Initiation and Planning for Invoice Source Transition and Development of New Interfaces for Invoice Search and Reminders

Summary
Ahlsell has changed its invoice partner, which requires corresponding changes on our side. This initiative is a direct consequence of decisions made outside the team, and our goal is to adapt to the new setup, decommission end-of-life systems, and ensure compliance with the new requirements. While the primary driver is necessity, the work also has the potential to improve customer experience through more modern interfaces and broader search functionality.

1. Current Situation and Challenges

• Historical setup: All invoices have been stored in an invoice archive hosted by Opus Capita, who also produced and distributed paper and email invoices from Vivaldi. That archive has relied on a subcontractor named Ropo.

• End-of-life: The old archive is considered end-of-life from multiple perspectives and has been for a long time. The finance department has traditionally been cautious with changes, which has delayed modernization.

Technical Limitations and Risks (Old System)

• Outdated invoice search interface.

• Security flaws such as plain text passwords and IP whitelisting.

• Limited search history in Vivaldi (2 years) vs. 10 years in the invoice archive.

2. Transition to the New Invoice Archive

• New archive in place: A new archive was introduced alongside a technical shift in how invoice data is sent to Opus Capita. New invoices are already stored in both archives.

• Historical data: Legacy invoices are being migrated by converting old print files into searchable PDFs. This migration is ongoing.

• New solution: Opus Capita will maintain the new archive but will not allow customer access to their own application. Internal credit departments will use Opus Capita’s interface, while external customers will gain access via APIs.

• Security & technology: The new solution uses APIM (API Management) without IP whitelisting, simplifying testing and access. API documentation is available via Opus Capita (contact: Vesa) and their developer portal.

• Search improvements: The new API supports additional fields (customer order number, shipment ID, project number, customer reference).

3. Key Implementation Questions

• Invoice Reminder Service (.se/fakturor)

  • Customers receive a paper reminder with a “paying customer number” and password, enabling access to invoices for all linked purchasing customer numbers.

  • Authentication flow against IFS remains, but the new archive’s API must be used.

  • A new interface needs to be built, replacing Ropo’s current solution.

• Invoice Link in Order History (Webshop)

  • Existing invoice links in order history must be updated to query the new archive’s API.

  • The API likely requires 10-digit invoice numbers, while webshop data often only stores 8-digit numbers. Possible solutions: lookup via Vivaldi or a Kafka topic with invoice tables.

• UX/UI Design

  • Goal: A shared invoice page accessible via two login paths:

    1. Webshop login (purchasing customer number).

    2. Reminder login (paying customer number, covering multiple purchasing entities).

  • Challenge: Prevent confusion and ensure clarity by, e.g., showing purchasing customer numbers in an extra column when logged in with a paying number.

  • Initial focus: Building the invoice reminder interface is the most urgent step.

  • Note: Reminder login should not redirect to “My Pages” in the webshop, as it does not represent a full webshop login.

4. Timeline and Dependencies

• Data migration: Status of historical invoice migration is unclear. Antoni is responsible and needs to provide a timeline. This affects when the new solution can be fully operational.

• Prioritization: Updating the invoice link in order history is a relatively small task. Building the full invoice search interface is a larger effort.

• Dependencies:

  • Opus Capita (APIs, documentation, developer portal).

  • Internal finance department.

  • Antoni (historical migration).

5. Target State

The long-term goal is a unified, secure, and user-friendly invoice search and reminder service for both internal and external users. In the short term, our focus is compliance with the new requirements, while phasing out end-of-life systems.