esa-p is an SAP-based eProcurement tool of the European Space Agency (ESA).

It integrates into a single tool the eInvoicing solution EFIS (see http://epractice.eu/en/cases/efis) for the European Space Sector with internal procurement and accounting processes to support all contractually and financially relevant processes.

This includes contract creation and contractual change management, eInvoicing including in-built approval cycles for industrial consortia, financial reporting for ESA and its suppliers world-wide (>20,000 invoices, >2,000 external users in industry and academia).

Policy Context

The European Space Agency ESA, an international governmental organisation, aims to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes, cooperation among European states in space research & technological development and their space applications. ESA closely cooperates with the EC in the areas of RTD, Environment and Security, nota bene space policy. A key objective of ESA is to care for a sustained and competitive European space cluster. This involves the need of ESA to efficiently manage complex contracts with industrial consortia in which sharing information and paying all partners in time is key. esa-p ensures this task.

Description of target users and groups

The European Space Cluster, approx. 1,500 legal persons both in industry (i.e. Large Industries, SMEs) and academia (Universities and Research Institutes).

 

Description of the way to implement the initiative

Distinct project management plus external consultant to implement a major 'Financial Management Reform', the eProcurement solution has been both driver and result of this internal reform of ESA.

Technology solution

• SAP standard modules fir ESA-internal use (FI, FI-AA, FM, CO, PS, SSM, BI, BI-IP, BFR, HR, MM)
• customised SRM module of (Supplier Relationship Management) open to ESA's suppliers via website, so no requirement to run SAP in the company
• proprietory eTendering System EMITS / interface to SAP/SRM (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Industry/SEMVYL6H07F_0.html)

Technology choice: Proprietary technology, Standards-based technology

Main results, benefits and impacts

For ESA: integration of business processes (procurement with financial management), IPSAS-compliant accounting model & financial reporting

For ESA's suppliers: replacing ~20,000 paper invoicing per year by swift eInvoice submission and approval through (often: complex, mult-tier consortia), contracts and project management plus in-built financial and contractual reporting in shared data repository.

Lessons learnt

• Plain e-invoicing without add-on services does not seem sufficient to change invoicing behaviour à integrate users in application development and maintainance

• Even a good and convincing product needs to be actively brought to potential users à consider a roll out as a distinct project

• Never underestimate the user's information requirements à invest big in small user guide

• Never underestimate requirements to re-organise due to IT-implementation, partic.with SAP.

Scope: International