The continuous improvement in our standard of living, goes along with in an increase of commercial transactions. This is in turn causing an increase in the volumes of administrative documents, first of all invoices. In Belgium, one billion invoices are sent every year. Automated processing of these invoices would save the equivalent of 3.5 billion euros per year. This is a capital stake.
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In 2014, based on the results of a successful but limited-scale B2G e-invoicing pilot phase, the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) of the FPS BOSA, which is responsible for studying the IT-aspects of the generalization of e-invoicing, found that the application of the PEPPOL framework would resolve most of the issues blocking the adoption of B2B and B2G e-invoicing. This framework identifies different kind of contributors to the e-invoicing generalization: correspondents, software editors, service providers and authorities. It brings these actors together in a community and contributes to organizing their respective roles. It also provides a set of specifications, based on mature technical solutions, that act as guidelines for the IT-players willing to safely engage in the IT shift mentioned above. PEPPOL identifies the need for a common transport infrastructure, that builds on existing service provider platforms and bridges their islands into one coherent super-network. PEPPOL also organizes the necessary cohabitation of multiple formats must cohabit: all formats are welcome (the transport infrastructure can handle them), however no trading party can refuse to handle at least one "common denominator format" - the "lingua franca", that people only need to use when there is no other common format available with their correspondent. Finally, PEPPOL comes with many other features whose description falls outside the scope of this article. For more information on the rollout of PEPPOL in Belgium and useful links to PEPPOL-related information, please visit the official page of the Belgian PEPPOL Authority.
Starting 01/01/2016 BOSA DTO is the PEPPOL Authority in Belgium. It takes the charge of rolling out this framework within his jurisdiction. Across Europe 11 PEPPOL authorities have already taken the same role. The constantly growing adoption of PEPPOL over time, creates the conditions for the e-postal infrastructure that is indispensable to the realization of our ambitions.
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Mercurius comes with a portal, whose primary function is to allow everyone to monitor the transmission and processing of its e-invoices to all government bodies with 100% reliability. What is more, suppliers that do not yet have suitable IT equipment, are able to easily submit their invoices using a form on this portal - until they shift to e-invoicing. Finally, the Mercurius portal welcome page contains all kind of links to useful information about e-invoicing in Belgium, B2G and B2B. More information about the access to the Mercurius portal and the scenarios it supports, are available in a separate article (see later).
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- All enterprises can reach all public entities the same way. Currently over 200 public sector entities already participate, but in the longer term the whole public sector will be reachable (5900 entities).
- The Mercurius Portal provides 100% transparency in the reception and processing of the supplier's e-Invoice. Both sender and receiver "see" the same information, using the same tools on the same platform.
- In the longer term, the costs of the IT offering will decrease, and the performance will raise faster.
- The supplier is paid faster thanks to the automation of the processing.
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Following articles provide additional information about the different aspects of B2G e-invoicing, PEPPOL and Mercurius.
- Mercurius for the private sector: describes the B2G e-invoicing flows from the private sector perspective. It describes the different options, provides legal, financial, functional and technical information to help the private sector adopt e-invoicing.
- Mercurius for the public sector: provides similar information but from the public sector point of view.
- Mercurius portal help: consolidates information that is specific to the portal. is also the help section of the portal.The European Strategy on e-invoicing and the European Norm EN16931: provides more information on the European strategy on e-invoicing/e-procurement and the European Norm EN16931.