor-finance corridor to unlock liquidity while reducing friction for buyers.

View and explore a range of options, each with distinct cost structures and funding sources: dynamic discounting, reverse factoring, and open-account terms supported by structured liquidity facilities. This mix lets a company choose the balance between discount uptake, funding cost, and vendor relations.

Dynamic discounting offers discounts typically in the 0.5%–3% range for payables accelerated by 5–15 days. In september pilots, some organizácií reported improvements, often driven by automation and cloud-based workflows, supported by robust technologies. These improvements take significant momentum and require robust governance to avoid serious capital-cost increases. This approach reduces working capital requirements and improves vendor satisfaction across those relationships.

Reverse factoring provides a robust liquidity channel where a finance partner settles receivables on the buyer’s behalf, while the buyer honors the obligation on the agreed date. This option requires regular evaluations of credit risk and contract terms, as part of governance culture, to avoid a serious hit on vendor relations and to control facility costs.

Open-account terms with a structured liquidity facility enable those organizácií to extend payment cycles without harming the supply base’s cash flow. This approach benefits mid-market and large companies where regular transactions exist and reduces the need for heavy collateral. besides, implement approvals and spend caps as part of the control framework, and connect these programs to the cloud for real-time visibility and improved reporting.

Implementation steps: start with a 90-day pilot across 20–40 vendors, define the benefit targets, and track tangible metrics like days payable outstanding, discount uptake, and cost of capital. Use cloud-enabled dashboards to provide regular updates to finance, procurement, and treasury teams. This view helps those organizácií refine the program and sustain a positive culture around cash management and collaboration.

Risks and mitigations: maintain data integrity, cap financing costs, avoid over-reliance on external funding, and preserve vendor trust. The gains are significant when the technology stack integrates with ERP and accounts payable automation. Some organizácií report improved liquidity and reliability of vendor cash flows with transparent communications and regular evaluations.