Closing the use tax gap in Coupa's procure-to-pay process. July 16, 2026 Most finance leaders can describe their sales tax process in a single sentence: "We use AvaTax, it works, we move on." Use tax on the purchase side rarely earns that same confidence. It tends to be fragmented, applied inconsistently, and handled after the fact, introducing risk and inefficiency into everyday operations. That disconnect shows up consistently across Coupa and finance transformation engagements, and it's exactly the gap Cross Connect for AvaTax was built to close. Learn what it means to embed tax into procure-to-pay, why purchase-side tax quietly becomes a liability, and how leading finance organizations are moving tax upstream in the process. The challenge: Tax isn't embedded in the process. Across organizations, a familiar pattern emerges. Tax on purchases isn't determined at the point of decision. Responsibility is spread across teams with no clear owner, and issues surface late, usually during reconciliation or audit prep, when options are limited and pressure is high. The financial impact is real: * Overpaid tax that's rarely recovered * Underaccrued tax that creates audit exposure * Operational drag across accounts payable and tax teams This isn't simply a tooling problem. It reflects a broader gap in how tax is built into procurement. When tax sits outside the process, it becomes something you reconstruct rather than something you control. This challenge isn't unique to any one organization. A recent Avalara survey found that 53% of finance, tax, and procurement leaders cite complex, ever-changing tax rules as one of their most significant challenges, and more than half said better integration with purchasing systems would meaningfully improve their compliance posture. A shift is already underway. Leading finance organizations are addressing this by moving tax upstream, from a downstream reporting activity to a transaction-level control. The change reshapes how teams operate: * Finance gains visibility into total cost before commitment. * Accounts payable sees fewer exceptions and smoother processing. * Tax teams shift from reconciliation to proactive risk management. Embedding tax earlier is no longer a "nice to have." It's becoming a requirement for maintaining control, compliance, and efficiency at scale. The organizations getting ahead treat tax as part of the decision, not a problem to clean up later. This mirrors a broader trend across procurement technology, where teams are increasingly building governance and controls directly into transaction workflows rather than layering them on afterward, a theme Cnm Llp has also explored in the context of AI-enabled accounts payable. Where Cross Connect fits. Cross Connect integrates Avalara's AvaTax directly into Coupa's procure-to-pay process. Rather than addressing tax after the fact, it embeds tax determination into the flow of transactions. Instead of reconstructing tax positions at month-end, your organization can: * See tax earlier in the purchasing process * Validate tax in real time * Maintain a consistent, audit-ready position across spend The result is a more transparent, efficient approach to managing indirect tax, without disrupting how your teams already work inside Coupa. What this means for finance teams. The day-to-day impact is meaningful and measurable: * Tax teams spend less time on reconciliation and more on planning and exposure management. * Accounts payable experiences fewer exceptions and faster cycle times. * Procurement gains clearer visibility into total cost at the point of decision. * Finance leadership holds a more defensible, audit-ready tax position. In short, you trade reactive cleanup for proactive control and free your teams to focus on higher-value work like strategic sourcing and supplier management, an area covered in more depth in its Procurement & Cost Transformation work. Looking ahead. Tax shouldn't be something you reconstruct at the end of the month. It should be part of the transaction itself. Cross Connect is designed to make that change practical, bringing tax into the process where it belongs, with the control and confidence finance leaders expect. If your purchase-side tax still lives outside the transaction, it's worth a closer look. To see how Cross Connect for AvaTax can close the use tax gap inside your Coupa environment, contact CrossCountry today. Connect with an expert. Harpreet narula. Coupa Practice Lead Contributing authors. Tanner Kilam Jay Butxton

Coupa to host Intake & Orchestration workshop at Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: The US Summit 2026. GlobeNewswire | BizClik Media Limited Today at 7:12am PDT London, 10 April 2026 - Coupa will host The Guide to Intake & Orchestration workshop at Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: The US Summit on 22 April 2026. Led by Tricia Miller, SVP of Product Marketing and Chief Evangelist at Coupa, the session will explore how Intake Management and Orchestration are challenging traditional paradigms and becoming the primary catalysts for procurement innovation. Attendees will discover how to bridge the gap between goals and execution by turning their procurement function into a streamlined, automated power centre. The workshop takes place on 22nd April at 2:00 pm CDT. Beyond Source-to-Pay: the rise of orchestration Intake and orchestration software has rapidly evolved from a "nice-to-have" tool into a critical engine for business alignment. It acts as the "Digital Front Door", ensuring that every request, from a simple office supply order to a complex multi-year service contract, is captured, categorised and routed correctly from the very first click. The workshop will teach attendees how to streamline intake and orchestration, critical for aligning procurement with broader business objectives. This workshop provides practical approaches to intake management, process orchestration and workflow optimisation. Matching AI to your maturity journey A highlight of the session will be insights from Tricia Miller. As one of the leading voices in procurement, her insights will provide vital resources for attendees. Tricia has spoken on a number of topics, including the Procurement Maturity Curve. She explained how one of the most common pitfalls in AI adoption is a mismatch between tech investment and organisational readiness. "We as procurement leaders have to be very thoughtful about where we are on that maturity journey and then make the right bets based on that," Tricia says. By recognising where inefficiencies lie, leaders can decide whether to deploy predictive AI or autonomous agents to ensure they get the most "bang for the buck" sooner rather than later. Coupa has been recognised as a leader in this department by a number of organisations, including Procurement Magazine. "We launched our Smart Intake & Orchestration solution to address the critical need for an intuitive, compliant experience for businesses of all sizes," said Salvatore Lombardo, Coupa Chief Product and Technology Officer. "Coupa's holistic approach and AI-native platform advantage have allowed us to rapidly deliver scalable solutions that accelerate time-to-value and ensure compliance from the very first step of the spend process." Meet the speaker Tricia Miller is a high-impact global procurement executive with deep experience in international sourcing, digital transformation and building high-performing teams. She has managed US$10bn in annual spend and consistently delivers strong value through strategic supplier partnerships and operational excellence. A trusted leader and frequent industry speaker, she highlights procurement as a strategic value differentiator and shares insights from her transformation journey. While digitising the Source-to-Pay (S2P) process was the goal of the last decade, the next frontier in procurement is not just about having data - it is about how that data enters the system. At Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: The US Summit, attendees will gain practical insights into how intake and orchestration are redefining the future of S2P innovation. Register your interest for The Guide to Intake & Orchestration workshop, as well as the summit here. About BizClik BizClik is a global B2B media and events company producing sector-specific content across technology, sustainability, procurement, fintech, AI and more. Through digital magazines, websites, newsletters, webinars and award-winning events, BizClik connects enterprise leaders with executive audiences to drive strategic business engagement. About Procurement Magazine Procurement Magazine connects the leading procurement executives of the world's largest brands. Our platform serves as a digital hub for connecting industry leaders, covering a wide range of services including media and advertising, events, research reports, demand generation, information and data services. With our comprehensive approach, we strive to provide timely and valuable insights into best practices, fostering innovation and collaboration within the procurement community. Join us today and shape the future for generations to come. About Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE brings together the people driving innovation and resilience across global supply chains. It's where senior executives, rising talent and industry experts come together to tackle today's challenges and explore tomorrow's opportunities. This global hybrid event series features in-depth talks, practical workshops and candid conversations on everything from digital transformation and supplier partnerships to logistics, sustainability and risk management. Whether you join in person or online, Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE is a space to exchange ideas, gain practical insights and build the connections that move the industry forward. This is a paid placement. For further inquiries, please contact GlobeNewswire directly.