ACCESS UK LTD

Access Education Purchasing

Access Education Purchasing is a cloud-based finance automation platform that automates purchasing, accounts payable, and expense management processes. Using AI and machine learning, it extracts invoice data with 100% accuracy, provides automated approval workflows, and integrates with major accounting systems. ISO27001 certified with fraud detection and real-time visibility.

Features

• AI-powered line-item data extraction with 100% accuracy for invoices
• Automated three-way matching between purchase orders, deliveries, and invoices
• Multi-level approval workflows with customisable routing and authorisation rules
• Automated GL coding with bookkeeping rules for categories and suppliers
• Price verification comparing invoices against agreed supplier price lists automatically
• Fraud detection checking extracted bank details against stored supplier records
• Automated supplier statement reconciliation flagging variances for review automatically
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android enabling approvals anywhere
• Cloud API integrations with accounting, ERP, and inventory management systems
• Duplicate invoice detection automatically flagging potential duplicate payments for review

Benefits

• Reduces Accounts Payable processing times by 80%
• Eliminates manual data entry errors improving accuracy and reducing costs
• Accelerates approval processes enabling invoices approved within seconds not days
• Enables early payment discounts through faster processing and cash flow
• Reduces processing costs from £15 per invoice by 80%
• Prevents fraud through automated bank detail verification and duplicate detection
• Provides real-time payables visibility for better cash flow forecasting decisions
• Creates paperless office environment eliminating lost or damaged invoice documents
• Ensures audit compliance with traceable records and ISO27001 certified security
• Scales efficiently across multiple entities with parent dashboard visibility controls

• Education pricing available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at buyer.enablement@theaccessgroup.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

511765046563598

Contact

Stacey Graham
0845 345 3300
buyer.enablement@theaccessgroup.com

About the service

• Service categories:
  • Applications
    • Enterprise resource management
      • Financial
        • Financial and Accounting Applications
        • Accounts Payable Applications
      • Procurement
        • Procurement
      • Order management and orchestration
        • Order management and orchestration
• Multi cloud support: No

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
• What software services is the service an extension to: Access Finance ; Sage; Oracle Netsuite; Xero; Iplicit; Accounts IQ; Microsoft Business Central
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: None
• System requirements: Internet access via supported browsers & IOS/Android Mobile App

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: Access offers live in app chat support that can be accessed instantaneously, ensuring quick and efficient support responses.; ; Access overall has developed a range of support plans. Our online Knowledge base and Community service plans are available to all our clients. We have made significant investment in our client support tools. The Success portal provides around the clock access to log incidents, browse articles and videos to find solutions. Our Support teams are available M-F 9-5 ( or 8-6 on Standard/Premium) On these plans P1 cases are responded to in 1 hour. Please refer to Access for further details.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Yes
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), 7 days a week
• AI chatbot: Yes
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Web chat accessibility testing: N/A
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Basic Success Plan - provides you with an on-line support experience with on-line support case submission and self-service Knowledge Base access. No additional cost. Standard Success Plan- offers an enhanced reactive service, including telephone and e-mail support, as well as priority response times and longer support hours. Larger customers will also get access to a primary named support analyst who will deal with the majority of your support questions. Charged at 15% of your subscription fee. Premier Success Plan- provides proactive services, including access to a customer success manager with quarterly and annual review. Charged at 25% of your annual subscription fee.
• Support available to third parties: No

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: At the start of the implementation Access will appoint an onboarding consultant that will be assigned to your project for the duration of you 6-8 week training programme. The onboarding consultant will deliver training virtually, with the option for onsite at an additional cost. ; ; The process begins through a scoping call, to assess requirements and set dates for setup and training over the 6-8 week implementation process.; ; Access provides as part of any implementation a comprehensive range of services available directly from Access UK. Services that Access can provide as part of the implementation stage are: • Project Management • • Education and Training • Consultancy • Technical Consultancy • User acceptance Testing support • Account Management
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• Documentation accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the documentation is accessible: Access Group's onboarding and offboarding documentation is accessible through the Customer Success Portal (https://access-support.force.com/Support/s/), which provides 24/7 online access to comprehensive resources including a knowledge base with FAQs, product guides, e-learning content, on-demand webinar recordings, feature release updates, and training materials that can answer most day-to-day user questions. All users can register for portal access regardless of their Success Plan level (Essential, Standard, or Premier), with additional support available through online case submission for all customers, telephone support for Standard and Premier customers, and dedicated resources like Customer Success Managers and Lead Technical Support Engineers for Premier customers, ensuring documentation and guidance is readily available throughout the entire customer lifecycle from initial onboarding through ongoing system use and any eventual offboarding scenarios.
• End-of-contract data extraction: Consultancy services to assist with data extraction if this is required.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract, and if the subscription fee is not renewed, the customer can extract the data (normally into Excel). Support can be provided to extract data on a time and materials basis. Data is then deleted 90 days after your subscription end date.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Education Purchasing provides access to IOS/Android versions of the platform
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Cloud API integrations for two-way data sync.; ; Integrate your data with your Accounting, ERP and Inventory softwares.; ; Sync your data 2 way in one click and for deeper review utilize the Lightyear Knowledge base.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Access provides an in depth platform that is designed to meet specific user requirements. The platform is typically setup by Access through a tailored setup/training programme, based on customer requirements.; ; Customers then have access to gain training beyond that, in order to manage and customize the platform as they see fit.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Access Education Purchasing is a load-balanced, multi-tenant service. The load balancer monitors the web servers continuously and will dynamically reassign requests if one of these servers crashes.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Customers have access to review the volumes of purchase orders, invoices and other aspects of the service at any time with a dedicated reporting area.
• Reporting types:
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: No
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Supplier type

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 4.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation / Secure Erase
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: A custom expense export can be easily set up in a range of formats including CSV, XLXS, XLS and delimited text.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats: XLSX
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data import formats:
  • XLSX
  • XLS

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: We will use commercially reasonable efforts to make the SaaS available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for unavailability during emergency or routine maintenance.
• Approach to resilience: We operate a dual active-passive environment and all hardware components are provided at N+2 level or greater. More details are available on request.
• Outage reporting: Users can subscribe to email alerts or view inapp messaging, giving updates on scheduled maintenance and outages.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: We operate role profile based Access Control - based on least privilege access. This applies to all our services.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: All controls included within Annex A of the ISO27001:2013 standard. Statement Of Applicability (SOA) available on request.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: All change management is undertaken in line with ISO27001:2013 using JIRA for audit purposes.
• Vulnerability management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Patched and audited by our patch management system. All non-critical OS patches are applied within one calendar month of release, first into pre-production and then into production, as part of the scheduled maintenance window.; AV Updates - Signatures are updated hourly. / Rules are reviewed at minimum every 3 months. Logs are reviewed at minimum every 3 months.; Access staff responsible for the maintenance of our hosting services subscribe to industry newsletters, belong to various security forums and we additionally receive notifications from our vendors.
• Protective monitoring type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: We have traffic monitoring and content based alerting on changes to the site and/or traffic flows implemented at infrastructure level. We keep daily historical reports from servers which provide the facility to identify when changes occurred. We proactively monitor third party suppliers vulnerability reporting and security fix availability. We patch any vulnerabilities found in a timescale appropriate for their level of severity. Our infrastructure response is within 1 hour in the SLA period 8am-8pm Monday – Friday.
• Incident management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v4.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: No
• Incident management approach: We operate a robust incident management process in line with ISO27001:2013 Staff are encouraged to report all incidents using a pre-defined process using a form available on our Company Collaborate site Incident reports will be provided following forensics and closure.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v4.0)

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: No

Discount percentage by annual call-off contract value (excluding VAT)

• Less than £250,000: 5%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 6%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 12%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 15%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 18%
• Over £5,000,001: 25%

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• ISO/IEC 27001 accredited by: Alcumus ISOQAR
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: Saturday 4 January 2014
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: Nothing is excluded from the standard certification.
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: Yes
• ISO 9001 certification accredited by: BSI
• ISO 9001 accreditation date: Friday 1 September 2023
• What the ISO 9001 doesn’t cover: The scope covers the design, integration, maintenance and hosting of managed information systems and software applications, consultancy, user training and support for the Health, Education, Social Care and Local authorities. Excluding all other products that fall outside of this scope.
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: 88f162a5-ea3c-4f9a-83d5-42769c7d8459
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Cyber Essentials Alternative: You do not have a current and valid Cyber Essentials Plus certificate, or will not have in place within 12 months of the date of award but have an IASME certified equivalent.
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • ISO 42001
  • ISO 27701

Social value

• Mission: Kick start economic growth:

  To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

  Policy Outcome 1: Fair work: That offers fair wages and good working conditions. Help people get a job, stay in work, and progress in their careers, with good employment opportunities across the country. Notes: Where there is a large proportion of labour costs in the contract, commercial teams should consider MAC in Outcome 1 as a priority

  • Monitoring of employee engagement rates (by protected characteristic) and, where necessary, the development of actions to ensure all voices are heard across the diversity of the workforce
  • Employment contracts that reflect actual hours worked; steps taken to ensure employees understand their contracts and have the ability to review and adjust them if actual hours regularly exceed contracted hours
  • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about, and feel empowered to, address their physical wellbeing
  • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about and feel empowered to report and address bullying and harassment
  • Offer a pay and leave entitlement to all eligible staff who become kinship carers, ideally equivalent to statutory adoption pay and leave
  • Payment of more than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as appropriate) to the contract workforce
  • Monitoring and reporting of gender and ethnicity pay gaps and plans to address them where necessary
  • Entitlement to sick pay for the contract workforce, with provision in place for any staff who do not meet the earnings threshold for statutory sick pay, payment of sick pay from day one of absence and payment of staff on the contract workforce who are off sick a replacement income of 100% of their usual earnings for as long as possible
  • Understanding of the modern slavery risks and issues affecting the market, industry, sector or country (of origin or of source) relevant to the contract, and the workforce in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key subcontractors

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at buyer.enablement@theaccessgroup.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.