The problem
- Agency staffing costs keep growing, and nobody can see which wards, shifts and rates are driving them.
- Agency and supplier invoices are paid on totals, without checking rates, penalties and overtime against the contract.
- Invoices arrive in a different format from every supplier, so comparing them means re-keying data by hand.
- Rosters have grown around habit rather than demand, so overtime and agency use have become permanent.
- Supplier contracts are signed, but nobody checks what is invoiced against what was delivered.
- Medical staffing arrangements have been agreed one at a time, and their total cost is hard to see.
Four ways in
Forensic invoice analysis
Every agency and supplier invoice extracted line by line with in-house AI, then checked against the contract.
02Agency staffing and rosters
Shifts, double shifts and overtime analysed by ward, agency and cost centre, against demand and cost.
03Contracts and medical staffing
Supplier contracts tested against what was invoiced and delivered, and medical staffing arrangements made visible.
04Benchmarking and redesign
Cost and performance compared with similar organisations, and services and structures redesigned to fit.
Forensic invoice analysis
A detailed view of what the organisation is actually buying. Invoices from your largest agencies or suppliers are extracted with Nova's in-house AI, standardised into one dataset, and matched to the contract clauses, cost centres and rosters they relate to.
- GatherInvoice files, contracts and rate schedules provided securely by your team.
- ExtractEvery invoice read at line level by Nova's in-house AI, whatever the supplier's format, with a person checking the results.
- Standardise and mapLines consolidated into one dataset and mapped to cost centres and to the contract clauses that apply, such as weekend shifts and overtime.
- Check and reportEach line checked against the contract, with results in Power BI or Excel showing overcharges, purchasing behaviour and cost-out opportunities.
What you get
- One consistent dataset of every invoice line, returned securely.
- Calculation checks against contract rates, penalties and overtime rules.
- A view of purchasing and rostering behaviour by agency, ward and cost centre.
- Cost-out opportunities, and the evidence for contract management conversations with suppliers.
- Repeatable monthly reporting, so new invoices are checked as they arrive.
Agency staffing and roster analysis
- Agency reporting: shifts, double shifts and overtime reported by ward, agency and cost centre, so rostering behaviour is visible.
- Rosters against invoices: rostered shifts compared with what agencies invoiced and what was paid.
- Agency use reviews that size and rank the opportunities to reduce reliance on agency staff.
- Roster analysis and optimisation: rosters tested against demand, awards and cost, then rebuilt to fit. See Industrial and compliance review.
Contracts and medical staffing
- Contract compliance for IT, facilities maintenance and medical staffing providers: invoices tested against the contract terms and what was delivered.
- Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) arrangements: engagement models and contracts reviewed, so their total cost is visible and future arrangements are consistent.
- Private practice analysis and reporting: activity, revenue and distributions analysed and reported. See Private practice and bonus reviews.
- Medical education expenditure analysis and reporting, so the funds are accounted for and their stakeholders get reliable information.
Benchmarking and redesign
When the problem is how the organisation is put together, Nova's staff have helped redesign it and see the change through.
- Performance benchmarking: cost and performance compared with similar organisations, so you can see where you stand.
- Shared services for finance, payroll, procurement and IT, designed, established and run.
- Corporate redesign: back-office structures redesigned around cost and the service they provide.
- Outsourcing proposals assessed, prepared or evaluated.
- Establishing and consolidating large public entities, with finance and operations support through the change.
Work Nova has done
Case studies are anonymised and published with each client's agreement.
Frequently asked questions
What is forensic invoice analysis?
A line-by-line review of what an organisation has been invoiced. Every invoice from the suppliers in scope is extracted, standardised into one dataset and checked against the contract, so overcharges, purchasing patterns and cost-out opportunities can be seen across the whole population, not a sample.
What do you need from us?
The invoice files, the contracts and rate schedules that apply, and a cost-centre list. Files are provided and returned securely, to the people you nominate.
Can you handle invoices in different formats?
Yes. Nova's in-house AI reads each supplier's layout, a person checks the results, and every line is mapped to one standard format. The extraction gets faster and more accurate with each monthly run.
Is this an audit?
No. Nova's reviews are management assessments. They give you an independent, evidence-based view of what is happening and what to fix. They are not audits or assurance engagements under Australian or New Zealand auditing and assurance standards.
Can you help after the review?
Yes. Nova can keep the analysis running each month, support contract conversations with suppliers, and help put roster and contract changes in place.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the size of the organisation and what is in scope. Nova starts with an initial review of your needs, then provides a costed proposal before any work begins.
Do you offer this in New Zealand?
Yes. The same team works on both sides of the Tasman, and roster analysis is part of payroll compliance work in New Zealand: see Payroll Compliance Reviews on novaconsulting.co.nz.