Europa Oil & Gas Brought Clarity and Control to Invoice Approvals

Europa Oil & Gas use Compleat Software to replace slow, email-driven invoice approvals with a clear and controlled accounts payable process, giving management confidence that every invoice is approved correctly before payment.

When approvals rely on inboxes and emails

When Europa Oil & Gas engaged Alison Louw as an outsourced accountant to support their finance function, one issue stood out immediately, invoice approvals were difficult to track, slow to complete, and heavily reliant on email.

Invoices arrived into shared inboxes and sat in folders marked “unapproved”. Finance would email individuals asking for sign-off, then manually move invoices between folders once approvals came back. Only after that could invoices be keyed into the accounting system.

If more than one person needed to approve an invoice, delays were common. In some cases, approvals could take three to six weeks.

With a very small internal team, contractor invoices, office costs, and site-related spend were all handled the same way, and items were easy to lose or overlook.

Limited visibility created uncertainty

There was no purchase order process in place and no straightforward way to see the status of an invoice.

If an invoice reached the point of payment, senior management often had to ask who had approved it, and finance would then need to search back through emails to find proof.

For a business that wanted clearer procedures and tighter control, this lack of visibility created uncertainty and unnecessary effort.

Choosing a solution that worked with existing systems

Europa needed an approvals system that would work for a very small organisation, introduce structured invoice approvals and purchase orders, integrate with their existing finance platform, Exchequer, and improve control without adding complexity.

Compleat was one of the few solutions that met those requirements.

Working closely with Compleat’s implementation team, Europa focused on setting up approval workflows that reflected how the business actually operates, rather than forcing a rigid process.

Approvals without the admin

Invoices now arrive into a central mailbox, are coded by finance, and then routed automatically to the right approvers based on predefined rules.

Once approved, invoices are sent directly into Exchequer, removing the need for repeated manual entry.

Every invoice is stored in one place, with a clear history showing who approved it, when it was approved, and any notes explaining what the cost relates to.

Instead of checking emails or shared folders, users can log into Compleat and see everything in seconds.

Workflows that protect sensitive information

A major benefit for Europa has been the ability to tailor workflows for different types of spend.

Site-related invoices follow one approval route, office costs follow another, and legal invoices are restricted so only the CEO can see and approve them.

Where approvals happen outside the system, notes and attachments can be added to maintain a complete audit trail.

Confidence at payment stage

Europa still runs monthly payment runs, so invoices are not necessarily paid faster, but the approval process is far more controlled.

Senior management no longer need separate review meetings or email checks before payment runs.

This has removed uncertainty and given the business confidence that invoices are legitimate, reviewed, and ready to pay.

Designed for a mobile team

With approvers frequently travelling or working remotely, mobile access has made a noticeable difference.

Approvals no longer stall because someone is away from their desk.

The impact for a small organisation

For Europa, the value of Compleat is not just immediate efficiency, it is long-term control.

Support that stands out

Europa also highlighted the importance of responsive, practical support.

Rather than being passed between teams, problems are dealt with promptly, which is especially important for a small business working to tight deadlines.

A straightforward implementation

Implementation was smooth and well structured, with clear documentation, hands-on training, and workflows that could be adjusted as needed.

Key takeaway

Europa Oil & Gas use Compleat Software to replace email-driven invoice approvals with a clear, automated AP process, giving management visibility, control, and confidence that every invoice is approved properly before payment.