We are proud to announce Sarah Thompson as our Apprentice of the Year 2020/21. We are recognising her for her determination and commitment towards her Certification in Procure to Pay Practitioner. This apprenticeship asks students to write about ‘the importance of effective training for team members and across wider departments before going live with a new P2P system’. This article showcases a part of Sarah’s work on this.

the importance of effective training
Check out the CP2P Practitioner Apprenticeship here

“Procure to Pay (P2P) encompasses many aspects from ordering and receiving goods, using relevant suppliers, and processing invoices and payments. Different people across different departments carry out multiple tasks. Therefore, all system users have to have effective training for the system to be used to its full extent.

All departments should have training when the P2P system updates and changes. The organisation should communicate that processing is likely to take longer than normal due to the new system launching. Setting these expectations, before the system goes live, ensures that P2P employees are not blamed for the delay in processes.

During training, individuals must learn how to use the system and then have bespoke training in specific areas that relate to their job role. This will ensure the effective use of the system by all. It also means that suppliers will receive a good level of service upheld through employees knowing how to get the correct information for them.

Overall, the importance of effective training is highlighted for multiple reasons. It means that when there are changes to P2P systems, the process is as clear and problem-free as possible. Training for all employees, across wider departments, results in positive outcomes across the organisation. It results in keeping backlogs to a minimum and service levels for suppliers as constant as possible.”

Want to know how you can join the CP2P Programme? Find out more here.