{"id":29616,"date":"2026-04-17T15:17:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=29616"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:17:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:17:10","slug":"what-is-spend-data-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-spend-data-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Spend data management\u00a0and why it\u00a0matters\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--standard entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--standard\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSpend data management\u00a0and why it\u00a0matters\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen you can clearly see where your money is going, it becomes much easier to control costs and plan ahead. Spend data management helps turn scattered records into practical insight you can act on. \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-17T15:17:08+01:00\">17 April, 2026<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Spend data management\u00a0and why it\u00a0matters\u00a0\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-spend-data-management\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/laurencematone\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Profile_LM-350x350.jpeg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Laurence Matone\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Laurence Matone<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You&nbsp;probably know&nbsp;the&nbsp;frustration that comes&nbsp;when&nbsp;a&nbsp;payment leaves the business&nbsp;account&nbsp;but nobody can&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;say what it was for, who approved it, or whether it was even needed. Then, a few weeks later, you spot two subscriptions supplying the same service,&nbsp;or&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;asked how much you spent on software last quarter and realise the answer lives in three different spreadsheets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That kind of frustration is common for small and medium-sized businesses. It&nbsp;doesn\u2019t&nbsp;necessarily mean your finance process is broken;&nbsp;it could just be that your spending data is scattered, inconsistent, or hard to use. And that becomes a problem when you need clear answers quickly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend data management helps you fix that. Once your spending information is collected,&nbsp;organised, and easy to review, you can see where money is going, spot waste earlier, and make better decisions without adding hours of admin to your week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways\">Key takeaways:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Spend data management centralises and organises all business spending data\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improves visibility so you can clearly track where money is going\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Helps\u00a0identify\u00a0waste, duplicate costs, and savings opportunities early\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strengthens budgeting, forecasting, and financial decision-making\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Creates a reliable foundation for spend analysis and overall cost control\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-spend-data-management\"><strong>What is\u00a0spend data management?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend data management is the practice of collecting,&nbsp;organising, and&nbsp;analysing&nbsp;information about where your business spends money.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means keeping track of everything from supplier invoices and employee expenses to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/accounts-payable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accounts payable&nbsp;software<\/a>&nbsp;subscriptions, card transactions, and one-off purchases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In practical terms,&nbsp;spend&nbsp;data covers the records that show how money moves through your business. The evidence for those movements includes invoices, receipts, purchase orders, credit card transactions, reimbursements, and payment records. If it helps explain what you bought, who you bought it from, and how much it&nbsp;cost, it forms part of&nbsp;your&nbsp;spend data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Identifying&nbsp;and&nbsp;locating&nbsp;the necessary data is one thing;&nbsp;being able to use it effectively is an entirely different challenge. If records sit&nbsp;in an&nbsp;array of&nbsp;bank&nbsp;feeds, inboxes, spreadsheets, and expense apps,&nbsp;they\u2019re&nbsp;hard to compare and even harder to trust. For spend data to be useful, it needs to be centralised, cleaned up, and categorised in a consistent way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s&nbsp;also what makes spend data management different from basic bookkeeping. Bookkeeping focuses on recording transactions&nbsp;accurately&nbsp;so your accounts stay up to date. Spend data management goes further by helping you understand patterns,&nbsp;monitor&nbsp;behaviour, and turn raw records into insight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, it\u2019s:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Collecting data:<\/strong>\u00a0gathering spending information from all sources across the business.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Organising records:<\/strong>\u00a0centralising data in one place instead of scattered spreadsheets.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Categorising expenses:<\/strong>\u00a0grouping spending by type, supplier, department, or project.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Analysing patterns:<\/strong>\u00a0spotting trends, anomalies, and opportunities to save.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s&nbsp;not that great&nbsp;of&nbsp;a technical challenge. At its core, spend data management is about getting organised enough to answer simple but important questions with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-is-spend-data-management-essential-for-businesses\"><strong>Why\u00a0is\u00a0spend\u00a0data\u00a0management essential for businesses?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Without visibility into spending, businesses often lose money in ways that are easy to miss, like unused subscriptions, duplicate payments, and weak supplier terms.&nbsp;Accurate spend data gives you the information you need to protect your cash flow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Visibility\u00a0is a key part of spend management.\u00a0You\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0manage what you\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0see, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0difficult to make sound decisions when spending records are scattered. Once you have a clearer view of where money is going, you can respond faster and make\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/product-capabilities\/extended-capabilities\/financial-planning-budgeting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">budgeting<\/a>\u00a0choices based on facts rather than assumptions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Spend data management can help your business save money. When spending data is organised, you can\u00a0identify\u00a0duplicate vendors, combine similar purchases, and negotiate from a stronger position because you know your actual spending history. That often leads to better supplier conversations and fewer avoidable costs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Managing your spend data well leads to\u00a0stronger compliance and audit readiness. Organised records make it much easier to prepare for tax submissions, audits, and internal reviews. Instead of chasing receipts and explanations at the last minute, your team can work from a clearer record of what happened and why.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Historical spend data helps you build budgets around real patterns rather than rough estimates. You can spot recurring costs earlier, plan for seasonal shifts, and forecast with more confidence.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend data management&nbsp;can address a variety of common pain points, including:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Year-end stress:<\/strong>\u00a0no more scrambling to find receipts at year-end.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Unapproved purchases:<\/strong>\u00a0dealt with by catching unauthorised or maverick spending before it becomes a problem.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Supplier performance:<\/strong>\u00a0clarity as to which suppliers deliver the best value.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cost decisions:<\/strong>\u00a0making confident decisions about where to cut costs when needed.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-the-difference-between-spend-data-management-spend-analysis-and-spend-management\"><strong>What&#8217;s\u00a0the difference between\u00a0spend data management, spend analysis, and spend management?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These three terms often get used interchangeably, which is why they can sound more confusing than they need to be.\u00a0At\u00a0a high level, spend data management builds the foundation\u00a0of data, spend\u00a0analysis turns that information into insight, and spend management uses both to improve how the business buys and pays.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-scope-and-objectives\"><strong>Scope and objectives<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend data management focuses on collecting, cleaning, organising, and&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;spending information so you have a reliable record of where money goes. Think of it as building a dependable system for your business spending data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend analysis&nbsp;in&nbsp;procurement uses that organised data to answer questions such as which&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/supply-chain-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suppliers<\/a>&nbsp;you rely on most, how much you spend in certain categories, or where costs are rising faster than expected. The goal is insight, not just recordkeeping.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend management is the full process. It includes data management and analysis, but it also covers the actions that shape spending outcomes, such as&nbsp;purchasing&nbsp;controls, supplier relationships, approvals, and payment processes. This is where businesses actively influence&nbsp;spend&nbsp;instead of simply recording it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A simple way&nbsp;to think about it is&nbsp;that&nbsp;data management is organising your receipts, analysis is reviewing them to spot patterns, and spend management is using those patterns to change how you buy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-common-overlaps-and-differences\"><strong>Common overlaps and differences<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In practice, these concepts build on each other. Spend data management usually comes first because messy or incomplete data makes analysis unreliable. And without useful procurement&nbsp;spend&nbsp;analysis,&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;much harder to manage spending strategically or improve purchasing decisions over time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many modern finance tools bring all three capabilities into one place, which is why the language often overlaps. The easiest way to separate them is to remember the role each one plays: the operational backbone of data management, intelligence through analysis, and improved value by controlling costs through spend management in general.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Aspect<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Spend data management<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Spend analysis<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Spend management<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Primary focus&nbsp;<\/td><td>Organising&nbsp;and&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;data&nbsp;<\/td><td>Extracting insights and patterns&nbsp;<\/td><td>Optimising&nbsp;purchasing decisions&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Key activities&nbsp;<\/td><td>Data collection, cleansing,&nbsp;categorisation&nbsp;<\/td><td>Reporting, trend identification, benchmarking&nbsp;<\/td><td>Supplier negotiations, policy enforcement, cost control&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Typical users&nbsp;<\/td><td>Finance teams, accounts payable clerks&nbsp;<\/td><td>Procurement analysts, finance managers&nbsp;<\/td><td>Procurement managers, chief financial officers, business leaders&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Outcome&nbsp;<\/td><td>Clean,&nbsp;categorised&nbsp;spending records&nbsp;<\/td><td>Answers to \u201cWhere does money go?\u201d&nbsp;<\/td><td>Reduced costs and better supplier relationships&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-each-approach-is-most-relevant\"><strong>When each approach is most relevant<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Small businesses often begin with&nbsp;spend&nbsp;data management because the first challenge is simply getting&nbsp;organised. If spending records are spread across cards, invoices, reimbursements, and spreadsheets, the biggest win is creating one reliable view of business spend.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the business grows, spend analysis becomes more valuable. Once your data is structured properly, you can&nbsp;perform a&nbsp;supplier spend analysis to&nbsp;identify&nbsp;duplicate vendors, spot seasonal trends, and check that spending is aligned with priorities. That helps finance teams move from reactive reporting to forward planning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Full spend&nbsp;management tends to matter more when&nbsp;purchasing&nbsp;becomes more complex. More suppliers, more employees, and more departments usually mean more risk of inconsistent buying, budget overruns, and weak controls.&nbsp;That\u2019s&nbsp;when&nbsp;approval&nbsp;workflows, supplier governance, and policy enforcement become more important.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focus on data management when<\/strong>\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0tracking expenses in multiple spreadsheets,\u00a0you&#8217;re\u00a0struggling to categorise spending, or\u00a0you\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0quickly answer \u201cHow much did we spend with Supplier X?\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focus on analysis when<\/strong>\u00a0your data is\u00a0organised\u00a0but you need insights, such as\u00a0identifying\u00a0seasonal patterns and inefficiencies or benchmarking spending against industry norms.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focus on full spend management when<\/strong>\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0ready to act on insights through contract reviews, supplier consolidation,\u00a0purchasing\u00a0policies, or automated approval workflows.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-challenges-organisations-face-in-controlling-spend\"><strong>Challenges organisations face in controlling spend<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping&nbsp;your&nbsp;spend under management&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;always straightforward, and most businesses run into similar obstacles along the way. Knowing what those challenges look like helps you prepare for them early and deal with them more effectively.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that none of these issues are unusual, and none of them are impossible to fix. Most&nbsp;improve&nbsp;once you have clearer processes, better ownership, and tools that reduce manual work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-data-silos\"><strong>Data silos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-data-silos\">Data silos are simply pockets of information that live in&nbsp;different places&nbsp;and&nbsp;don\u2019t&nbsp;connect properly. Your spending records may be split across accounting software, credit card statements, expense apps, supplier portals, and departmental spreadsheets. When that happens,&nbsp;there\u2019s&nbsp;no&nbsp;single source&nbsp;of truth, and even a simple report can turn into a manual exercise.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-data-silos\">The real-world effect\u00a0of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/success-stories\/a\/american-cutting-edge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data silos<\/a>\u00a0is usually a lot of wasted effort. Even businesses that outsource to spend analytics services can struggle if their underlying data is fragmented across multiple systems. Finance might see the transaction but not the business reason behind it. Department managers may keep their own records outside\u00a0the finance system. Subscriptions may be charged to different cards, and nobody sees the full picture until someone spends hours reconciling it all.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-data-silos\">Common signs of siloed spend data include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Too many sources<\/strong>:\u00a0asking \u201cHow much do we spend on X?\u201d requires checking three or more places.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Conflicting answers<\/strong>:\u00a0different departments give different answers about the same spending.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Slow close process<\/strong>:\u00a0month-end closing takes days because data needs manual consolidation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-data-silos\"><strong>Hidden duplication<\/strong>:\u00a0duplicate payments or subscriptions go unnoticed for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-data-silos\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lack-of-standardization\"><strong>Lack of standardization<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even when you can access the data, inconsistent formatting can make it much less useful. One team might record a purchase as \u201cIT services\u201d,&nbsp;another as \u201ctechnology\u201d,&nbsp;and another as \u201csoftware\u201d,&nbsp;even though they all mean&nbsp;roughly the&nbsp;same thing. Supplier names, dates, descriptions, and categories can also vary depending on who entered them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That matters because to analyse spend properly,&nbsp;consistency&nbsp;is&nbsp;key. If categorisation is unreliable, reports become harder to trust. You&nbsp;can\u2019t&nbsp;compare periods properly, combine supplier spend accurately, or&nbsp;identify&nbsp;patterns without first cleaning up the data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Common&nbsp;standardisation&nbsp;problems include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Supplier naming issues:<\/strong>\u00a0e.g.,\u00a0mixing \u201cABC Company\u201d,\u00a0\u201cABC Co.\u201d,\u00a0and \u201cABC Company Ltd.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Date inconsistencies:<\/strong>\u00a0e.g.,\u00a0DD\/MM\/YYYY versus MM\/DD\/YYYY.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Category variation:<\/strong>\u00a0e.g.,\u00a0\u201cOffice supplies\u201d vs.\u00a0\u201cSupplies: Office\u201d vs.\u00a0\u201cAdmin expenses\u201d.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Currency confusion:<\/strong>\u00a0inconsistencies when dealing with international suppliers, such as one supplier billing in pounds and another in euros.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-data-silos\">\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-incomplete-or-inaccurate-information\"><strong>Incomplete or inaccurate information<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Missing receipts, vague descriptions, unrecorded cash purchases, and late expense submissions all create gaps in your records. If a meaningful share of your data is incomplete, your efforts at strategic spend management become less reliable and less useful for decision-making.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The consequences can spread quickly. You may miss important patterns, underestimate certain costs, or make decisions based on only part of the picture. Over time, teams can also lose confidence in the reports you deliver if they know the underlying information is patchy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Red flags for data quality issues include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Generic descriptions:<\/strong>\u00a0entries like \u201csupplies\u201d or \u201cservices\u201d with no real detail.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Late submissions:<\/strong>\u00a0expense reports\u00a0submitted\u00a0weeks or months after purchases.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Missing documents:<\/strong>\u00a0no supporting documentation attached to transactions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Off-system\u00a0spend:<\/strong>\u00a0unrecorded petty cash or reimbursement spending.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Catch-all coding:<\/strong>\u00a0too many transactions categorised as \u201cother\u201d or \u201cmiscellaneous\u201d.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-resistance-to-change\"><strong>Resistance to change<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>New systems and processes often result in&nbsp;pushback, even when&nbsp;the long-term benefits are clear. Employees who are comfortable with spreadsheets may resist new software with a completely different interface. Department heads who are used to buying independently may see central oversight as a loss of flexibility. For many, adapting to any change can feel like extra work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s&nbsp;why this is as much a people challenge as a finance one. Strong implementation depends on explaining the benefits clearly, training people properly, and showing early wins that make daily work easier rather than more restrictive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ways to reduce resistance include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lead with time savings:<\/strong>\u00a0show how new processes save time instead of simply adding steps.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bring people in early:<\/strong>\u00a0involve key stakeholders in planning and implementation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Highlight progress:<\/strong>\u00a0celebrate small wins and share success stories.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Train practically:<\/strong>\u00a0provide hands-on training, not just documentation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pilot first:<\/strong>\u00a0start with one department or process before rolling changes out more widely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-steps-to-implement-effective-spend-data-management\"><strong>Steps to implement effective spend data management<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Implementing&nbsp;spend&nbsp;data management is a journey, not a switch you flip overnight. Breaking it into clear steps makes the process much more manageable, whether&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;starting with a few spreadsheets or moving on from a basic finance system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The aim&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;to create a perfect setup in one go.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;to make steady improvements that give you better visibility, stronger control, and less manual effort over time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-gather-and-consolidate-data\"><strong>1. Gather and\u00a0consolidate\u00a0data<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by&nbsp;identifying&nbsp;every&nbsp;place&nbsp;your spending data currently lives. That usually includes&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accounting software<\/a>, bank feeds, company cards, expense tools, purchase orders, supplier invoices, and department-owned spreadsheets. In some businesses, it also includes paper receipts or manual reimbursement records that&nbsp;haven\u2019t&nbsp;made it into the main system properly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you know where the data sits, the next step is consolidation. Ideally, you want all spend-related records feeding into one central system, or at least into a connected process that supports your main accounting platform. This creates a much clearer view of spending and reduces the need for manual chasing&nbsp;during spend analysis of procurement data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This stage can take some effort at the beginning, especially if your records are spread across teams. But once&nbsp;you\u2019ve&nbsp;mapped&nbsp;the sources and&nbsp;built&nbsp;a cleaner process, the ongoing workload usually becomes much lighter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use this checklist to inventory your sources:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bank and cards:<\/strong>\u00a0bank and credit card transaction feeds.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Accounts payable:<\/strong>\u00a0invoices and payment records.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Procurement:<\/strong>\u00a0purchase orders and procurement records.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Employee expenses:<\/strong>\u00a0expense reports and reimbursements.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Recurring charges:<\/strong>\u00a0subscription and recurring payment accounts.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cash spending:<\/strong>\u00a0petty cash logs and cash purchases.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Department trackers:<\/strong>\u00a0departmental or project-specific spending records.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-clean-and-categorize-spending\"><strong>2. Clean and categorize spending<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Raw&nbsp;spend&nbsp;data&nbsp;nearly always&nbsp;needs some cleanup before it becomes useful. That includes standardising supplier names, filling in missing details where possible, correcting obvious errors, and removing duplicate entries. It can feel repetitive, but&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;the groundwork that makes later reporting much more reliable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Categorisation&nbsp;is what&nbsp;turns that&nbsp;cleaned data into something you can work with. You might group spending by supplier, expense type, department, project, or cost&nbsp;centre, depending&nbsp;on how&nbsp;your business plans and reports. The key is to create a consistent structure that makes sense for the way you&nbsp;operate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many accounting and spend tools now automate parts of this process using artificial intelligence,&nbsp;which&nbsp;often&nbsp;can&nbsp;learn from how you code transactions over time. That can save a lot of effort, but human review still matters, especially when&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;setting the rules and standards early on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Common spend categories include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Direct costs:<\/strong>\u00a0raw materials, inventory, cost of goods sold.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Operating expenses:<\/strong>\u00a0rent, utilities, insurance, office supplies.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Personnel costs:<\/strong>\u00a0salaries, benefits, training, recruitment.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technology:<\/strong>\u00a0software subscriptions, hardware, information technology services.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Marketing and sales:<\/strong>\u00a0advertising, events, travel, customer acquisition.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Professional services:<\/strong>\u00a0legal, accounting, consulting.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-use-specialized-tools\"><strong>3. Use specialized tools<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Spreadsheets can work for&nbsp;very small&nbsp;businesses with limited transaction volume. But once spending becomes more frequent, more varied, or more distributed across teams, dedicated tools usually save a significant amount of time and reduce avoidable errors. The best setup is one that integrates with your existing accounting platform rather than creating another isolated system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for features that support day-to-day control as well as better reporting. Automated data imports, optical character recognition for invoice capture,&nbsp;approval&nbsp;workflows, real-time dashboards, and flexible&nbsp;categorisation&nbsp;all make the process faster and easier to manage. Tools that support multi-currency or multi-entity structures also become more useful as a business grows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sage offers integrated spend management capabilities within its accounting and business management platforms&nbsp;that are&nbsp;ideal for businesses that want better visibility without unnecessary complexity. Solutions such as Sage Accounting and Sage Intacct can support&nbsp;spend visibility, categorisation, reporting, and budget monitoring, helping finance teams connect spend data more closely to wider&nbsp;financial management.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Capabilities worth looking for include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Connected feeds:<\/strong>\u00a0automatic bank and card feed integration.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Invoice capture:<\/strong>\u00a0scanning and processing through optical character recognition.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Approvals:<\/strong>\u00a0customisable approval workflows.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Visibility:<\/strong>\u00a0real-time spending dashboards and alerts.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Flexible coding:<\/strong>\u00a0flexible categorisation and tagging.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Global support:<\/strong>\u00a0multi-currency and multi-entity support.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Access control:<\/strong>\u00a0role-based access and permissions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Audit support:<\/strong>\u00a0audit trails and compliance reporting.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-train-teams-on-policies\"><strong>4. Train teams on policies<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology&nbsp;won\u2019t&nbsp;solve&nbsp;your&nbsp;problems&nbsp;on its own. People need to understand what good spending practice looks like and&nbsp;what\u2019s&nbsp;expected of them. Clear policies should explain who can approve spending, which suppliers are preferred, what documentation is&nbsp;required, and how expenses should be categorised.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Training also works best when it continues beyond launch. Give teams practical examples, easy reference materials, and a place to ask questions. The goal is to make the right process feel straightforward enough that people follow it consistently.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Useful ways to support adoption include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Provide written material:<\/strong>\u00a0create a one-page quick reference guide for common scenarios.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Train by context:<\/strong>\u00a0hold department-specific training sessions, not just company-wide sessions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Open a help channel:<\/strong>\u00a0set up a Slack channel or dedicated email\u00a0address\u00a0for questions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use examples:<\/strong>\u00a0share real examples of correct and incorrect expense submissions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reinforce good habits:<\/strong>\u00a0recognise teams that adopt new processes quickly.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-monitor-results-and-refine\"><strong>5. Monitor results and refine<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend data management works best when you review it regularly. In the&nbsp;early stages, monthly check-ins often make sense because they help you catch issues with&nbsp;categorisation, missing data, or adoption before those problems become routine. Later, quarterly reviews may be enough once the process is more stable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Treat the system as something you refine rather than something you set up and leave to itself. If a category&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;useful, adjust it. If an approval path slows everything down, simplify it. The point is to keep improving the quality of the data and the value you get from it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Metrics that can help you track progress include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Data completeness:<\/strong>\u00a0set a minimum percentage of spending with complete, categorised data.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reporting speed:<\/strong>\u00a0time\u00a0required\u00a0for month-end close and reporting.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Error reduction:<\/strong>\u00a0number of duplicate payments or errors caught.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Adoption:<\/strong>\u00a0user adoption rates across departments.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Savings\u00a0identified:<\/strong>\u00a0cost savings uncovered through spend analysis of your procurement operation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Efficiency gains:<\/strong>\u00a0time saved on manual data entry and reconciliation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts-on-spend-data-management\"><strong>Final thoughts\u00a0on spend data management<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend data management may seem like yet another addition to your finance process, but it&nbsp;pays for&nbsp;itself in the added clarity and control it gives your business. You spend less time hunting for receipts or second-guessing reports and more time making informed decisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting started&nbsp;with spend data&nbsp;management&nbsp;can&nbsp;feel daunting, especially if your records live in&nbsp;different places&nbsp;or your current process depends heavily on manual work. But the payoff often arrives sooner than people expect. Even modest improvements in visibility can lead to better budgeting, fewer surprises, and a calmer month-end process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Solutions like&nbsp;spend&nbsp;data management from Sage can help businesses gain clearer spending visibility while fitting into existing accounting and&nbsp;financial management&nbsp;workflows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sooner you can answer \u201cWhere does our money go?\u201d with confidence, the sooner you can make smarter decisions about where it should go next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-faqs-about-spend-data-management\"><strong>FAQs about spend data management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-faqs-about-spend-data-management\">Here are answers to\u00a0common questions\u00a0about spend data management.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776435161416\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What are the four pillars of procurement?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The four pillars of procurement are people (skilled procurement professionals), process (standardised\u00a0workflows), technology (systems and tools), and data (accurate\u00a0spending information). Spend data management supports the data pillar by ensuring procurement decisions are based on reliable,\u00a0organised\u00a0information.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776435181955\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is data management in simple terms?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Data management is the practice of collecting, storing,\u00a0organising, and\u00a0maintaining\u00a0information\u00a0so\u00a0it&#8217;s\u00a0accurate, accessible, and useful when you need it. For businesses, this means ensuring financial records, customer information, and operational data are reliable and easy to find.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776435190435\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is\u00a0spend\u00a0data in the context of business finances?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Spend data is all the information about where and how a business spends money,\u00a0including supplier invoices, employee expenses, purchase orders, subscription payments, and transaction records. Organising this data helps businesses understand spending patterns,\u00a0identify\u00a0savings opportunities, and\u00a0maintain\u00a0financial control.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776435200683\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How does spend data management differ from spend management?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Spend data management focuses on gathering and\u00a0analysing\u00a0financial data related to company spending. Spend management is broader and includes the processes, policies, and tools used to control and\u00a0optimise\u00a0business expenses.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1776435213538\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What tools help businesses manage spend data effectively?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Many businesses use accounting platforms, procurement systems, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/spend-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spend management software<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0organise\u00a0and\u00a0analyse\u00a0spend data. These tools automate data collection, track supplier spending, and generate insights that support better financial control.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you can clearly see where your money is going, it becomes much easier to control costs and plan ahead. Spend data management helps turn scattered records into practical insight you can act on. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1911,"featured_media":11459,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[135,126],"business_type":[4,3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[71,73,74],"imagine_tag":[271,79],"coauthors":[752],"class_list":["post-29616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-business-finances","tag-data-analytics","business_type-small-business","business_type-medium-sized-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Laurence Matone","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1288428995.jpg","imagine_tags":{"271":"Accounts payable","79":"Business management"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1911"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29621,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29616\/revisions\/29621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/11459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=29616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}