TreviPay’s Brandon Spear on manufacturing payment solutions

Hi Brandon, please introduce yourself and your role.

“I grew up in South Africa where I studied engineering. I was in college around the same time as when the Internet started to become mainstream. Being in the right place at the right time, I was involved in the founding of Internet Solutions, which was the first commercial Internet Service Provider in South Africa. Capitalising on the development of the Web and the first browsers, I focused on the development and hosting of corporate WWW sites that then rapidly expanded to include managing firewalls, mail servers and other internet infrastructure for companies without the skillset to manage this behind their firewalls. I was able to see firsthand how the Internet was changing the way business was being conducted.  

“In my next role, I joined a start-up procurement marketplace company, Quadrem, designed to facilitate the buying and selling of goods in the mining industry. After 10 years, I made the decision to move to the US where Quadrem’s headquarters was located. Ariba acquired Quadrem in 2011, followed by SAP who acquired Ariba in 2013 and I stayed with the company throughout these changes.  

“Throughout my career, I have also worked in smaller companies where I felt I could personally create the biggest impact. One challenge I discovered when working with smaller companies is they do not always have access to the resources they need to be able to grow. This led me to my next opportunity with TreviPay. Starting in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer, I was responsible for the general operations of the business including financial controls, accounting, FP&A, technology and engineering. The role enabled me to be impactful within a standalone business unit, but I was able to expand my experience by also working under the umbrella of a much larger company.   

“After years of growth and building a world-class leadership team, I am now the CEO of TreviPay leading our latest journey in B2B commerce and payments technology.”

What is TreviPay?

“TreviPay is the only payments provider with solutions built specifically for manufacturers, including OEMs and dealer networks. At TreviPay, we believe loyalty begins at the payment. Thousands of sellers use our global B2B payments and invoicing network to provide choice and convenience to buyers, open new markets and automate accounts receivables. With integrations to top eCommerce and ERP solutions and flexible trade credit options, TreviPay brings 40 years of experience serving leaders in manufacturing, retail and transportation.​”

How can payments enhance loyalty and promote growth for OEMs?

“The manufacturing space is highly competitive. To succeed, OEMs need to build stronger relationships with their dealer networks to earn loyalty from fleets. That’s easier said than done in an industry with vast dealer networks. 

“However, OEMs may be surprised to learn that the payments process - not promotions or other schemes - is one of the most powerful ways to improve loyalty and fuel global growth. The right payments programme removes friction and provides automated invoicing and consolidated monthly billing, giving fleets more predictable cash flow and helping lock in not-to-exceed pricing. These perks are no longer just nice to have - they are a requirement in the aftermarket parts game. OEMs that want to stay ahead of industry trends must embrace payments innovation to scale.” 

How will this impact increased dealer and fleet loyalty?

“For OEMs, one of the most complex payment requirements is executing not-to-exceed pricing at all outposts. Many OEMs struggle to get accurate invoices issued by a disparate group of dealers and distributors, which frustrates fleets that end up with error-riddled invoices that fail to honour their negotiated rates. The solution lies in automated and dynamic pricing. If OEMs can provide that, they improve the buying experience for fleets, leading to larger and repeat purchases. They also save their internal teams from having to do time-consuming invoice reworks and improve their cash flow by avoiding delayed payments. 

“Another way OEMs can build loyalty through payments is by providing convenient, consolidated invoicing. Fleets expect one consolidated bill on behalf of dealers. Invoices should also pull in VMRS codes for fleets tracking the total cost of ownership for their trucks. This improves the process significantly for fleets and builds the type of business relationships that predict long-term partnership success.”

Tell us more about global cost savings/improving operational efficiencies.    

“It can be difficult for many OEMs to manage purchases across vast dealer networks. Inaccurate invoices are a big problem that can delay payments, create more work and often require rebates to settle overpayments. All of this puts a major strain on internal teams. That’s why a modern and effective payments program is key. By eliminating errors and ensuring negotiated pricing is always reflected in invoices, OEMs can get paid faster, improving their cash flow. The bottom line is automating multicurrency invoicing and payments improves internal efficiencies significantly and can lead to global cost savings for OEMs when it's done right.”

What are the benefits of modernising the payments and invoicing strategy?

“Modernising the payments and invoicing programme is a game-changer for OEMs. Looking beyond the improved internal efficiencies, which can make a huge impact alone, it also paves the way for significant business growth. By providing a seamless, accurate B2B payments and invoicing process for both dealers and fleets, OEMs set themselves up to grow and scale. 

“However, most OEMs don’t have the expertise or technology to implement these changes without guidance. That’s where a payments and invoicing partner comes in. These partners can accelerate timelines, minimise development costs and most importantly, help with global expansion. TreviPay’s payments technology is purpose-built for OEMs. It connects OEMs with dealerships and fleets to build deep-rooted business relationships. For example, TreviPay has a decade-plus partnership with one of the largest manufacturers of medium and heavy-duty trucks and parts in the world. At the start of the partnership, the truck maker was struggling to scale its fleet services program. By improving the payments and invoicing process, the OEM reduced invoice errors from 20% to 2% and enhanced brand loyalty by making purchasing easier for fleets. Best of all, thanks to their tailor-made purchasing experience, they increased sales volume by 42X and supported that program growth with their existing staff levels. They were able to expand across the globe and leverage TreviPay’s expertise in facilitating cross-border payments, managing KYC and KYB verifications and supporting cross-currency sales. 

“The results speak volumes about the power of payments and how that translates to great customer experiences, which we know leads to business growth. Prioritising payments is one of the best ways for OEMs to transform their business and gain a competitive edge in a complex industry.”

What do the next 12 months hold for you?

“I believe the future of B2B payments are those that make it easier for suppliers to expand the types of buyers they want to serve across multiple locations. I encourage manufacturers to realise they do not have to solve all these problems on their own. Over the next 12 months, TreviPay will continue supporting our partners’ digital transformation processes by providing the technology to automate out-of-date A/R processes that syphon hours of manual efforts, and enhancing the direct sales experience to all buyers by extending payment choice that B2B buyers prefer, including net terms.”

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