Industry:
Manufacturing
Nexans Achieves AP Transformation with Basware’s SmartPDF AI
Nexans is a global leader in advanced cabling and connectivity solutions, supporting sectors from energy to telecommunications operating in 41 countries with approximately 28,500 employees. In 2023, Nexans generated 6.5 billion euros in standard sales.
With its extensive European presence, Nexans continues to innovate in operational efficiencies, aiming for robust digital transformations that bolster long-term growth.
As part of its business, Nexans manages more than 300,000 supplier invoices in 10 different countries, 80% of which include purchase orders. To this end, the company has been relying on the Basware solution for dematerialization and automated invoice management since 2016. As part of the optimization of its supplier invoice processing processes, but also to prepare for compliance with the reform on electronic invoicing, Nexans has decided to optimize the Basware modules already in place within the company and use the new technology developed by Basware.
Key successes
2hr
invoice processing time
Faster
supplier matching
92%
reliability rate
Complex AP Processes Requiring Enhanced Efficiency
To optimize the management of its supplier invoices and prepare for compliance with the mandatory switch to electronic invoicing from 2026, Nexans has taken up a number of challenges.
Like many companies experiencing rapid operational scaling, Nexans’ accounts payable (AP) processes were becoming increasingly complex. Despite using optical character recognition (OCR) tools, their system was proving to be unreliable and slow, leading to delayed invoice processing and additional strain on AP teams. According to Cecile Barrere, Nexans’ AP Director, the OCR solution was “quite hectic, sometimes it works, sometimes it’s not working.” This inconsistency hindered the company’s ability to keep AP processes efficient and required a new approach to optimize invoice capture and tracking.
We are shifting the time saved to different tasks, focusing more on process improvement and control.”
Cecile Barrere, Nexans’ Accounts Payables Shared Services Center Europe Director
Basware’s SmartPDF and Advanced Automation
Nexans turned to Basware to address these AP challenges and introduced SmartPDF, an AI-enhanced solution aimed at improving accuracy, speed, and traceability of invoice processing. The decision was met with optimism, as Cecile explained, “We needed a simple solution that was quicker and more reliable.” Basware’s SmartPDF AI was introduced in two waves across Nexans’ entities, quickly demonstrating notable improvements.
SmartPDF’s AI-driven technology replaced OCR, delivering faster and more consistent results, which reduced the time taken to process invoices from days to just hours.
“With SmartPDF, invoices arrive in less than 2 hours,” Cecile noted.
This significant reduction allowed Nexans’ AP team to better manage the high volume of invoices and ensured improved accuracy, even handling complex details like date formatting without manual intervention.
Enhanced Efficiency, Visibility, and Business Growth
With SmartPDF, Nexans observed a transformation in its AP processes, leading to substantial business benefits:
1. Improved Tracking and Traceability
SmartPDF enabled the AP team to gain complete visibility into incoming invoice flows. Cecile emphasized the “great value add” of SmartPDF’s tracking capabilities, as it attached original emails from suppliers, providing a comprehensive record of each invoice’s journey. This feature facilitated direct communication with suppliers to resolve any discrepancies promptly. "We use this technology as part of our supplier invoice validation process," explains Cécile Barrère.
"Basware SmartPDF also gives us better visibility and traceability of our invoices, and reduces the risk of error and fraud. In just 7 weeks, we have achieved a 92% reliability rate in the automatic identification and processing of invoice data, thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Finally, the implementation of Basware SmartPDF has enabled us to work on the structuring of our supplier data, which is the first step towards compliance with the e-invoicing reform."
2. Reduction in Processing Time
The integration of SmartPDF significantly reduced processing times. Previously, OCR technology took up to two days to process invoices. With SmartPDF, invoices were processed in under two hours. As Cecile highlighted, “It makes a great change.” By cutting the integration lead time, Nexans was able to reduce the overall AP processing cycle, helping streamline payment timelines and improve supplier relationships.
3. Higher Data Accuracy through Machine Learning
SmartPDF’s machine learning capabilities brought added precision, especially in extracting critical fields like dates, which had previously caused frequent errors. Cecile remarked on this improvement, noting that “capturing is getting better weeks after weeks because of machine learning.” With fewer errors, the AP team could rely on more accurate data, minimizing manual corrections.
4. Strategic Reallocation of Resources
By automating a significant portion of the AP workflow into a touchless process, Nexans’ team could reallocate their time to more value-added tasks. Cecile explained, “We are shifting the time saved to different tasks, focusing more on process improvement and control.” This shift allowed the team to enhance their operational oversight, focusing on analytical functions and reducing their involvement in repetitive tasks.
The Impact on Nexans’ Long-Term Growth
For Nexans, having cutting edge tools like Basware’s SmartPDF has redefined how the AP team contributes to the company’s strategic goals. By freeing up resources through automation, the AP team can engage in proactive tasks that add business value, such as refining controls and improving compliance. As Cecile articulated, the integration of SmartPDF and its AI advancements reflect the need for “reinvention in the finance function,” enabling Nexans to adapt to the evolving demands of a modern organization. SmartPDF, with its seamless AI enhancements, represents the ideal tool for meeting these demands and future-proofing Nexans’ AP function.
Nexans’ journey with Basware demonstrates the potential of advanced AP automation to drive efficiency, visibility, and organizational agility. By moving from a manual, OCR-dependent system to an AI-driven solution, Nexans has empowered its AP team to focus on higher-value tasks, fostering growth and innovation across the organization.
“SmartPDF has brought us closer to a touchless process, allowing us to redeploy resources towards impactful activities,”
Cecile concludes. As Nexans continues to grow, Basware remains a critical partner in helping the company realize its digital transformation objectives, with SmartPDF setting the standard for efficient, automated AP processes.