Accounts Payable Automation: Everything You Should Know

Did you know that 84% of companies who have fully automated their accounts payable report increased cash flow and savings? 

It’s a big deal, especially now when every penny counts. Traditional AP methods—think manual data entry, piles of paperwork, and endless back-and-forth—aren’t just old school; they’re expensive and error-prone. 

That’s where accounts payable automation comes in. It’s like a breath of fresh air for your finance department, zapping those common pain points such as errors, delays, and tense vendor chats. This tech speeds things up, tidies up your accuracy, and gives your financial health a serious boost. 

In this blog, we’re going deep into the essentials of AP automation. You’ll see exactly how it can help, what to look for in the tools you choose, and how to get everything up and running smoothly. 

Understanding Accounts Payable Automation 

AP automation streamlines the nitty-gritty of accounts payable by cutting down on the need for manual input. It turns tasks that used to be done by hand into digital workflows, letting accounting teams handle invoice payments and general ledger duties more swiftly and with fewer mistakes. 

It impacts three key areas of business accounting: 

1. Invoice Receipt: Invoices are now received digitally, significantly reducing manual entry. Automation streamlines the process, ensuring invoices are routed for validation and approvals, making reporting faster and more efficient. 
2. Matching and Workflow: Automation handles 2-way and 3-way matching seamlessly, aligning invoices with purchase orders and receipts. The system efficiently routes the necessary information to the right departments, keeping workflows smooth and organized. 
3. Audit Trails: All invoices are systematically stored, creating a comprehensive audit trail. This organized approach simplifies audits and provides clear visibility into the financial process, ensuring accuracy and easy access to records. 

Get the complete guide to accounts payable—processes, best practices, and key insights to streamline your AP operations. 

6 Benefits of Accounts Payable Automation 

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve an existing business, tapping into the power of automation can seriously enhance how things run. Let’s look at some of the top benefits of using AP automation: 

1) Time Savings: Automating processes like scanning and handling invoices can streamline approvals by routing them to the right people. This speeds things up, reducing delays in payments. 

2) Reduced Errors: Automation minimizes mistakes in data entry, helping to avoid issues like overpayments, missed deadlines, or inaccuracies in accounts. 

3) Cost Efficiency: By automating tasks like record-keeping and invoice management, businesses can save on manual labor costs and even benefit from early payment discounts. 

4) Improved Accuracy: Automation ensures proper invoice matching and approval tracking, simplifying audits and enhancing the reliability of financial reports. 

5) Increased Security: Automated systems provide better oversight of transactions, helping reduce the risk of errors or fraud through secure tracking. 

6) Better Cash Flow Oversight: Automation keeps financial records up-to-date, providing a clear overview of spending and helping to manage cash flow more effectively. 

Accounts Payable Processes That Can Be Automated 

AP automation really shines in tasks where it can cut down on time or boost accuracy, which ends up saving money. Here’s a closer look at how automation beats manual handling in several key areas: 

1) Data Entry: Forget manual typing—automation quickly captures data from all source documents, making fewer mistakes along the way. 

2) Invoice Matching: It automatically lines up invoices with related documents like purchase orders and receipts. This is not only quicker but also more precise, which is a big help if you’re dealing with documents stored in multiple places. 

3) Coding Invoices: You can set rules that automatically apply the right general ledger codes to invoices, avoiding the hassles and errors that come with doing it by hand. 

4) Approval Routing: Sending invoices electronically for approval is not only faster than passing around paper copies, it also lets you track the process from start to finish. 

5) Payment Scheduling and Execution: Manually managing payments can lead to delays and mistakes. Automation makes sure payments go out on time and exactly right, helping you grab early payment discounts and avoid late fees. 

6) Vendor Management: Automated systems keep vendor details up to date, track all interactions, and make sure contract terms are followed, which all adds up to better relationships with your vendors. 

7) Expense Reporting and Reimbursement: These tools automatically handle receipts, categorize expenses, and send them off for approval, ensuring that reimbursements are timely and accurate. 

8) Fraud Detection: Using advanced algorithms, automation keeps an eye on transactions and flags anything that looks off, giving you an extra layer of security against fraud. 

9) Reconciliation: It matches bank statements with recorded payments to find any mismatches, keeping your books spot-on. 

10) Tax Compliance and Reporting: Automation calculates taxes, handles the necessary paperwork, and generates reports, reducing the risk of running into penalties for non-compliance. 

11) Analytics and Reporting: Automation lets you dig deeper into your AP processes, spotting bottlenecks, tracking spending trends, and pinpointing opportunities to tighten things up even further. 

How Does Accounts Payable Automation Work? 

AP automation software streamlines how you handle invoices from suppliers by turning them into a standardized digital format and pushing them through an automated workflow that ends with paying your suppliers. 

Here’s a breakdown of the AP automation process: 

1) Invoice Capture with OCR and E-Invoicing 

It all starts with converting incoming paper invoices into digital data through OCR. This technology scans, reads, and digitizes them. Simultaneously, e-invoicing allows vendors to submit their invoices electronically, eliminating the need for paper. 

2) Matching and Verification 

After capturing the invoice data, the system automatically checks and matches it against related purchase orders and delivery receipts to ensure everything lines up correctly. This step helps spot any issues early on, making sure only accurate invoices proceed. 

3) Approval Workflow 

Based on the rules you’ve set up, the system routes invoices to the right people or departments for approval. This might depend on factors like the amount or vendor. You can also set reminders to keep things moving swiftly. This method keeps everything organized, ensures timely approvals, and keeps a clear record of all actions. 

4) Payment Execution 

Once an invoice gets the green light, the software takes care of the payment process. It schedules and makes payments, choosing the best method, and often requires minimal human input. This ensures invoices are paid on time, helps you grab any available early payment discounts, and maintains good relations with suppliers. 

5) Reconciliation and Reporting 

After the payments, the system reconciles the transactions with bank statements to check everything matches up. It also creates detailed reports on spending, vendor performance, and potential areas for cost savings. This automation reduces errors and provides your financial team with key insights for better decision-making. 

Discover how accounts payable automation can strengthen supplier relationships and drive efficiency. Read the blog to learn 7 key benefits! 

How to Select the Right AP Software?  

Picking the right AP automation software is key to boosting your organization’s efficiency and keeping your finances accurate. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you find the best fit: 

1. Plan: Gather a team from various departments to define what you want from AP automation. This diverse input will shape your goals. 
2. Gather Requirements: Have your AP team evaluate your current process and list what’s needed in an automation tool. Finish this step by sending out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to selected vendors. 
3. Evaluate Vendors: Look over the responses to your RFP. Focus on the features, cost, and how each vendor plans to roll out their software. 
4. Choose a Vendor: Dive into the details with your top vendors. Request more information and demos to see how they stack up against your needs, then make your choice. 

What’s the Bottom Line? 

We’ve talked about the big wins of automating your accounts payable—fewer errors, faster invoice processing, and better relationships with vendors. These upgrades address the major pain points of traditional AP methods, making your financial operations not just smoother but also more reliable. 

Here’s where QX Global Group steps in. We specialize in transforming financial operations through technology. Take our QX ProAP software, for example.  

It starts by organizing the files by type. Then, it automatically pulls out the needed data and pops it into an Excel sheet. But it doesn’t stop there—it even logs into your accounting system using securely stored credentials and inputs the data right where it needs to go. Finally, it updates the status of each invoice in the Excel sheet, closing the loop and freeing up your team to focus on more strategic tasks. 

If you’re curious about taking the plunge into AP automation, why not explore what QX ProAP can offer? Get in touch with us at QX Global Group. We can discuss how this tool can be customized to streamline your specific processes. 

Originally published Nov 26, 2024 09:11:47, updated Nov 26 2024

Topics: Accounts Payable Automation, Accounts Payable Optimisation