Forward-thinking CFOs cannot afford to continue to let Accounts Payable (AP) operate the same way, especially when both roles are changing to meet the demands of “doing more with less.”
Pressures such as rising costs, staff shortages, changing regulations and global disruptions force businesses to find ways to optimize every process.
To stay ahead, CFOs are turning to automation – not as a stopgap solution, but as a core element of long-term success. In fact, 74% CFOs believe that artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will completely transform finance functions by 2035, suggesting that this transformation has already begun.
So, now is the time for CFOs to prepare their Accounts Payable departments for the future.
Why prepare now?
Change is difficult at all levels of a business. Accounts Payable staff may be reluctant to abandon familiar processes, while leaders may be reluctant to invest in new technology. As a result, the “the way things are done is fine” mindset often sets in. Sound familiar?
However, if there is one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, it is that the business environment changes rapidly—and what is “okay” today can quickly become “not enough” tomorrow.
Here are some of the challenges that are forcing businesses to change their thinking:
- Facing uncertainty: Faced with inflation, supply chain disruptions and economic volatility, CFOs need visibility and process control to adapt, while AP departments need to operate efficiently to ensure timely payments, maintain supplier relationships and manage cash flow.
- Risk reduction: Threats from financial fraud, cyber attacks and data breaches are on the rise. Operational processes must be robust enough to protect critical information and ensure transparency across the entire system.
- Increased compliance and complexity management: As the global financial system becomes increasingly complex and regulations continue to change, CFOs need reliable processes, while AP departments must ensure accurate, timely, and compliant reporting.
These changes pose significant challenges to traditional AP operations, requiring CFOs to shift from reactive to proactive strategies.
To address these challenges, CFOs should consider integrating automation into AP operations, as it can help strengthen supplier relationships, increase operational efficiency, prevent fraud, improve cash flow visibility, and manage compliance and risk. By proactively preparing and implementing technology, AP departments can adapt to change and ensure efficient operations in a challenging business environment.
How does automation help strengthen the Accounts Payable department?
According to sources, automation plays a key role in strengthening the AP (accounts payable) department in many ways. Specifically, automation helps:
- Strengthen supplier relationships: The ability to view payment status within the AP platform and communicate with suppliers in real time helps build better relationships and build trust. This is especially important in a volatile business environment, where good supplier relationships can help keep a business running smoothly.
- Improve operational efficiency: WHO able to capture invoice data in seconds, freeing AP teams from manual tasks. This allows them to focus on more strategic initiatives, such as forecasting and negotiating early payment discounts. Reducing manual tasks not only increases efficiency, but also reduces the risk of human error.
- Fraud Prevention: With automation, businesses can monitor and flag issues as they arise, rather than after the fact. Early detection of fraud and timely action can help prevent larger losses.
- Improve cash flow visibility: Real-time insights into payment cycles, bottlenecks, and spending trends help CFOs and their teams make better decisions. Better cash flow visibility helps businesses manage finances more effectively.
- Compliance and risk management: Automated systems execute compliance checks, document retention, and escalate workflows, helping to mitigate legal risks in an ever-changing regulatory landscape. Ensuring regulatory compliance is critical to avoiding penalties and maintaining business reputation.
Overall, Automation is not just a quick fix, but a critical element for long-term success.By integrating automation into AP operations, CFOs can build a flexible, future-ready process that can meet current challenges and capitalize on future opportunities.
It can be seen that the importance of investing in automation is to ensure that the AP department is always at the forefront of business development.
Three Steps to Building a Future-Ready AP Department
Finding the right automation solution doesn’t have to be a complicated task. With a strategic approach and these three steps, CFOs can set their teams up for long-term success:
- Start small, scale smart:
- CFOs should start by automating critical workflows, such as invoice approval or payments.
- It's important to ensure the automation solution is scalable to meet future needs, such as vendor management or document storage.
- Prioritize change management:
- CFOs should provide AP teams with the skills, training, and support they need to get the most out of automation solutions.
- This helps ensure that employees can adapt to new processes and that the transition goes smoothly.
- Continuous optimization:
- CFOs need to regularly evaluate automation strategies to refine workflows and stay ahead of changes or evolving plans.
- This helps ensure that the AP department is always operating efficiently and meeting new business requirements.
By taking these steps, CFOs can transform their AP department into a system that is agile, proactive, and ready to drive innovation.
Additionally, shifting from reactive to proactive strategies is critical to preparing for disruptions before they happen. CFOs also need to recognize that automation is not just a quick fix, but an essential driver of long-term success.
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