What can I do now to prepare my company for electronic invoicing?

Summary: To prepare your company for mandatory e-invoicing in France, start by informing and training yourself, and if possible, appoint an in-house expert. Next, map your invoice flows to identify the solutions best suited to your business. Assess your current software tools for e-invoicing compliance. Finally, prepare for the transition, whether your company works mainly with paper documents or non-compliant digital invoices, by adopting an electronic document management tool to dematerialize supplier invoices and improve your processes. This is essential for a smooth transition to mandatory electronic invoicing.

The reform of compulsory electronic invoicing will be applicable to all VAT-registered businesses established in France from 2026. Whatever the size of your company, and therefore whatever the deadline, it's important to plan ahead. Here are the 4 steps you can take right away to prepare your company for the transition to electronic invoicing.

Prepare your company for the transition to electronic invoicing :

Step 1: Information and training

Such a process radically changes the way data is exchanged and processed within the company. This is particularly the case with partners, customers and suppliers.

The first step in preparing your SME for the reform is to get informed and acquire the necessary skills. If possible, appoint an e-invoicing expert, such as an accountant or an administrative and financial manager. This person will be responsible for keeping abreast of the development of technologies adapted to your needs, and for understanding the requirements of dematerialization, including deadlines and obligations. He or she can gather information from your company's service providers to ensure a smooth transition.

Step 2: Map the company's flows

The reform of dematerialized invoicing in France is leading companies to make technical choices. This is unavoidable, whether for issuing, transmitting, receiving or storing electronic invoices. When faced with the various solutions authorized by the tax authorities, you need to consider which ones best meet your needs. This will vary according to your activity, and the nature and volume of your invoice flows.

Carry out a flow mapping of your customer and supplier invoices, to identify your company's specific use cases. For each category, identify the processes and tools used, from order to invoice payment.

Stage 3: Inventory of tools and partners to support the dematerialization process

Then take stock of the software and tools your company uses to process invoices, both outgoing and incoming. For each tool, identify whether your current service provider can implement mandatory electronic invoicing.

Analyze the choices made by invoicing and electronic document management software publishers. Are these companies planning to offer their services asdematerialization operators (DOs)? Are they applying to become a dematerialization platform partner (DPP)? What additional services do they offer in relation to the new tax process?

Stage 4: Change management within the company: introducing dematerialized workflows now

Managing dematerialized flows with customers and suppliers is not something you can improvise, whether you're a company that still mainly uses paper documents, or one that already works with digital invoices but doesn't yet comply with the required regulations. Advance planning is essential, particularly in purchasing and accounting departments. For those not yet equipped, we recommend starting by adopting an electronic document management (EDM) tool to dematerialize supplier invoices. This transition offers the opportunity to improve workflows, from order to payment, and is a key step towards a smooth transition to mandatory electronic invoicing.