Source: TI Inside - - OPINION - 24/08/2009

More and more companies are looking for solutions that streamline processes and reduce costs. Since 2006, the Electronic Invoice (NF-e) has changed the way of generating a tax document through technology, allowing the cross-checking of issue and receipt data with the Finance Secretariats (Sefaz). However, its use goes beyond combating counterfeiting and so-called “cold notes”.

Among its advantages are the reduction of printing costs and the time to review processes, the increase in agility in sending and receiving and, mainly, the veracity of information.

The challenges of implementing the NF-e are the lack of standardization of records and the existence of special characters that cause rejection of documents issued and rework, the need for changes in tax processes impacting operational practices (tax x sales), the increase in volume of data to be stored and review of the structures for registering products, inputs and goods to apply uniform procedures.

The use of an NF-e solution is necessary, in addition to being a form of investment, since it reduces the operational manpower and optimizes the time to analyze the results, reducing fiscal irregularities and standardizing the systems. The software performs all the control for the generation of xml, electronic signature, and the monitoring (online monitoring) of the situation of one or more invoices, as well as printing the DANFE (Auxiliary Document of Electronic Invoice), which is used to accompany the transport of the goods.

Certainly, one of the great steps for the future of NF-e will be to use wireless technology to speed up the delivery of goods, with the installation of a “Sem Parar” device in trucks, such as tolls, to read information and cross the data between the NF-e and the SPED (Public Digital Bookkeeping System).
With the support of the Government, companies and society, the Nota Fiscal Eletrônica goes in the direction of reaching the long-awaited Brazilian Tax Reform, in which commercial relations may be more transparent and fair, bringing a qualitative leap to the operations involved.

In the face of so many challenges, it is necessary to plan and create procedures for the use of security forms (used in contingency situations), to increase and improve the synergy of the processes, to prepare the database for the SPED Fiscal, to review the processes and corrections of gaps before implementing a solution, previously check the authorization for issuing NF-e in all establishments, interface with the web, generate files with digital certification and be able to transmit using security protocol, enabling printing in case of contingency .

Leandro Passarelli is a project manager for Alliance Consultoria, a company that provides solutions and services for tax areas