Transforming supplier invoice and payments with SpendConsole and SAP Business Network for TAFE New South Wales
SpendConsole reduced manual invoice handling by 35% and enabled the seamless transition of 100% of email invoices. Tight integration with SAP Business Network allowed TAFE NSW to retire legacy tools while introducing a Peppol-ready eInvoicing pathway, creating a modern, compliant, and scalable AP operation.
Client profile
TAFE NSW is Australia’s largest vocational education provider, operating more than 110 colleges nationwide and working with over 4,000 active suppliers. With annual spend exceeding $400 million, the organisation operates at a scale where efficiency, governance, and supplier experience within Accounts Payable are critical.
As a large public sector organisation, TAFE NSW operates within a highly governed environment, requiring strong compliance, auditability, and transparency across financial operations. Managing supplier invoices at scale, while maintaining consistency across systems and campuses, made modernisation of Accounts Payable a strategic priority.
Business challenges
TAFE NSW had already invested in SAP Business Network and SAP Ariba to modernise procurement and invoicing. However, a significant proportion of invoices continued to enter the organisation through inefficient channels.
Key challenges included:
- Approximately 45% of supplier invoices were still received via email, creating manual handling and delays
- Reliance on legacy OCR and workflow tools introduced cost, operational friction, and compliance risk
- Fragmented processes reduced visibility and increased supplier enquiries
- Existing investments were not fully delivering touchless processing at scale
- A growing requirement to support Peppol-aligned eInvoicing and remain compliant with Australia’s eInvoicing direction, without disrupting existing SAP investments
TAFE NSW required a way to modernise invoice intake and controls without disrupting its SAP ecosystem.
Approach
SpendConsole was engaged to address inefficiencies at the point of invoice intake, without disrupting existing SAP investments. The approach focused on unifying invoice channels, enforcing governance upstream, and improving supplier experience, while ensuring the solution would align with Australia’s evolving eInvoicing direction.
Importantly, SpendConsole provided a pathway to Peppol-aligned eInvoicing, allowing TAFE NSW to improve operational AP today while preparing for structured invoicing standards in the future.
Solution
SpendConsole was deployed as a single orchestration layer across the invoice lifecycle, integrating seamlessly with SAP Business Network and SAP Ariba.
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Multi-channel invoice capture, including email and eInvoice-ready pathways
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Automated validation, compliance checks, and intelligent exception routing
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Tight integration with SAP Business Network and SAP Ariba
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Peppol-aligned eInvoicing readiness, supported by Australia’s governance model (ATO as Peppol Authority) and certified network participation
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Operational Benefits
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Insightful Reporting
Results
The successful implementation of SpendConsole brought about transformative results for our customers.
- 35% reduction in manual effort across invoice processing
- 100% of email invoices transitioned into controlled digital workflows
- Decommissioning of legacy tools such as Kofax and Process Director
- Time to value achieved in 16 weeks
- Achieved compliance with eInvoicing regulations through Peppol-aligned invoice processing
What our client
say about us
Moving forward
- Expand adoption of Peppol eInvoicing as supplier readiness increases
- Maintain alignment with Australia’s national eInvoicing framework
- Scale AP operations without reintroducing manual effort or control gaps
SpendConsole continues to support TAFE NSW as a strategic platform, enabling ongoing optimisation while keeping the organisation aligned with long-term regulatory direction.