Introduction For vendor and suppliers to get paid, there typically is a process for submitting invoice information that details what was purchased and where to remit payment, plus other details like an invoice number, purchase order number, and payment terms, to facilitate the invoice being approved and processed.  Transactions without invoices are also likely at […]

Introduction Even with the advanced ERP systems that most large companies utilize for Accounts Payable processing, the challenge of duplicate payments and fraud control in general continue to be an issue for many AP organizations.  Considering the tremendous number of invoices being processed and the corresponding amount of supplier payments being made at most companies, […]

Introduction Once considered the primary method for vendors to communicate with Accounts Payable, providing phone support for vendor inquiries has fallen out of favor as other methods have become both more efficient and less costly.  Even with the most sophisticated phone systems where basic requests for payment status can be answered by a chatbot, providing […]

Introduction With companies increasingly moving to Shared Services or Global Business Services to provide Accounts Payable services, and with Purchasing activities (both indirect and direct) typically split between either centralized or decentralized organizations that are almost never part of Shared Services, coordinating an end-to-end design for Purchase-to-Pay can be a significant challenge.  Fortunately, software providers […]

Introduction While many companies have a well-designed process for handling invoices associated with purchase orders (POs), the non-Purchase Order (non-PO) related invoices can often be much more challenging and the cause of many exceptions.  These invoices often arrive at the location making the purchase, complicating the process for approval and invoice submission for processing at […]

Introduction We’re all familiar with the statement that “what’s measured improves”.  Internal and external customers for the Accounts Payable process are willing and able to provide detailed information about problems that exist from their perspective, but many companies don’t have good methods or techniques in place to track these issues and related corrective actions.  Including […]

Introduction Shared Services work processes, like Accounts Payable (P2P) have hundreds of detailed work steps and many required policy differences depending on the type of supplier, negotiated terms, industry standards, and legal or regulatory requirements.   As companies work to implement the most efficient processes possible, understanding the details of how other peer companies handle similar […]

Introduction By definition, dramatically changing or reengineering a process requires looking at the entire process from end-to-end, and not focusing only on parts of a process that reside within a functional area or within a department.  The challenge often comes from the difficulty with getting a significantly high enough level of sponsorship and funding to […]

Introduction Simplifying and streamlining Accounts Payable processes is best accomplished with multiple approaches that are closely coordinated and prioritized.  For example, while getting electronic invoices from suppliers might be achievable for a large percentage of your production-related invoice volume, you may need to add portal solutions that support supplier invoice submissions as an approach to […]

Introduction The concept of self-service technology for Shared Service processes has been around for decades, with the greatest penetration for Employee Services applications for the creation, updating, and distribution of employee-related information, with other efforts related to call center support, including supporting vendors for basic requests to answer question regarding payment status and payment timing […]