Sainsbury’s outsources staff expense processing

Sainsbury’s has renewed a deal to outsource the processing of its staff expense payments.

The company has signed a five year renewal deal with GlobalExpense, to continue using web-based software and expense checking services, a system that has replaced in-house paper processes and sped up payments.

Some 13,000 staff, including those in-store, at the company’s headquarters and in its distribution network, will have their expenses paid using the system. This includes travel costs, fuel mileage and hotel accommodation.

Staff can file claims online at any time, and will receive payment three days after authorisation. The supermarket chain originally began using GlobalExpense in 2004.

The system provides managers with a breakdown of expenses claimed, and aims to help standardise the claims so that approval processes are quicker. GlobalExpense staff then check and scan receipts, and the system processes VAT and pay-as-you-earn tax costs.

It interfaces with staff credit cards, which have replaced cash for Sainsbury’s staff in many expenses.

Keith Simson, contract manager at Sainsbury's, said: "Following the initial implementation we introduced company credit cards where transactions interface to GlobalExpense each week to allow quick and easy reconciliation. The introduction of this functionality allowed the removal of the need to use cash for goods not for resale and expenses, vastly improving efficiency, cash management and significantly enhancing controls.”

GlobalExpense also provides expense services to retail chains ASDA and WH Smith, and catering supplier Brakes.

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