End of SAP GRC Support in Brazil - 5 Keys to Building your Supplier Selection Strategy

At the beginning of this year, the world's leading provider of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Integrated Management Systems solutions, SAP, announced the discontinuation of support for its NF-e (Nota Fiscal eletrônica) issuance and reception solution for Brazil, known as SAP Government, Risk & Compliance or GRC in the Brazilian market. 

It is estimated that this solution will discontinue starting on December 31, 2025, which will have an immediate impact on companies utilizing this module for their accounts payable and accounts receivable operations. These companies will face the challenging task of finding a new solution to ensure the functionality of their NF-e issuance and reception operations in Brazil.

This impact will be significant. According to the 2023 IT Usage Survey, published annually by FGV EAESP, SAP holds a market share of 50% in the Large Enterprises sector, demonstrating its influence in the national market and undoubtedly affecting thousands of companies with this announcement.

In the face of this changing landscape, companies must begin a search for new electronic invoicing solutions. However, before starting this search, many questions arise: How do I choose a new electronic invoicing provider? And what sets apart a high-value electronic invoicing solution for your business?
Although the market often portrays electronic invoicing solutions as commoditized, inflexible, and lacking innovation, there are many essential attributes that make a difference when selecting the best solution for your business.

Undoubtedly, SAP's decision to end support for the SAP Government, Risk & Compliance (GRC) module for NF-e issuance and reception marks a critical turning point for Brazilian companies. With the discontinuation date set for December 31, 2025, organizations depending on this system now face the challenge of finding an alternative that meets their NF-e issuance and reception needs in Brazil.

Amid this period of change, it is essential that companies are prepared to face the challenges ahead. Choosing a new electronic invoicing provider and transitioning to a suitable solution are critical steps in ensuring the continuity of NF-e issuance and reception operations in Brazil. However, this decision should not be taken lightly.

It is necessary to carefully evaluate the options available in the market and consider key factors that go beyond simply issuing NF-e. Selecting a provider with experience, global or regional capabilities, robust support, and a commitment to compliance can make all the difference in this transition.

At EDICOM, we assist companies in this transformation process and ensure they find the right electronic invoicing solution for their needs. Our experience and commitment to excellence in tax compliance support companies worldwide in their journey towards digital transformation. Together, we will overcome the challenges that this change entails and ensure a successful transition to the future of electronic invoicing in Brazil.

To help in this transition, here is a list five key aspects that should be part of your provider selection strategy when replacing the SAP GRC module in your company:

Global/Regional Service Capability:
Electronic invoicing is no longer solely local or regional, but increasingly global. Tax authorities in each country view electronic invoicing as the appropriate mechanism to control operations with the aim of reducing tax evasion. This presents a significant challenge for multinational companies that need to adapt to various compliance requirements in the countries where they operate. 

Having a single partner that follows this path of globalizing electronic invoicing is undoubtedly a great competitive differentiator, allowing you to reduce the number of applications in the company, thus lowering the total cost of ownership and increasing synergies and economic benefits by having a single global or regional electronic invoicing partner.

Support: 
Given that this is a critical service for business, having proactive multi-language support with a qualified team ready to resolve critical issues is undoubtedly a critical success factor when choosing an electronic invoicing solution. 

We know that error-free systems are a great myth, and more important than the error itself is the guidance to quickly identify and resolve incidents, to avoid impacting the company's operations in the electronic invoicing issuance and capture process.

Service Level Agreement: 
In line with  Customer Service, it is important that the electronic invoicing service provider has a Service Level Agreement in the contract. This way, the client will know exactly how to contact support, how to classify and handle incidents, as well as the maximum response and resolution times for each incident. 

Finding companies with an SLA backed by other internationally important certifications such as ISO 27001 and ISO 200001, is a highly credible and trustworthy factor when delegating such a critical service as electronic invoicing in Brazil.

Horizontal Coverage: 
An attribute that is often overlooked when choosing a provider is the ability to handle all types of electronic tax documents, especially in the case of Brazil, where there is a great variety of tax documents at different municipal, state, and federal levels. 

It is essential that the chosen solution has a proven ability to operate with the issuance and reception of NF-e, CT-e, local or national NFS-e,  and their respective issuance and reception events to concentrate the entire process at a single point in the company.

Proactive Management: 
Finally, finding a solution that meets these attributes is of little use if, in the changes and updates imposed by SEFAZ (Brazil's tax authority) or municipalities, the update work is reactive, slow, and costly. 
Electronic invoicing is highly volatile and dynamic, particularly in Brazil where tax changes occur daily. Finding a provider with dynamic capacity to identify, analyze, and present future changes that are likely to impact these documents is a prerequisite for success.

Paying attention to these attributes will serve as a significant guide when facing the necessary change of your solution in Brazil.

Fiscal Compliance - EDICOM 

With a wealth of experience in implementing global projects that ensure tax compliance for companies, EDICOM maintains its strong commitment to successful electronic invoicing solutions in Brazil. We guarantee comprehensive coverage of all local scenarios and needs, focusing on excellence and constant updates of our solutions in response to new global tax requirements. 

We assist companies from more than 80 countries in starting their digital transformation journey in the electronic invoicing domain. 

These are the reasons why EDICOM is one of the leading providers worldwide, providing electronic invoicing solutions to 5 of the largest companies on the Fortune 500 list.