AP Automation 101: Streamlining Your Accounts Payable Process

What is Accounts Payable (AP) Automation

These systems also enforce multi-level approval processes, ensuring that no single individual can authorize fraudulent payments. Additionally, they maintain detailed audit trails, making it easier to track and identify any suspicious activities. Indian businesses can expect substantial savings with accounts payable (AP) automation. This happens because automation cuts manual work, eliminating the need for paper checks and postage. Faster processing unlocks early payment discounts from vendors, and fewer errors mean less wasted time and money on corrections.

What is Accounts Payable (AP) Automation

Video: What Is AP Automation?

An e-invoice contain the actual image along with structured XML information that a company needs to process the invoice through an automated system. Because the data in EDI is structured, it reduces the need tocapture information from the invoice image. You’ll no longer have to worry as recording transactions much about erroneous payments, or issues with incorrect supply amounts.

Enabling business continuity

  • AP automation allows organizations to eliminate paper by introducing modern digital technologies and intelligent automation to the AP process.
  • For companies leveraging POs, it helps ensure that invoices are matched against the corresponding purchase orders, verifying that products or services were received as expected before payment is made.
  • These solutions, which are making the user experience a key priority, not only make it more intuitive for users, but also increase adoption and discourage workarounds.
  • It’s an ideal solution for enabling the mobile workforce to access and approve invoices digitally, anywhere, anytime.
  • Many companies believe they have already automated invoices because they no longer mail out or receive paper versions.
  • Setting and re-visiting key performance indicators (KPIs) is an easier task with AP automation.

In a modern environment that includes increased remote working, this vulnerability to fraud has serious implications. Wire transfers are at a greater risk when authentication and network security are more lax. A virtual card is a 16-digit unique card number that is created to be single use. In practice, it is a virtual credit card that is designated for paying your vendors. It is at a heightened risk for fraud and transactions can’t be halted once finalized. Regular ACH is a direct and electronic payment that isn’t immediate.

Processing More Invoices without Increasing Staffing Levels

What is Accounts Payable (AP) Automation

AP automation provides enhanced security features to Law Firm Accounts Receivable Management protect sensitive financial information. User permissions allow you to control who can access specific functions and data within the system. The software you decide on should easily integrate with existing processes and systems, and the finance and procurement employees should be able to easily learn how to use it.

What is Accounts Payable (AP) Automation

What is Accounts Payable (AP) Automation

At the start of this process, AP automation uses optical character recognition (OCR) to extract information from invoices. Some products use machine learning to recognise patterns over time and improve accuracy; for example, they may suggest specific general ledger codes or approval routing based on past experience. By customising rules for your business, such as acceptable variances or approval hierarchies, you may be able to eliminate the need for manual intervention for most invoices.

  • The benefits that AP Automation provides to all stakeholders are significant – making their jobs easier, more streamlined and interesting.
  • Machine Learning enables systems to learn by themselves, for example by observing human actions or by studying historical data, continuously making the software more intelligent and accurate.
  • The accounting system manages all coding and routing of invoices through a digital workflow.
  • If your new system is complex or difficult to use, your team may be reluctant to adopt it.
  • The software can typically be integrated with a company’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or other financial software, allowing for a unified approach to financial management.
  • It encompasses a comprehensive array of processes and responsibilities essential for the management and settlement of supplier or vendor invoices.
  • Online archival ensures that employees have easy access to invoices and other transaction related documents anytime, from anywhere.

Explore our insights: Expert blogs on AP Automation

By claiming they did not receive your product or don’t remember making the payment, they can trigger a refund. While many chargebacks are legitimate, they can also be used as part of friendly fraud. It is important to manage chargebacks to what is ap automation prevent undue loss of revenue. These protections help organizations adhere to new regulations and long-standing best practices, mitigating risk and maintaining consumer trust.