Does Manual Keying of Supplier Invoices Make the Best Use of Your AP Staff's Time?

You advertise for an open AP Specialist position. The ad reads something like this:

Description
Our team is seeking an Accounts Payable (AP) Specialist who will be responsible for processing (i.e., coding and entering) and paying vendor invoices and employee expenses in a timely manner.

Essential Functions

• Check accuracy of invoices and confirm against budget for indirect cost
• Validate services invoices against approved time and expenses
• Match invoices with Purchase Orders
• Send invoices to managers for payment approval
• Input and code invoices to correct cost centers
• Review expense reimbursement receipts for accuracy against project setup
• Prepare weekly schedule of payables due and coordinate with the cash flow process
• Set up approved for payment employee expense reimbursements, vendor and subcontractor invoices in banking template for payment
• Prepare payment register and enter payment data into accounting system
• First point of contact for debtor inquiries
• Perform reconciliations, including supplier statement reconciliations
• Support the month-end close process
• Report of Aged Payables plus other ad hoc reporting where applicable
• Support the annual audit process related to the accounts payable function
• Other tasks as requested to support the accounting team
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 3-years relevant experience
• Experienced in accounting practices
• Preference to  certifications in accounting

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You seek a candidate with relevant job experience, skilled in accounting practices, they will be involved in the cash flow for your business, the need to make quick business decisions that effect your supply chain and vendor relationships.

However, with all this in mind, they will spend between 40 - 60 percent (or more) of their day manual keying invoices into the financial system for payment processing.  Seems like all this experience could be used to better serve the business and their interest in a career in accounting.

You went through the process of advertising (costs money), interviewing candidates (costs time & money), hiring and training the new hire (costs time and money) and in the end they spend more time keying invoices than any other function.

Does manual invoice keying make the best use of your AP Staff's time?