Browse our list of Opinion Articles, Research Reports, Solution Brochures and Whitepapers

Research Report: Risky Business - analysing the state of UK business processes
Our 2019 research report surveyed 1,000 financial and accounting workers from small, medium and large companies in the UK, exploring how efficient these different businesses actually are.
We examine how well companies adapt to changing technology, the importance of security, what business problems we are likely to face in the near future, and access to and protection of data. Download the report to learn our findings.

Research Report: Changing trends in the Accounts Payable & Purchase Order Processes of UK businesses.
A Study of the effectiveness of Accounts Payable and Purchase Order Processing in UK businesses. The effectiveness of Accounts Payable and Purchase Order Processes has a significant impact on the management of profits…

Opinion Article: Why do hotels need to keep up with the digital age?
Faced with increased competition from new entrants, combined with the economic uncertainty of Brexit, the hotel sector must make sure that it is keeping up with the digital age and the demands of consumers.

Opinion Article: Make hay while the sun shines
The British hotel industry could be a net beneficiary of Brexit if it focuses on performance and process improvement now, says Ian Smith, General Manager at Invu.

Research Report: Investigating the purchasing process in UK medium sized businesses
During a recent survey conducted by independent research house, Red Brick Research, we surveyed 206 Finance workers across medium sized businesses on behalf of Invu, asking how their businesses managed the invoice processing of purchased goods and services, the daily challenges they face and their view on protection against fraud with the tools at their disposal.
The research identifies that many medium sized businesses have a business problem that needs fixing, namely a lack of timely visibility and control over spending.

Solution Brochure: Find the best solution for your business
Because documents and information are at the heart of so much of what we all do our solutions are used across thousands of organisations to solve a range of everyday problems.
Invu offers three core solutions; Accounts Payable, Document Management and Purchasing. Find out how our solutions can help you.

Opinion Article: The Purchase Order Process
A new survey of finance personnel from 200 public and private sector SMBs reveals that, even when purchase order processing systems are in place, often the rigour they are designed to enforce is not followed through. Ian Smith, Finance Director and General Manager at Invu, which commissioned the research, believes this means businesses could be missing out on all sorts of efficiency savings as well as everyday spending intelligence.

Opinion Article: Extending the value of Sage 50 with Invoice Processing
Growth is great news for the UK’s SMEs – but how are those companies still reliant on manual processes planning to manage the additional demand on finance associated with processing the inevitably growing volumes of invoices? Ian Smith, Finance Director and General Manager, Invu, outlines the value of combining invoice data capture with workflow and tight Sage 50 integration to radically reduce costs and improve control.

Research Report: Addressing the fragmented approach to Purchase Order Processing (POP)
During a recent survey conducted by independent research house, Redshift Research, we asked Finance workers in 200 UK-based small and medium enterprises how their businesses purchased goods and services and the daily challenges they face with the tools available to them. The survey revealed that almost a quarter of UK finance professionals (24%) say their current purchasing processes need fixing as a matter of priority.

Opinion Article: Back To Basics
This paper looks in detail at what effective invoice processing truly entails, it is time to wake up to the fact that effective accounts processing is about far more than scanning paper based invoices. Here we explore new technologies that are using data capture to automatically extract information from digital invoices, automate the manual entry process and streamline the invoice approval process.

Opinion Article: Making the Case against Litigation
The need to reduce business risk has taken centre stage over the past few years. From financial losses to damaged reputation and corporate failure, there is a growing awareness that unforeseen market forces represent an escalating threat to business.

Whitepaper: Wealth Management – the case for eDM
This paper looks at the compliance risks and operational pressures faced by the finance sector. Anti-Money Laundering, KYC, Suitability, FATCA etc mean that brokers, wealth managers and IFAs are exposed to a range of potentially threatening issues. With massive consequences for failure there’s increasing operational effort and expense needed to keep on top. Find out what role document solutions can play in mitigating the risks and reducing the day-to-day compliance impact.

Whitepaper: The Importance of Customer Service to Your Organisation’s Future
This paper examines the impact and value of customer service in commercial and public facing environments. With direct correlations between the quality of your interaction with customers, clients and suppliers and your future success this is a critical topic. We also explore what role document management and its related services can play in making a major difference.

Whitepaper: Assessing Document Management Solutions for Housing Associations
This paper explores some of the ways in which a new generation of Document Management solutions can be more fully exploited by the Social Housing sector. With mature technologies like document and content management it is all too easy to think about them as passive repositories – fantastic for ensuring that you have everything you need at your fingertips and allowing you great improvements in efficiency and service levels. However, can this technology be optimised to deliver even more value – we believe so and this paper sets out to explore the options. Whether you’re an existing EDM customer or looking to start your journey then this paper will aid your thinking and enable you to make the most from your investment.

Whitepaper: Printing can seriously harm your business’ health
This paper looks at something so many organisations take for granted – the need to print. As more output is electronic and email the business communication medium du jour it seems odd that our addiction to print isn’t challenged more often and robustly. Part of this may be due to the fact that the addiction is fed by a print and copy industry which tells us we can do the same and more for less. But is this a self-serving message? Here we take an alternative view and examine why you should begin slashing your print costs.

Whitepaper: Purchase to Payment Automation – Overcoming paper in an efficient electronic world
Like most organisations you have an accounting or ERP system and you may believe that you have a computerised business. However, have you automated the whole finance process? You’re probably not alone in having the “core” ledgers and books without addressing pockets of manual process, especially in relation to your suppliers.

Whitepaper: The do’s and don’ts of planning your eDM project
This paper covers the implementation of a new Document Management (eDM) or Content Management (ECM) system. It provides a series of checks and actions relating to three key stages:
– Stage 1 – the pre-sales stage
– Stage 2 – concentrates on the period between the purchase decision and your solution becoming operational.
– Stage 3 – covers the easily neglected area of post-deployment activity.
– Checklist – Acts as a simple checklist to aid preparation at any phase of the project.

Whitepaper: Improving your recovery rates
Practices face a veritable avalanche of documents and information: correspondence, emails, reports, spreadsheets and official forms often in conjunction with weighty individual client files. Compounding the administrative burden is the importance of this information, reinforced by heavy regulatory obligations and scrutiny. Against this background, the case for document and content management is an obvious fit. But what issues will it solve or new opportunities be opened up by adoption of this technology? This white paper explores these whilst also taking a look at how to avoid any pitfalls which might negatively impact your chargeability if you decide that document management is right for your practice.

Whitepaper: Food for Thought – An SME guide
This document aims to give you an overview of the key selection criteria you’ll need to consider when you decide to bring a document management or content management system into your organisation. Setting out the main considerations you may also choose to score their relevance when making your choices to aid your selection process.

Whitepaper: Confused about SharePoint?
It’s a pity isn’t it? A great technology like SharePoint comes along and the biggest effect it has is one of utter confusion. We all know that many businesses “use” SharePoint even now, but so few of them can actually say how or, worse, why they use it. In this paper we’ll concentrate on WSS since this is what most SMEs, departments and mid market organizations will be implementing. The reasons for the confusion are two-fold. Let’s see if we can make the picture clearer.

Whitepaper: Electronic Document Admissibility & Retention
If you’re considering a document management solution but are concerned what documents you should retain and what you can dispose of once stored securely in your repository, this whitepaper is worth a read. Providing guidance on which key documents will need to be retained and best practice the whitepaper also contains updates on The Civil Evidence Act 1995 and BS 10008:2008 best practice.

Whitepaper: Going Green – Does eDM work for the environmentally conscious?
UK business face an increasing volume of “good to be green” messages, many with related incentives or penalties.Such sobering statistics paint a bleak picture, backed up by a large hinterland of further evidence. However, assuaging green guilt can have very real business benefits. This document sets out to highlight how eDM/ECM applications sit in this context and whether eDM works for the environmentally conscious.