We’ve just announced the latest version of PaletteArena, which includes a number of key enhancements to its mobile / smartphone working capabilities, email integration and reporting functions. 

PaletteArena Version 6 include PaletteMobile, allowing users to access their invoice workflows on their smartphone, offering more flexibility over how and where they can process and manage invoices.  The PaletteMobile client features an intuitive user interface to support invoice checking, approval, and workflow management. 

It also features PaletteMail which is aimed at users who prefer to integrate their workflow with their email, collating all of users’ invoices in their email inbox for review, which can then be reviewed and approved within the PaletteMail client, with all processing handled within PaletteArena.

We’ve also made a number of upgrades to PaletteDashboard, to give easier access to snapshots of key information on suppliers and the status of payments, with the option to drilldown into further detail if necessary.  Find out more about what PaletteArena 6.0 can do in our product pages.

The UK Government has been criticised for its response to the appeal made by a group of small business representatives earlier this month, to bring forward the enforcement of the EU late payment legislation amid fears of crippling financial struggle. 

The Telegraph newspaper reports that the business and enterprise minister, Mark Prisk, has proposed to ‘reform a group that will review corporate payment performance and legislation’, however members claim that he is merely relegating the matter as an issue of little, or no priority. 

The EU-wide deadline for the enforcement of the legislation is 2013, and legislation is slated to be introduced to the UK this year;  yet with many small businesses in the UK struggling to make ends meet, they fear they may not survive to see the legislation come into effect. 

Read more here:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/9033832/Governments-response-to-late-payment-questioned.html

A group of UK organisations and industry bodies have written to the business and enterprise minister, Mark Prisk, urging him to address the problem of late payments which are causing great financial struggle for smaller companies, and even putting some out of business.

A recent UK survey showing that 76% of business owners said they feel the government is not doing enough to protect UK businesses from late payments.

Possible resolutions to the problem include suggestions to bring the EU Late Payment Directive forward to 2012 therefore making 30-day payment terms mandatory, and preventing larger companies from changing the terms of their payments without contractual agreement.  This in turn is expected to put invoice and AP automation solutions in the spotlight, to help provide companies with the tools they need to avoid such penalties.

Research suggests that small and medium-sized businesses in the UK are owed £33.6 billion in outstanding invoice payments, the highest figure since records began.  

Read more about this issue at: http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/channels/small-business-finance/news/1679428/group-unite-to-take-on-late-payment.thtml

Palette has become a member of the European Electronic Invoicing Platform (EEI Platform), a consortium that aims to promote the benefits of e-invoicing with a key focus on sharing information, promoting members’ interests, building social networks, and obtaining and transferring knowledge.

The EEI Platform is claimed the largest platform to promote and facilitate the adoption of e-invoicing and invoice automation in Europe, and now has over 40 members who actively support its mission. 

This is to help accelerate the awareness, adoption and penetration of e-invoicing invoice automation and its related domains (payments, accounting, credit management, archiving, authenticity) across Europe, creating benefits and opportunities for its visitors, members, partners and participants.

Find out more about EEI at:  http://eeiplatform.com/6636/palette-software-welcomed-to-e-invoicing-platform/