Professional and business services
Professional and Business Services EDI, e-Invoicing and API Integration
Service invoices prepared to each client's procurement system requirements
Service firms do not ship cartons, but their large clients still require electronic purchase orders, timesheets and invoices in their own formats and procurement networks. ECOM connects your billing, time and ERP systems to each client's requirements, and matches the payments that come back.
At a glance
Key documents
Systems we integrate
- Billing and ERP
- Time and expense
- Client procurement networks and portals
- Banking
PRISM products
- PRISM-EDI
- PRISM-SmartConvert
- PRISM Reconcile360
- PRISM-API Gateway
- Who we help
- Staffing and workforce firms, facilities and field service companies, and legal, consulting and outsourced service providers.
- What we connect
- Your billing, time and ERP systems to each client's purchase orders, timesheets, invoice formats and procurement networks.
- Problems we solve
- Invoices rejected by client systems, client-specific formats, and purchase orders and timesheets that must match before payment.
- Even without EDI
- Most clients use procurement networks, vendor management portals, cXML or LEDES files, spreadsheets and PDFs rather than EDI. ECOM works with those routes as well as X12.
What is business services e-invoicing?
Business services e-invoicing is the electronic exchange of service orders, time and expense data, invoices and remittance between service providers and their clients. Clients may require ANSI X12 810 invoices, cXML through a procurement network, industry formats such as LEDES for legal billing, or uploads to a supplier portal, and pay with remittance in the 820 or a bank file.
Who you connect with
Who a service firm exchanges data with
Service clients route invoices through their own systems. The firm adapts to each one.
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Client procurement networks
Purchase orders, invoices, status
cXML and network portals -
Vendor management systems
Requisitions, timesheets, invoices
VMS portals and files -
Legal and matter management
Matter budgets, e-bills
LEDES files -
Client accounts payable
Invoices, remittance, status
EDI and portals -
Banks
Payments and remittance
Bank files
Service types
Staffing, legal billing, facilities services and procurement networks each have their own rules
Clients publish their own requirements, so we start from the client's instructions. Examples below show the typical shape of each.
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Staffing and workforce services
Firms placing workers with clients that manage staffing through a vendor management system.
- How it runs
- Requisitions and work orders arrive. Workers submit time, the client approves it, and an invoice is created from approved time and matched back to it.
- Documents
- Systems
- Applicant tracking, payroll and time systems, client VMS portals.
- Typical problem
- Time approved in the client's system must match what the firm bills, or the invoice is held.
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Legal billing
Law firms and legal service providers sending e-bills to corporate clients and insurers.
- How it runs
- Invoices are prepared from time and expense entries as LEDES files using the client's task and activity codes, and submitted through the client's matter or e-billing system.
- Systems
- Legal billing and time systems, client e-billing platforms.
- Typical problem
- Billing codes and rules differ by client, so an invoice can be rejected line by line.
Source note. LEDES and the UTBMS code sets are common legal e-billing standards. Each client sets which version and codes it requires.
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Facilities and field services
Service companies completing work orders for clients and property managers.
- How it runs
- Work orders and purchase orders arrive from client systems. Completion data and invoices are returned and matched to the order.
- Systems
- Field service and dispatch systems, client portals.
- Typical problem
- Invoices must reference the purchase order and work order the client expects.
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Procurement networks and e-invoicing
Firms whose clients use supplier networks such as SAP Business Network (Ariba) or Coupa.
- How it runs
- Clients invite the supplier to their network, and the supplier receives orders and sends invoices in the formats the client's account supports, often cXML.
- Systems
- Billing or ERP, network supplier accounts.
- Typical problem
- Each client configures its network account differently, and invoices that do not match the order are rejected.
Source note. Network access and any fees are set by the network operator and the client; ECOM works from the client's onboarding instructions.
cXML reference
How to read this page: a standard or system named here shows where a requirement is published or what ECOM can connect. It does not mean ECOM has a verified partnership with any named company, and your own contracts and partners define the final requirements.
Who it's for
Different roles, different workflows
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Staffing and workforce services
Clients approve time in their own systems and expect invoices that match approved hours, rates and cost centers, often in formats such as HR-XML or HR-JSON.
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Facilities and field services
Work orders arrive from clients' facilities systems, and completion, invoices and supporting documents must reference each order and site.
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Legal, consulting and outsourced services
Clients review invoices line by line against matters, projects or statements of work, and legal departments commonly require LEDES invoices.
How the workflow runs
From client order to paid invoice
For a service firm, the order and approval steps happen in the client's systems. The invoice is accepted only if it matches them.
- Client→Network or portal 850 Purchase order or work order Services, rates and cost centers.
- Network or portal→Your firm 850 Order delivered As EDI, cXML or portal notice.
- Your firm→Network or portal Time or completion Hours, milestones or work completed.
- Your firm→Network or portal 810 Invoice In X12, cXML, LEDES or the portal's format.
- Network or portal→Your firm Invoice status Approved, disputed or rejected.
- Client→Your firm 820 Payment and remittance Which invoices were paid.
- 01
Capture the order
Purchase orders and work orders from clients are loaded into billing or ERP systems with the references the invoice will need.
- 02
Record time and completion
Approved time, expenses or completed work become invoice lines with the client's codes.
- 03
Send the invoice in the client's format
The same invoice is produced as X12, cXML, LEDES or a portal upload, according to each client's rules.
- 04
Follow status
Approvals, disputes and rejections are captured so billing teams can fix and resubmit quickly.
- 05
Match payment
Remittance is matched to invoices so receivables and collections reflect what was paid.
Beyond EDI
Every way service invoices reach clients, from one billing record
A single bill may go to one client as a cXML invoice, to another as a LEDES file and to a third through a portal upload. ECOM prepares each from the same billing data.
How it arrives
- XMLcXML purchase orders and invoices
- EDI850 orders, 810 invoices, 820 payments
- PortalProcurement network and VMS portals
- Flat fileLEDES and agreed billing files
- SpreadsheetTimesheets and expense reports
- PDF or emailClient purchase orders and statements
ECOM
- Validate every file or message
- Map to each partner's rules
- Deliver, acknowledge and monitor
Where it goes
- Client networks
- Client portals
- Receivables
- Collections
Challenges
Integration challenges in professional and business services
Every client has its own format
One client uses a procurement network, another LEDES, a third a supplier portal.
Rejections for small mismatches
A wrong cost center, rate or purchase order line returns the invoice and delays payment.
Manual portal entry
Keying invoices into client portals takes billing time and invites errors.
Payments without detail
Payments that arrive without remittance detail are hard to apply to the right invoices.
How we help
How ECOM supports professional and business services companies
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Order capture
Purchase orders and work orders from clients loaded into billing and ERP systems.
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Multi-format invoicing
Invoices produced as X12 810, cXML, LEDES or client-specified files from your billing data.
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Status tracking
Approval, dispute and rejection messages captured and routed to billing teams.
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Remittance matching
820 and bank remittance matched to open invoices.
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Document conversion
Client orders and statements that arrive as PDFs or emails converted into structured data.
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Monitoring
Unsent, rejected or unpaid invoices visible as exceptions.
PRISM products
Which PRISM products apply
Each partner connects in the way it can support. These products cover the connections and visibility this industry needs most.
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PRISM-EDI
Exchange of orders, invoices and remittance with clients in X12 and other agreed formats.
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PRISM-SmartConvert
Client orders, statements and remittance that arrive as PDFs or emails converted into structured data.
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PRISM Reconcile360
Automated cash application and reconciliation of payments and remittance against open invoices.
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PRISM-API Gateway
API integration and connectivity for clients and networks that exchange orders and invoices through APIs.
Systems integration
What service invoicing connects to
Service invoices draw on time, project and billing data that must match the client's records.
From
- Client orders
- Time and expense
- Billing data
- Remittance
ECOM · Service invoicing
- Validate client codes
- Format per client
- Track status
To
- Client networks
- Client portals
- Receivables
- Collections
| System | What flows | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Billing and ERP | Invoices, credits and receivables. | Client codes, rates and purchase order lines must be stored with each engagement. |
| Time and expense | Approved hours, expenses and milestones. | Only approved entries should reach the invoice. |
| Client procurement networks and portals | Orders, invoices and status. | Each network or portal has its own registration and format rules. |
| Banking | Payments and remittance. | Remittance detail decides how quickly cash can be applied. |
Formats
The invoice formats service firms meet most
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cXML
The XML protocol used by many procurement networks for purchase orders and invoices.
cXML in detail -
LEDES
Legal billing formats, such as LEDES 98B and LEDES XML, maintained by the LEDES Oversight Committee and used with UTBMS task and activity codes.
-
HR-XML and HR-JSON
HR Open Standards data libraries used for staffing and workforce data such as assignments and time.
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X12 810 and 820
Invoices and remittance for clients that run X12 programs.
X12 810 and 820 in detail
Implementation
What to plan for in a service invoicing project
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List clients by format
Group clients by procurement network, legal billing, portal or X12 to plan the work.
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Store client codes with each engagement
Cost centers, matter numbers and purchase order lines must be available when the invoice is built.
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Agree dispute handling
Decide who corrects and resubmits rejected invoices and how quickly.
Documents and standards
Common transactions
Common documents in service invoicing. Many clients use cXML, LEDES or portal formats instead of X12.
| Code | Document | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 850 | Purchase Orders | Orders services. |
| 810 | Invoices | Bills for services. |
| 820 | Payments and RemittanceX12 name: Payment Order/Remittance Advice | Explains payment. |
| 824 | Application AcknowledgmentsX12 name: Application Advice | Reports acceptance or rejection. |
| cXML | Commerce XML | Orders and invoices through procurement networks. |
| LEDES | Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard | Legal invoices with task and activity codes. |
Scenarios
Typical integration scenarios
Staffing firm invoicing approved time
Turn approved hours into invoices in each client's format.
Facilities provider closing work orders
Invoice completed work orders with the client's site and order references.
Law firm sending LEDES invoices
Produce LEDES invoices from the billing system for each corporate client.
Frequently asked questions
What is LEDES?
LEDES is a set of standard formats for legal electronic billing, such as LEDES 98B and LEDES XML, maintained by the LEDES Oversight Committee and used with UTBMS task and activity codes.
Can service firms send invoices through procurement networks?
Yes. Invoices can be produced as cXML or in the network's accepted format from your billing data and sent through the network.
Does ECOM provide billing or time-tracking software?
No. ECOM integrates your existing billing, time and ERP systems with each client's invoicing requirements.
Can invoices be uploaded to client portals automatically?
It depends on the portal. Many accept file uploads or EDI; where a portal only offers manual entry, options are reviewed during scoping.
How to get started
Tell us who you trade with and what you run
- Send the basics. Your trading partners, the documents they require, your ERP or other systems, and any deadline.
- We review the requirements. An ECOM specialist looks at the partner programs, document formats and connections involved.
- You decide how to proceed. We outline the options, including managed services or software, for you to compare.
Helpful to share, but not required
You do not need an implementation guide or a finished requirements list to contact us. If you have these, they speed things up:
- Your service type (staffing, legal, facilities, consulting) and your largest clients.
- The client portals, procurement networks or invoice formats you must use, and their instructions if you have them; if not, we can help identify them.
- Your billing or ERP system and how timesheets are captured.
- Your rejected-invoice problem and your go-live date.
See how ECOM works with customers: case studies ERP integrations compare delivery options (software, managed or team-based)
Prepare service invoices for each client's system
Tell us which clients and formats you invoice to and the billing system you run. An ECOM specialist will outline the approach.