Kovačec: SMEs today use eInvoices more than large companies

The Moj-eRačun service and the business weekly Lider, with the support of the Institute for eBusiness, organized a professional educational workshop ‘Mandatory eInvoice in 2018’ – the impact on the economy and application in the B2B sector.

Maja Jurišić – Prlić from the Institute for eBusiness spoke about the basic concepts related to eInvoices. She defined eInvoice as an electronic document identical to the paper invoice you receive by mail. She emphasizes that it is 100 percent legally secure and internationally accepted.

– eInvoice is sent via an advanced electronic signature, application certificate, and username and password. There is also a timestamp that verifies the time of sending, storing “string” documents. In Croatia, FINA is the issuer of the timestamp, and eInvoice can be obtained in PDF and XML format, stated Jurišić – Prlić, who also explained what eArchive is and how it can be useful.

– eArchive is an information system that allows the storage and preservation of all types of documentation in electronic form, enabling tracking of eDocuments until the end of their life cycle, said Jurišić – Prlić.

>>>‘Mandatory eInvoice in 2018’: Croatia saves more than 850 million euros annually on eInvoices

Why are companies slow to implement digitalization?

Josip Kovačec, head of sales for the Moj-eRačun service, recounted how the eInvoice market practically did not exist four years ago, and today, after four years, a structured eInvoice market has emerged that has encouraged companies to use it.

– At the beginning of market creation, more than 180 educational sessions on eInvoices were held, 2000 companies were educated, and more than 3500 participants attended the training. The beginning of creating a perception of eInvoices and the benefits they bring took some time, and at the start of using eInvoices, the first steps towards business digitalization were made, said Kovačec, adding that there were many problems during the introduction of eInvoices.

Kovačec emphasized that the complete service is now on the sender’s side. Technical solutions have been found, recipient databases are being collected and updated, and the entire service is at no cost. The previous digitalization initiated by the use of eInvoices has also encouraged the largest companies to use eInvoices as a standard way of issuing invoices, with INA, HRT, and DHL using them.

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– We solved problems through trust, education, ease of sending, and process coverage. Today, eInvoice is no longer a privilege of large companies; SMEs today use eInvoices in a higher percentage than large companies, and many SMEs no longer retype their eInvoices in multiple places because companies know how to choose the correct method of sending and choose how to receive the eInvoice, concluded Kovačec.

The use and application of other electronic documents in business

Maja Jurišić – Prlić from the Institute for eBusiness stated that paperless and seal-free business has become quite common and that everything is changing through eDocuments. In addition to eInvoices, there are eApprovals, eReminders, eReceipts, eShipping documents, and many other eDocuments. She also referred to DMS, an information system for managing (business) documents and eDocuments.

She concluded that the benefits of eBusiness are that resources are not wasted on unnecessary distribution of information, and only valuable information is entered.

– Information is up-to-date, in a form that relevant persons can use, confidential information is protected from unauthorized access, and is stored for easier tracking, problem detection, new opportunities, or legal accountability, stated Jurišić – Prlić.