How Tradeshift Simplifies Invoice Automation with Seamless ERP Integration

Integrating your ERP or financial system with Tradeshift opens the door to seamless automation and efficiency. We spoke to Florin Radu who leads Tradeshift’s team of technical integration specialists dedicated to helping businesses eliminate manual work from their invoice submission process. He shared more details about his team’s efforts to help businesses maximize the value of connecting to Tradeshift.

How does the technical integration team at Tradeshift help sellers automate invoice submissions?

We’re here to guide sellers through the technical side of connecting their systems with our platform. Our job is to make sure your system can talk to your buyer’s system—basically, that your ERP and theirs work together smoothly. That includes figuring out how documents flow to Tradeshift and making sure any acknowledgments or data get back to your ERP.

We also set up the right protocols for exchanging those documents, whether it’s through REST APIs, web methods, or SFTP—whatever works best for your system. And then there’s the file formats. There are about 20 different ones out there, all with their own variations, and we make sure those different formats connect seamlessly with both Tradeshift and the buyer’s system.

What’s the real value for sellers in fully integrating with Tradeshift?

It’s all about automation. We’re here to take manual work out of the equation. Why would a business create an invoice in their ERP system only to re-enter it manually into Tradeshift? We make sure that whole process—from your ERP to Tradeshift—is fully automated, so there’s no manual effort needed.

What challenges can surface during the integration process and how do we overcome them?

There’s a lot of variety in the systems and standards sellers use, so we have to be flexible to get everything talking. Then there are the custom workflows and rules buyers have in place for document approval. These can change over time, so we make sure the integration keeps up with any updates.

We use pre-built connectors to speed up the process, and we also rely on Babelway—a B2B  integration tool that’s the best in its class, which is why Tradeshift acquired it back in 2018. Between our tools and our team’s experience, we’re ready for almost anything that comes our way.

Is it common for sellers to have access to this level of integration expertise?

Not really. Most platforms expect sellers to fit into their way of doing things. If you’re using a format or protocol they don’t support, you’ll have to make changes to your ERP, and that’s usually expensive and a hassle.

Our message is simple: “Come as you are, and we’ll handle it.” 

If you want to stick with a certain file format, we’re not going to make you change. I remember working with a seller who had a really old ERP system. They couldn’t make it fit the new data points their buyer needed. So, we came up with a workaround that gathered the necessary data from different systems to complete the invoice.

We’ve seen just about everything, and I honestly can’t remember a time when we couldn’t find a solution that worked for everyone involved.

If I’m new to Tradeshift, what should I do to get the most out of the platform?

First, don’t think of Tradeshift as just something your customer wants you to use. We built Tradeshift so you get value, regardless of which side of the transaction you sit. Once you’re here, explore everything we offer.  You can connect with other customers or tap into services like embedded finance to get paid faster.

Second, lean on us. Our team has handled thousands of projects, and we know how to save you time and money by automating a lot of that manual work.

Lastly, use the available tools. Many sellers miss out on things like our collaboration tools, where buyers and sellers can work together directly on documents. We can also send status updates straight to your ERP, so you always know what’s happening without having to leave your system.

We’re here to listen. And we’re here to help.

Find out more about the features and services available to help sellers get the very best out of Tradeshift