Betfred boosts invoice processing with Proactis AI

Betfred reported a 47% improvement in accounts payable efficiency after adding an artificial intelligence enhancement to Proactis Invoice Capture, extending its long-running relationship with the spend management software supplier.

The performance gain followed a two-week trial of Proactis AI Accelerator, used alongside Betfred's existing Invoice Capture deployment.

Betfred has used Proactis software for more than 13 years, beginning with Proactis Purchase-to-Pay, which supports procurement workflows from requisition to payment. The system integrates with Unit4 Financials by Coda, which sits at the centre of Betfred's finance operations.

Over time, Betfred expanded its use of Proactis into invoice processing. It now uses Proactis Invoice Capture for more than 40,000 invoices a year, according to the company. Invoice capture systems typically extract key details from supplier invoices and route them for checking and approval, reducing manual data entry and improving consistency in high-volume accounts payable teams.

Trial results

The latest change centres on Proactis AI Accelerator, which Proactis describes as a way to improve data accuracy and speed up processing in Invoice Capture. Betfred said the trial delivered a sharp increase in processing performance, supporting its decision to roll out the feature more widely.

Accounts payable automation has become a priority for finance leaders as organisations face rising invoice volumes and tighter controls over payment processes. Many teams are also under pressure to improve supplier experience and reduce late payments. AI enhancements often focus on improving the accuracy of extracted invoice data and handling exceptions that would otherwise require manual review.

For Betfred, the reported efficiency gain comes in an operating environment spanning retail locations as well as online and mobile channels. Founded in 1967, the company is one of the best-known betting and gaming brands in the UK, with international operations.

"Proactis proactively approached us about the new AI capabilities for Invoice Capture," said June Manock, Head of Control at Betfred.

"We were delighted by the leap in performance evidenced by the trial, and this, alongside the benefits we continue to realise with Purchase-to-Pay and Invoice Capture, integrated with our Unit4 Financials by Coda solution, ensures we continue to realise the benefits of our long-term partnership," Manock said.

Supplier context

Proactis sells source-to-pay software, covering supplier sourcing and procurement through to invoice handling and payment. It says it has nearly 30 years of experience and serves more than 1,000 customers globally, with a focus on service-led industries and mid-market organisations.

The supplier works with partners including Unit4 and MRI Software. Proactis positions its platform as modular, allowing customers to adopt functions such as purchasing and invoice processing as separate components.

Accounts payable automation remains a competitive market, including specialist invoice automation vendors and broader enterprise resource planning suppliers. For mid-market firms, purchase-to-pay suites can sit alongside a core finance system, with integrations moving data between procurement, invoice processing, and the general ledger.

Ilija Ugrinic, Director of Product Strategy and Innovation at Proactis, linked Betfred's reported gains to the company's broader product direction.

"Betfred's adoption further reinforces our commitment to driving continuous performance improvement through innovation, best practice, and intelligent automation," Ugrinic said.

Betfred's deployment highlights how established users of finance and procurement platforms are evaluating incremental upgrades rather than switching core systems. Proactis said it will continue developing AI-focused enhancements across its source-to-pay software range.