* Since the publication of this article, Docoon has received its temporary registration as a Partner Dematerialization Platform from the French Public Finance Directorate under number 19.
When asked at the end of last year about their priorities for 2024, CFOs identified cash and financing management as their number one priority, far ahead of performance management and talent management. This is a first in five years and since the annual publication of the PwC/DFCG study 1 survey of finance departments. Surprising? Not really, given that the economic climate is marked by significant geopolitical and economic uncertainties: inflation, volatile raw material costs, cyber threats, tensions in the job market, geopolitical conflicts, complex recruitment, and economic models being challenged by the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.
In short, in an uncertain environment, CFOs are required to "steer the ship" – meaning cash flow –; the priority is to ensure that the company always has the necessary liquidity to meet its financial obligations. 2The requirement that follows from the first: optimize cash flow to minimize risks and ensure the company's long-term viability.
While some still perceive the widespread adoption of electronic invoicing as yet another obstacle imposed from above by a technocratic eliteOn the contrary, it represents a tremendous opportunity for CFOs when it comes time to answer the perennial question in meetings: " Mr. X, what is our financial outlook for the coming months? ". Are we exaggerating? Hardly... Using software or a platform to issue and receive invoices in electronic format— as PDPs will soon allow —ensures that CFOs and their teams to have an instant overview of cash flow at any time. Not convinced? Here are 10 very good reasons to switch to electronic invoicing and use its superpowers 
1. Live payment tracking
One of the biggest advantages of electronic invoicingis is that you can track the status of your invoices in real time: received, rejected (and why), pending payment, paid, etc. No more endless calls to check whether your customer has received their invoice. Everything is just a click away, saving you valuable time and allowing you to focus your efforts on growing your business.
2. Improved Cash Flow Forecasting
Real-time visibility allows you to better anticipate your cash flow needs. By knowing which invoices are being processed and when payments are expected, you can accurately forecast future cash flows. This helps you plan for major expenses, invest at the right time, and avoid costly bank overdrafts.
Consider this: invoicing software allows you to configure settings related to billing dates. Create invoices with payment upon receipt or cash payment for some of your customers. Negotiate payment terms with your suppliers that are advantageous to you with compliant invoices that contain all the necessary information for these terms.
3. Reduction in Late Payments
With electronic invoicing, you can automate payment reminders and closely monitor late payments. This means you can take prompt action to recover overdue paymentsand improve your cash flow , and maintain positive relationships with your customers.
It also meets the need to optimize the company's financial management, particularly customer and supplier accounts, in order to better forecast and anticipate cash flow.
4. Optimization of Internal Processes
Adopting electronic invoicing allows you to automate a large part of your invoicing process, thereby reducing human error and delays. This means less time spent correcting errors and more time for higher value-added tasks. An example? By automating your invoicing flows, you and your teams will have more time to monitor crucial financial indicators: company profitability, net cash flow, or overall net working capital.
5. Easy Integration with Your Existing Tools
Electronic invoicing solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, whether it's your ERP, accounting software, or even your CRM tools. This smooth integration allows for a seamless transition to real-time cash management without disrupting your day-to-day operations.
6. Security and Compliance
Another undeniable advantage of electronic invoicing is transaction security. Modern e-invoicing solutions are equipped with advanced security protocols that protect sensitive data. You can be sure that your financial information is secure against cyber threats, while remaining compliant with current regulations.
At this point, we should already have encouraged you to digitize your cash flow, starting with your invoices. However, according to a survey conducted during Electronic Invoicing Day 2024 by OpinionWay, with only two years to go before mandatory electronic invoicing comes into effect, 43% of the companies surveyed still send paper invoices! Are you still sending paper invoices? Here are four more good reasons to convince you to switch to electronic invoicing:
7. Slowness and Inefficiency
Let's be honest, paper invoicing is archaic. Each invoice must be printed, mailed, then received, opened, and processed by your customer. This process takes days, even weeks. Meanwhile, your cash flow stagnates. Late payments accumulate and you lose valuable time that could be spent on more strategic tasks.
8. Risk of Error
With paper invoicing, errors are inevitable. A typo, an incorrect amount, forgetting to include VAT... These small mistakes can have major consequences. They require corrections, invoice resends, and even more time wasted. Not to mention manual entry errors that can lead to disputes with your customers.
9. Hidden Costs
The costs associated with paper invoicing are not limited to paper and stamps. You also have to factor in the time your teams spend printing, folding, and sending invoices, as well as the cost of processing returns and reminders. In short, paper invoicing is far from economical.
10. Lack of Traceability
With paper invoices, tracking the status of your payments is a real headache. Have you ever spent hours looking for a lost invoice? Or trying to figure out why a payment still hasn't arrived? The lack of traceability makes tracking invoices complicated and unreliable.
And at Docoon, what do our customers say?
Docoon, a leading publisher of digital trust and dematerialization solutions, is developing an "expert" offering for outgoing electronic invoicing and is naturally positioning itself as a Partner Digitization Platform (PDP) *, registered and certified by the government. Our customers who have implemented electronic invoicing without waiting for the reform justify their switch to electronic invoicing for the following reasons:
→ "I have a truly intuitive and user-friendly dashboard to track all of the company's cash flows."
→ " I have a solution that does everything! I can send my invoices electronically or trigger the postal delivery of invoices for customers who still request them! My solution manages both email and mail for me—it's ideal!"
→ " Thanks to Docoon Invoice, I automatically have certified and secure electronic archiving for my invoices. I comply with the law and can sleep soundly in the event of a tax audit!" "
→ " I now have a single interface for submitting my invoices. Before, for some of my clients, I had to log in to another portal to send my invoices. And different portals depending on my clients' processes! What a time saver! "
→ " I'm really happy to comply now and get ahead of the reform. There's no way I'm waiting until the last minute and putting extra stress and workload on the teams!" "
→ " It gives a more modern image of my company and its processes! "
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