AP Automation: Start Small and Think BIG!

There are many ways to approach solving the challenges in your accounts payable department utilizing an AP Automation solution. Many AP departments are struggling with a never-ending cycle of manual processes, slow approvals, cumbersome matching processes and error-prone data. 

Although AP Automation is a proven way to eliminate manual processes and ease the pain associated with mounds of paper invoices, still today payables departments are hesitant to adopt this era of automation. 

Let's face it automation is all around us! We see it every day! We are so used to it we don't even give it another thought, unless we're in AP.

So why have accounts payable departments been slow to adopt? Is it fear, change, technology or the unknown? No matter what the reason "change is coming" and AP departments will be less reliant on manual processes and paper and spending more time on critical finance processes, analysis and cost control and AP Automation is how to get there.

One of the biggest fears with AP Automation is "change". Let's face it the accounts payable department has been processing supplier invoices the same way for the last 20, 30 or 60 years! So how do we overcome this fear of "change"? How do AP departments become comfortable with "automation"? The answer is: "Start small and think big". 

There are many benefits to starting small and growing the automation process at a pace that your AP team can be comfortable with. There is no need to implement a full blown P2P system on day one! Talk about change! Yikes! 

Starting small can include getting all invoices into a standard electronic system where AP, accountants and users can access invoices all in one place. Then capturing the invoice data to eliminate the need for manual data entry. Adding invoice routing rules and workflow to streamline the approval process and eventually integrating the entire process with your financial system. 

If you're thinking about AP Automation and not sure how to put a plan of action in place because you're afraid it might scare of your staff or cause a wave of disgruntled employees across your company then starting small and thinking big might be the best plan of action. 

Sound interesting to you? Want to know what you could save? Then read our last blog post: The ROI of AP Automation for AP Managers?