Terhulpen, Belgium — 10 October 2022 — In times of significant labour and raw material shortages, digitalising the billing process can offer welcome administrative relief to countless companies, not least contractors and their suppliers. With precisely that in mind, Embuild, the Belgian trade association unifying more than 16,000 construction companies, is now offering a digital billing platform to its members. To do so, it decided to join forces with e-billing specialist Unifiedpost.
As part of its mission to support the construction sector in its transition towards further professionalisation and digitalisation, the Embuild trade association will from today be granting its 16,000 members access to the Billtobox digital billing platform, developed by Unifiedpost, so that documents — mainly invoices — can be exchanged electronically. In doing so, Embuild is not just seeking to significantly reduce the administrative burden faced by its members. The platform also enables them to quickly and easily make payments, meaning they can manage their cash flows in a much clearer way. On top of that, the platform also leaves users fully prepared for B2B billing requirements that will soon come into force.
In the first instance, the focus will be on sending, receiving and paying invoices. Billtobox has been developed with SMEs in mind, and offers major users such as insurance companies, automotive, lease and utility companies and temporary recruitment agencies the option to deliver documents to users. On top of that, Billtobox is an open platform, meaning it can easily be integrated with any existing accounting and ERP software users already have installed.
By going for Unifiedpost, Embuild has gone for a Belgian partner and a listed company that has been around for over twenty years, and that already has a strong presence on the Belgian market with its Billtobox platform. What's more, Embuild is joining a long list of Belgian trade associations that have already been working with Unifiedpost for several years, including ITAA (the trade association for accountants) and Federgon (the trade association for HR service providers such as temporary recruitment agencies). Just across the border in the Netherlands, Bouwend Nederland has also decided to partner with Unifiedpost, and the company also supplies e-billing platforms in countries such as Serbia and France. Unifiedpost employs over 1,400 people across 32 countries.
"The construction sector is facing significant challenges at present in terms of labour and raw material shortages. As such, the administrative simplification realised through digital and automatic processing of invoices in a complex environment of large and small enterprises and their suppliers delivers significant added value for our 16,000 members. On top of that, the platform also enables them to pay these invoices in a really simple way, resulting in much easier and effective cash flow management. This last factor certainly shouldn't be overlooked, especially for SMEs in the current climate, and all the more because digital invoicing will gradually become mandatory for public contracts from 1 November 2022." Niko Demeester, Embuild CEO.
"We are of course extremely pleased that one of the most important sector federations in Belgium has decided to partner with Unifiedpost. By working directly with the construction sector and the wider business community as a whole, we are removing the barriers to digitalisation and administrative simplification. Construction firms face a whole host of challenges today, even though their entrepreneurial spirit is a crucial factor in keeping the economy going. By adding an essential sector such as construction to its network, Unifiedpost is also significantly enhancing the ability to connect for both its existing and future users." Phillippe Kimpe, Unifiedpost Group BeNeLux CEO.
"Through this partnership, we are supporting contractors and their suppliers on their digitalisation journey and in the general transition towards professionalisation. Together with Embuild and via our digital network, we are facilitating connection and communication across the entire sector. What's more, our system allows users to submit digital invoices to public authorities straightaway." Luc Caubergh, Corporate Sales Director at Unifiedpost Group.
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