“I submitted the same expense last month. Nothing changed. Why do I have to get it approved again?”
There’s a special type of expense that could elicit this response. It shows up around the same day every month. It’s (usually) for the same amount and vendor—and from the same employee. Though seemingly minimal, over time, these recurring submissions can add up quickly when not managed properly.
To help finance teams get ahead of them, Emburse Certify recently expanded the capabilities of our Expense solution’s spend request module to make the process easier and more efficient for everyone.
Get to know your recurring spend
You likely know the expenses from seeing approval requests for them every month. But perhaps you haven’t paused long enough to analyze them as their own spend category—or how to optimize your process for addressing it.
Common examples of recurring expenses appear as:
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Cell and internet service
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Work-from-home allowances (weekly or monthly)
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Meal allowances (daily or weekly)
Reviewing high volumes of such expenses can tax finance teams over a seemingly small dollar amount. It stresses an already stressed workflow because awareness of recurring spend can be as low as some of the charges.
Employees feel it, too. Some pay for these expenses with a personal credit card, then eagerly await reimbursement. Others take advantage of the many “ghost cards” floating around the department. Their productivity is impacted by requesting and reporting the same items month after month.
What’s that old saying about the definition of insanity?
Stay ahead of the downpour
This exciting new enhancement to the spend request module enables users to get one-off and recurring spend approved before the transactions occur—and painlessly reconcile after. To further improve management and insight, funds for recurring purchases get loaded onto virtual Emburse Cards.
The process is simple.
1. After selecting the recurring request type, users provide a few extra details unique to that request type such as vendor; daily, weekly, or monthly card reload intervals; and reload end date.
2. Once the spend request is submitted for approval, the workflow follows the same process as an itemized or lump sum spend request.
3. The request routes through your company’s defined process, and your designated approver will review the spend request and edit as needed before final approval.
4. Once processed, a new virtual card is instantly issued to the user that automatically reloads funds for the requested amount on a set schedule.
Your finance team gains real-time transparency and control of employee spend prior to the transaction. At the same time, you eliminate out-of-pocket costs and redundant, manual processes for employees. It’s a win-win for parties on both sides of the equation.
See it in action
If you’re interested in learning more about the new spend request feature, contact your CSM today. They’ll be happy to explain how it can help your organization’s ongoing effort to reduce operational costs and continue your spend optimization journey.
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