Reduce Invoice Exceptions with Fully Automated AP

It's time to see the error of your ways. Nobody’s perfect.

That is especially true of businesses that process invoices in a manual or semi-automated environment.

Nearly one-in-five invoices received by businesses that operate a manual or semi-automated AP environment result in an exception, per Ardent Partners.

There are myriad reasons for exceptions, including: wrong price, wrong quantity, missing tax amount, missing tax identification number, no requester name, no contact information, no contract and/or purchase order, missing purchase order number, no shipping notice, incorrect net amount, and more. While some exceptions are unavoidable, full AP automation can eliminate most of them, and significantly streamline the resolution of any exceptions that result from processing supplier invoices.

Validating invoice data and matching invoices to related documents is a costly and time-consuming process in a manual or semi-automated environment. The problem is compounded when invoice errors are detected late during the approval cycle. And without full automation, resolving exceptions typically involves more manual keying and multiple handoffs and back-and-forth e-mails and phone calls to identify and resolve the cause of the exception, which delays approval cycles (resulting in late-payment penalties and missed early-payment discounts). Making matters worse, exceptions can languish on desks or in e-mail boxes awaiting approval/resolution. Manual and semi-automated processes also are not foolproof, meaning that exceptions and errors can slip through the cracks.

There are 6 ways that full AP automation reduces exceptions and errors, and streamlines the resolution of problems:

1. Suppliers can convert electronic purchase orders into invoices (eliminating the chance of errors)
2. Invoice data is automatically validated at the point of submission
3. Data extraction and invoice matching is automated (reducing the change of mis-keyed data)
4. Supporting data is instantly available online
5. Information from approved invoices is electronically posted to an ERP platform or downstream system
6. Problem suppliers are identified using analytics

What’s more, AP can collaborate with internal stakeholders and suppliers online to resolve exceptions in a more structured and efficient manner than manual or semi-automated environments.

Want to see how much you can save on exceptions resolution with full AP automation? Download our complimentary white paper, “Stop Throwing Money Down the Drain: 5 Reasons to Embrace Full AP Automation.”