Businesses must document their procure-to-pay platform's configuration to create and communicate one version of truth. What does this mean? Multiple users with administrative permissions are often managing a system. One set of documentation should serve as the only truth, which records all agreed-upon settings and configurations.
Since various business stakeholders are usually involved, proper P2P documentation is a necessity across all industries.
Using the 5 Ws can help your business create one version of truth to be followed by all stakeholders and serve as an integral part of the platform's procurement configuration.
Using the 5 Ws to Document Your Platform's Configuration
What and Why
Your documentation should explain what areas are configured within your platform and why your business chose each configuration method. It is essential to provide detailed information about the configuration methods employed and what their benefits are.
When you have the what in place, it's time to determine where.
Where
Inevitability, future configuration changes will be necessary, possibly months from now. New processes requiring reconfiguration will need to be implemented. Configuration changes should be:
Tracked in the documentation.
Memorialized in prompts.
Almost more importantly than where will be who processes should be assigned.
Who
Processes should be assigned or at least documented so that ownership is clearly understood. Establishing the who provides:
Roles and responsibilities clarity.
Support for process ownership.
Seek senior leadership support and buy-in during the approval of configuration documentation. After configuration sign-off, ownership of roles, processes, and responsibilities within the platform are collectively assigned and acknowledged.
Complete and detailed documentation allows for the environment's configuration to be well-understood and referenced in the future. Complex system settings should be summarized and easily understood by all stakeholders.
When When making changes to the P2P platform's configuration, they should be documented fully. Two significant times a platform's configuration should trigger a documentation change are when functionality is added, or changes are made to the existing configuration.
Document the pertinent information, so that configuration changes are understood by current and future stakeholders. Prompt updating of documentation streamlines administrative processes, ultimately improving purchasing efficiency and enhancing the user experience.
Documentation Content All content should be documented to provide stakeholders with information that aligns your team's implementation with your organization's goals. Identifying and documenting key processes which create value enables the entire organization to find success.
Documenting the procure-to-pay process includes:
Process requirements.
Architecture/Design.
Technical aspects.
User roles and responsibilities.
Relationships relative to organizational marketing efforts.
Proper documentation of the P2P platform's configuration empowers businesses, aids administration, improves the end-user experience, and drives bottom-line savings for the organization.