Belgium's Peppol B2B e-invoicing mandate is three months old and processing 867,000 invoices per day. But invoicing was never the end goal — it was the foundation. BOSA (Federal Public Service Policy & Support) has signalled that the next phase is Peppol e-ordering, with a target date of 2027.
This article examines what e-ordering means, how it fits into the broader procure-to-pay chain, the role of Belgium's Hermes platform, and how businesses should prepare.
Beyond Invoicing
An invoice is the last document in a procurement chain. Before the invoice, there's an order, an order confirmation, a delivery notice, and potentially a goods receipt. When only the invoice is digital, you lose most of the automation potential.
Today: Invoice Only
Only the invoice flows through Peppol. Orders are still exchanged via email, PDF, or portal uploads.
2027: Invoice + Order
Purchase orders and order responses will also flow through Peppol, enabling automatic matching.
Future: Full P2P Chain
Despatch advice, goods receipts, and catalogues could follow, creating a fully digital procure-to-pay cycle.
What Is Peppol E-Ordering?
Peppol e-ordering uses standardised document types to exchange purchase orders and responses over the Peppol network, using the same four-corner infrastructure as invoicing:
Peppol BIS Order 3.0
A structured UBL 2.1 order document sent from buyer to supplier via Peppol. Contains order lines, item descriptions, quantities, prices, delivery addresses, and payment terms — all in machine-readable format.
Peppol BIS Order Response
The supplier’s response to an order: accept, reject, or accept-with-changes. This replaces the email-based order confirmation process and enables automatic order tracking.
Same Network, Same Rules
E-orders use the same Peppol Access Points, the same Participant IDs, and the same discovery infrastructure (SMP/SML) as invoicing. No new connections needed — just additional document types on the existing Peppol infrastructure.
Automatic Three-Way Matching
When both orders and invoices are structured data, three-way matching (PO → delivery → invoice) becomes automatic. This eliminates the manual reconciliation that causes payment delays and disputes.
The Hermes Platform
Belgium's Hermes platform, managed by BOSA, is the federal government's e-procurement gateway. Currently used for B2G e-invoicing, Hermes is being extended to support e-ordering. It serves as the government's Peppol Access Point and central document hub.
Current: E-Invoicing Gateway
Hermes receives and validates Peppol invoices sent to Belgian federal government entities. Currently handles B2G invoicing for 80+ federal agencies.
Planned: E-Ordering Gateway
Extension to support sending Peppol orders from government buyers and receiving order responses from suppliers.
Integration: ERP Connectivity
Hermes connects to government ERP systems via standardised APIs, allowing automatic PO generation and invoice reconciliation.
Future: Full P2P Bridge
Long-term vision is for Hermes to handle the complete procure-to-pay chain: catalogue → order → delivery → invoice → payment.
The 2027 Roadmap
Based on BOSA's publicly communicated plans and the broader Belgian e-government strategy, the expected timeline is:
Pilot Programme
ExpectedLimited pilot with select federal agencies and large suppliers. Testing Peppol BIS Order 3.0 document exchange through Hermes.
B2G E-Ordering Mandate
PlannedFederal government agencies required to send purchase orders via Peppol. Suppliers to federal agencies must be capable of receiving Peppol orders.
B2B E-Ordering (Voluntary)
PlannedExtension to B2B e-ordering on a voluntary basis, mirroring the e-invoicing approach of building infrastructure before mandating.
Full P2P Integration
PredictedPotential extension to B2B mandate, plus additional document types: despatch advice, catalogue, and credit notes via the same Peppol infrastructure.
Business Impact
The combination of e-ordering and e-invoicing on a single Peppol infrastructure creates compound benefits that neither delivers alone:
80%+
Manual Data Entry Eliminated
When orders and invoices are both structured, there’s no manual re-keying of PO numbers, line items, or amounts.
3-Way
Automatic Matching
PO → delivery → invoice matching becomes automatic, eliminating the reconciliation bottleneck.
Days → Hours
Approval Cycles
Structured orders enable automatic routing to approvers, replacing email-based approval chains.
Near-Zero
Invoice Disputes
When the invoice references a structured PO, discrepancies are caught at submission — not days later.
How to Prepare
The e-ordering mandate is still 12–18 months away, but the infrastructure decisions you make now will determine how smooth the transition is:
- Choose a Peppol-capable platform that supports multiple document types, not just invoicing
- Ensure your Access Point provider has a roadmap for Peppol BIS Order 3.0 support
- Start structuring your purchase order data — standardise item descriptions, unit codes, and delivery addresses
- Map your current procurement workflow to identify where e-ordering will replace manual steps
- If you supply to Belgian federal agencies, prepare to receive and process Peppol orders
- Evaluate your ERP’s Peppol Order 3.0 readiness — not all ERPs support ordering via Peppol yet
- The Peppol infrastructure you built for invoicing will extend to ordering — ensure it’s architecturally ready for multi-document flows
Ready for What's Next
InvoStaq's Peppol infrastructure is designed for multi-document flows — invoicing today, ordering tomorrow. Build once, expand seamlessly.