SA Esker

SA Esker’s mission is to foster positive-sum growth by creating a better business experience for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, and suppliers. The company aims to build a harmonious business ecosystem where value is created collaboratively. Esker’s core goal is to automate and digitize business processes, particularly within the cash conversion cycle and financial operations, to enhance efficiency and decision-making. By eliminating tedious tasks, Esker seeks to empower employees to focus on higher-value activities, thereby improving their engagement and purpose at work.

Esker is recognized as a global authority in AI-powered business solutions, specializing in Procure-to-Pay and Order-to-Cash processes. The company has a strong market reputation, evidenced by a growing customer base that includes major international brands. Users frequently commend Esker for its user-friendly interface and the time-saving benefits of its automation capabilities. The company is also noted for its commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, receiving awards that place it in the top tier of companies for its actions in this area.

Offerings, Capabilities, and Integrations

SA Esker provides a global cloud platform that leverages AI-powered automation to enhance finance, procurement, and customer service functions. The company’s core focus is on automating the entire order-to-cash (O2C) and source-to-pay (S2P) cycles for businesses of all sizes. By utilizing technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, and machine learning, Esker’s solutions are designed to reduce manual tasks, improve accuracy, and increase the overall quality of business data and documents. This approach helps companies optimize working capital, manage cash flow more effectively, and improve decision-making. A key aspect of Esker’s competitive edge is its ability to integrate seamlessly with numerous ERP systems, including SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics, which allows for a unified flow of business information and reduces IT complexity. Esker’s overarching philosophy of “positive-sum growth” aims to create value for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, and partners, by improving inter-company relationships and promoting sustainability.

Products and Services

SA Esker’s offerings are structured around two main suites of solutions: Source-to-Pay (S2P) and Order-to-Cash (O2C), both delivered on a unified cloud platform. These suites represent the company’s flagship products, designed to automate the full spectrum of processes within the cash conversion cycle.

• Source-to-Pay Suite: This suite transforms how businesses source, purchase, and pay for goods and services. It includes the following modules:
  • Sourcing: Manages and sources goods and services from suppliers to find the best price.
  • Supplier Management: Centralizes supplier information and simplifies the onboarding process to manage compliance and risk.
  • Contract Management: Automates the management of contracts within a central digital repository.
  • Procurement: Optimizes the purchasing of goods and services while enforcing internal policies.
  • Accounts Payable: Automates invoice processing using AI-driven data capture and electronic workflows to reduce costs and delays.
  • Payment: Automates the payment approval workflow.
  • Business Sustainability: Monitors the sustainability performance of suppliers.
• Order-to-Cash Suite: This suite automates and unifies processes across the entire O2C cycle to enhance customer experience and cash collection. Its modules include:
  • Customer Service: A suite of solutions to improve the customer experience. This includes:
    • Customer Inquiry Management: Uses AI to track and respond to customer inquiries in real-time.
    • Order Management: Electronically processes B2B orders from various formats with accuracy and efficiency.
    • Claims Management: Logs, tracks, and resolves customer claims through automated workflows.
  • Accounts Receivable: A suite of solutions to optimize the invoice-to-cash strategy. This includes:
    • Credit Management: Minimizes customer credit risk and helps secure revenue.
    • Invoice Delivery: Automates the delivery of invoices to customers.
    • Payment: Facilitates the collection of payments from customers.
    • Cash Application: Automates the matching of payments to outstanding invoices.
    • Deductions Management: Helps manage and resolve customer deductions.
    • Collections Management: Streamlines the collections process to reduce outstanding receivables.
• Esker Pay: A comprehensive set of payment capabilities and strategic fintech partnerships that facilitates both accounts payable and accounts receivable payments.

Target Customers

SA Esker’s target market consists of mid-market to large B2B enterprises with complex financial operations. The company’s solutions are particularly beneficial for industries with high volumes of document processing. Key sectors include manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, professional services, retail, technology, and financial services. The primary users within these organizations are professionals in the Office of the CFO, finance departments, procurement, and customer service. These customers benefit from Esker’s solutions by streamlining their financial and operational processes, which leads to increased efficiency, reduced operational costs, and improved cash flow management. By automating manual and repetitive tasks, Esker enables employees to focus on more strategic activities, thereby improving productivity and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the enhanced visibility and control over financial processes help businesses to minimize risks, ensure compliance, and make more informed decisions.

Cloud Integrations and Marketplaces

SA Esker’s multi-tenant cloud platform operates on Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company utilizes Microsoft Azure data centers in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Singapore, and has data centers hosted in AWS in France, the U.K., and the U.S.

SA Esker has a presence on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

• Esker Procure-to-Pay Automation: This solution is available on the Microsoft Marketplace and helps companies automate processes related to procurement and accounts payable. It is designed to digitally manage supplier invoices, match them with orders and receipts, and integrate with a company’s ERP system. The solution also includes capabilities for supplier and contract management.

SA Esker does not have a presence on the AWS Marketplace or the Google Cloud Marketplace.

Key People

• Founder and Chief Executive Officer: Jean-Michel Bérard
• WW Chief Operating Officer: Emmanuel Olivier
• U.S. Managing Director & COO: Ari Widlansky
• Vice President Research and Development: Jean-Jacques Bérard
• Deputy Chief Operating Officer: Claire Valencony
• Vice President Marketing and Product Management: Eric Bussy
• U.S. Chief Operating Officer: Steve Smith
• WW Consulting and Support Director: Nicolas Mougin
• WW Director for Revenue Growth and Strategic Alliances: Ari Widlansky
• WW Chief Financial Officer: Catherine Plasse
• WW Director of Human Resources: Aurelie Guimera
• President of the Supervisory Board: Marie-Claude Bernal

Key Facts

• Headquarters Location: Lyon, France.
• Number of Employees: 1,200+.
• Annual Revenue: 205.3 million euros.
• Parent Company: None.
• Subsidiary Companies: Approximately 15 subsidiaries, including Market Dojo, CalvaEDI, TermSync, and e-integration.
• Publicly Listed: No.

Analyst Recognition

SA Esker is recognized by several major analyst groups for its solutions in the finance and procurement automation sectors.

• Gartner positions SA Esker in multiple Magic Quadrant reports. Esker is named a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Invoice-to-Cash Applications and the Magic Quadrant for Accounts Payable Applications. SA Esker is also recognized in the Magic Quadrant for Source-to-Pay Suites as a Challenger and was previously included in the Magic Quadrant for Procure-to-Pay Suites.
• Forrester recognizes SA Esker in its research on accounts payable and customer service solutions. Esker is named a Leader in The Forrester Wave for Accounts Payable Invoice Automation. Additionally, Forrester has named SA Esker a Notable Vendor in the Customer Service Solutions Landscape.
• IDC acknowledges SA Esker in its MarketScape reports for both accounts receivable and accounts payable automation. Esker is positioned as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for European Compliant e-Invoicing. The company is also recognized as a Leader for Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Accounts Receivable Automation Applications and as a Major Player for Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Accounts Payable Automation Applications.

There is no available information regarding analyst recognition for SA Esker from the Everest Group.