Desafio BAT Brasil:
Smart Invoice & Expense Control

Início 15/07/2025
| Fim 29/08/2025

descrição

CHALLENGE
BAT – Smart Invoice & Expense Control

COUNTRY
Brazil, with potential expansion to other Latam South countries

PAIN POINT
Decentralized management of invoices and small expenses in service contracts is leading to delays in payments, lack of visibility, difficulty in tracking responsibilities, and compliance risks. Manual or fragmented processes make it hard to consolidate data, control budget, and improve supplier performance.

KEY CRITERIA
Automation of invoice tracking and validation

Real-time visibility of contract-related spend

Integration with procurement and finance systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba)

User-friendly interface for decentralized teams

Alert systems for due dates, inconsistencies, and approvals

Budget control and expense categorization by cost center/project

Scalability to multiple suppliers and contracts

Data centralization and audit trail

Compliance and governance features

EXPECTED OUTCOME
Reduced delays in payments and reduced financial risk

Greater visibility and control over decentralized spending

Enhanced supplier relationship through timely processing

Improved internal accountability and tracking

More accurate forecasting and budget compliance

Operational efficiency through automation and digitization

BUSINESS CONTEXT / ACTIVITY SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
The Procurement team is looking for innovative solutions that allow better control of decentralized contract expenses and related invoicing. Today, small ad hoc or recurring spend items in certain service contracts are managed without centralized visibility, causing inefficiencies, payment delays, and challenges in budget monitoring. The goal is to digitize and streamline this process to improve governance and operational control.

SPECIFICATIONS
Target Audience: Procurement, Finance, Operations, Contract Owners, Marketing, Trade
Location: Brazil

KPIs
% of invoices automatically tracked and validated

Average time to approve and pay

% reduction in overdue invoices

% of spend mapped and categorized correctly

User satisfaction (Procurement & Finance stakeholders)

Reduction of manual interventions and error rates

TIMINGS
Solution scouting and analysis: Q3/2025

Proof of concept / pilots: Q1/2026

Expansion / implementation: Q2/2026

FINAL THOUGHTS
We are looking for smart, scalable digital tools or startups that can co-create a centralized and intelligent system for expense tracking and invoice management in decentralized contract environments. Solutions that bring automation, compliance, and visibility will help us ensure operational excellence and financial governance.