The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) is the only global network for marketers. They connect the best marketers from the world’s biggest brands and national associations from more than 60 markets. Their goal? To make marketing better by championing more effective and sustainable marketing communications.
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) faced some big challenges when managing company spend before switching to our solution.
Employees used company cards issued by major banks and tracked receipts manually via Rydoo. However, the lack of integration between the credit cards and the expense platform meant the finance team couldn't sync their data properly or check spend in real time. Cardholders had no visibility into their current spend either and had to remind themselves to capture receipts on the go.
Andrew Mowbray, Finance Manager at The World Federation of Advertisers, recalls:
Cardholders had no idea what their expenses were. They had to remember to take a picture of the receipt on the go, and I had to manually send them their statements, asking them to track down any missing receipts.
The above process created a hefty administrative burden for Andrew and his team, especially at month-end when it was time to reconcile all of the monthly expenses, and they knew there must be a better way.
WFA also relied on a high-limit American Express corporate card for booking travel, so when American Express announced the closure of its operations in Belgium, the organisation had to find a replacement quickly.
As Andrew puts it: “We needed a solution fast to replace our American Express card, and we were also looking for a better system for managing expenses and receipts.”
After considering various options, including Spendesk, Andrew chose us. “What set Payhawk apart was the speed of onboarding. Spendesk told us it would take three to four months to get us up and running, but Payhawk was ready to go immediately,” Andrew explains.
This quick turnaround was crucial for WFA, allowing them to remain operational without disrupting their financial processes. The WFA was operational within 3 weeks.
One of the biggest perks WFA gained from switching to our solution? A super-smooth process for managing expenses and receipts. At Payhawk, our integration with Exact Online is seamless and turns manual reconciliation into nothing more than a bad memory. For WFA, managing expenses and the data flow between Payhawk and Exact became a breeze, letting them cut down on manual work and saving the business time and money.
Andrew says:
Previously, I had to manually classify each expense and send it to our accountants. Now, with Payhawk, I can be sure that expenses are categorised correctly with just a click, saving both time and money.
Additionally, WFA's new ability to issue credit cards swiftly and securely with our solution helped them avoid the previous delays they felt at the hands of traditional banks in Belgium.
“Services and customer support from traditional service providers, such as banks, can be slow and inconsistent. With Payhawk, I can issue a new card, and it will be at the employee’s house in just a few days,” Andrew notes.
It’s peace of mind for me, knowing that I don’t have to double-check every expense. With Payhawk, I know it’s going to the correct account, making the process much easier
Andrew also regards WFA’s experience with our customer support and success team as overwhelmingly positive. He highlights the importance of having reliable customer support — especially in contrast to the challenges faced when using other service providers in Belgium.
“It’s really important for me to know that there is good customer support if I need it. With Payhawk, I know I’m going to get help quickly, which is a huge relief,” Andrew says.
The support team was particularly helpful during the onboarding process and the setup of the Exact Online integration. Andrew recalls, “The team was quick and helpful, ensuring everything was set up smoothly. Even if they didn’t have the answer immediately, they would quickly arrange a meeting with a specialist.”
Since adopting our complete spend management solution, the team at WFA says they've learned valuable lessons about fintech, automation, and digitising processes.
At Payhawk, our customisable fields help finance teams properly categorise their spend and ensure it always goes to the right pot and in the right GL.
Andrew shares how experimenting with these new processes and tools has made him more confident and open to experimenting with how they manage processes and information.
Payhawk has given me more creativity and flexibility. I can set up new reports and accounting categories easily, and if it doesn't work, I can modify or remove it without much hassle.
He also emphasises the importance of staying open to innovative solutions in fintech rather than relying on legacy systems. "We don't have to always rely on legacy solutions like banks. There's so much happening in fintech, and now I'm always looking for new solutions that better fit our needs," Andrew concludes.
Are you feeling inspired too? Book a personalised demo to hear how you could streamline your accounting, save time on expense management, get complete spend visiblity, and get all of this and more up and running in just three weeks.