Kiera
Supplier Gatekeeper & Master Data Guardian
Verifying suppliers, preventing duplicates, enforcing onboarding requirements
Kiera verifies new suppliers, prevents duplicates, enforces onboarding requirements, and validates bank account changes—reducing fraud risk and keeping supplier master data clean and compliant.
She checks tax registrations, detects duplicate suppliers with similar names, enforces document requirements (W-9, insurance, tax clearance), and validates bank account changes before payments are made.
Key Responsibilities
- Verify new supplier applications and registrations
- Detect duplicate supplier records (fuzzy name matching)
- Enforce onboarding requirements (documents, certifications)
- Validate tax registration status (ZIMRA, SARS, VAT)
- Check bank account ownership and changes
- Monitor supplier risk indicators
- Enforce segregation of duties
- Generate compliance reports
How Kiera Works
2. Initial Validation: Kiera checks:
- Supplier name against existing records (fuzzy matching for duplicates)
- Tax ID format and checksum
- Required fields completed
- Contact information valid
3. Duplicate Detection:
- Name similarity check (handles typos, abbreviations)
- Tax ID lookup
- Bank account cross-reference
- Contact person matching
4. Compliance Verification:
- Tax registration status check via API (ZIMRA, SARS, ZRA)
- Required documents present (certificates, insurance, licenses)
- Bank account ownership validation
- Risk screening (sanctions lists, adverse media)
5. Decision Point:
- If all clear: Supplier approved, record created in Predictiv
- If duplicates found: Alert procurement, block creation until resolved
- If compliance gaps: Request missing documents, hold approval
- If high risk: Route to CFO for special review
6. Ongoing Monitoring:
- Track expiring certifications
- Monitor tax registration status changes
- Alert to bank account change requests
- Flag unusual activity patterns
1. Change Request: Supplier submits bank account change (email or portal)
2. Verification: Kiera checks:
- Request came from authorized contact
- Supporting documentation provided (bank letter, voided check)
- Account ownership matches supplier name
- No recent suspicious activity
3. Approval: Route to 2 approvers (segregation of duties)
4. Implementation: Only after dual approval
5. Audit Trail: Log request, documentation, approvers, timing
Control Points & Governance
- Duplicate prevention: Fuzzy matching catches variations, typos, abbreviations
- Tax compliance: Real-time verification where APIs available
- Segregation of duties: Bank changes require dual approval
- Document expiry: Automated reminders for renewing certifications
- Risk scoring: Suppliers flagged based on compliance gaps, activity patterns
- Audit trail: Complete record of onboarding, approvals, changes
Benefits
Fraud Prevention
• Bank change risk: Dual approval catches fraudulent change requests
• Duplicate detection: Prevents "supplier B" from being paid when "supplier A" already exists
• Identity verification: Tax ID and bank account ownership checks
Cleaner Master Data
• No duplicates: Consistent supplier records across system
• Complete information: Enforcement of required fields and documents
• Up-to-date records: Proactive renewal tracking
Real-World Use Cases
Use Case 1: Distributor Targeted by Fraud
Challenge:
- Email spoofing attack: fraudster impersonates supplier, requests bank change
- Finance team changes bank details
- $45K payment sent to fraudulent account
Implementation:
- Kiera requires dual approval for all bank changes
- Validates bank account ownership
- Flags change requests from non-authorized email domains
Results:
- 2 fraud attempts blocked in first 3 months
- Zero successful fraudulent payments since implementation
- CFO sleeps better
Use Case 2: Manufacturing with Duplicate Supplier Chaos
Challenge:
- "ABC Trading" vs "ABC Trading (Pty) Ltd" vs "ABC Traders"—all same company
- Payments split across records
- Volume rebates missed
- Reconciliation nightmares
Implementation:
- Kiera scans existing suppliers for duplicates
- Flags 800+ probable duplicates
- Prevents new duplicates at creation
Results:
- 600 duplicate records merged (after validation)
- Volume rebates recovered: $18K
- Payment reconciliation time reduced 40%
Use Case 3: FMCG Company with Compliance Pressure
Challenge:
- Manual tax verification time-consuming
- Some suppliers paid despite lapsed registrations
- Audit findings: insufficient due diligence
Implementation:
- Kiera checks tax registration via ZIMRA/SARS APIs
- Blocks payments to non-compliant suppliers
- Generates compliance reports for auditors
Results:
- 100% tax verification (was 60%)
- Zero payments to non-compliant suppliers
- Audit finding resolved
- Automated compliance reporting
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Kiera merge duplicate suppliers automatically?
No—Kiera flags duplicates; finance team reviews and approves merges. Too risky to automate.
What if supplier tax registration expires?
Kiera alerts procurement and blocks new POs until renewal confirmed.
How does bank account verification work?
Where available via API (South Africa, Kenya). Otherwise, requires upload of bank confirmation letter.
Can suppliers update their own information?
Yes—via supplier portal. Changes flagged for approval before updating master record.
What about international suppliers?
Kiera handles multi-country suppliers. Tax verification depends on API availability.
How long does supplier onboarding take?
Compliant supplier with all documents: 1-2 business days. Missing documents or duplicates: longer (pending resolution).
See Kiera Protect Your Supplier Master Data
Book a 15-minute demo showing Kiera catching duplicates and validating compliance