The rationale for dematerialization

Definition
As soon as a company considers exchanging invoices with its partners, the question of dematerialization is raised. If it is the case, then a choice must be made between EDI or secured electronic invoice through electronic signature.
The non dematerialized electronic invoice must be coupled with a paper invoice which remains the legal proof for the administration.

Dematerialized invoice between two commercial partners consists in the remote transmission of invoices on an electronic format, without any paper exchange.
It suppresses a manual matching between the electronic transmission and its paper equivalent.

Benefits
The invoice is a legal proof of commercial relationship between partners as well as towards the fiscal administration. As such, companies often feel some apprehension before dematerializing invoice exchange. However, the legal context is clearly defined in some countries such as France or Spain, or being defined in others.

In any case, the benefits are various:

Time savings
- Rapidity of transmission and invoice processing
- Acceleration of payment receipt emission
- Reduction of potential litigations
- Automatic balance of invoices
- Diminution of paper to process

Financial benefits
- Diminution of archiving costs

Security improvement
- Authenticity guarantee and integrity of transmitted invoices
- Strict follow-up of the invoice reception through the dematerialization tool
- Possibility to systemize controls

Invoice dematerialization through EDI favors the implementation of systematic control procedures of invoiced elements for delivered or ordered products or services.
Those procedures are much harder, or even impossible, to put in place manually.