Source to Pay Content Goals are Critical to Benefits

Establishing Source to Pay content goals is critical to benefits realization when implementing a Source to Pay system. As system usage is largely correlated with content, this needs to be something you think about up front. As an example, one of the assumptions behind benefits realization for a purchasing/buying module is that once you on-board users, they will start using the system for all of their applicable purchases. This assumption however, takes for granted that users have a pleasant and positive experience when first using the tool; that users will keep coming back instead of finding ways to buy “rogue”.

Apart from executing on a solid change management and training strategy, there is another way to ensure you are turning users into “believers”: relevant content. Continuing with our purchasing/buying module example, when users log in for the first time, it needs to be easier than ever for them to find and purchase the items they need.

What is Relevant Source to Pay Content?

Without the proper content, when you “open the doors” to your source to pay modules, they will look like an empty retail store. The design and process you’ve created might be top notch but without any “products on the shelves,'' “customers” will quickly move on. Therefore, the amount of content available at Go-Live, when you first “open the doors” to users is an important consideration. However, it isn't the most important one.

The relevancy of content for the user audience being on-boarded should be your main focus. In our physical store analogy, if you invite heavy metal rockers to a music store, but only have classical instruments available, you’re going to lose a big part of your initial audience. Your rocker will be thinking: “That store only sells classical music instruments. It’s not for me.” When you eventually do stock electric guitars, you’ll have to re-conquer the hearts and minds of that audience as you lost earlier on. Everyone knows you only get one first impression...

Similarly, if you’re on-boarding maintenance technicians to an enterprise S2P buying module but only have catalog items for office supplies, you’re going to quickly lose their interest as they will be looking for spare parts and contingent workforce items in the catalog. Therefore, it is paramount that you make specific, catered Source to Pay content available to the user groups who are on-boarding your solution on the first day they on-board if you plan to realize your business case.

So far, I’ve been using the catalog/buying example to illustrate the importance of content but the same goes for all other modules in a Source to Pay suite. Here’s is a list of the most important data elements to consider when implementing different modules of a source to pay suite:

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