AI, AP and What Great AP Teams Do Differently in 2026

The Payments Podcast by Bottomline

Episode Transcript

Owen McDonald (host): Welcome to The Payments Podcast. I'm your host, Bottomline Managing Editor, Owen McDonald. Accounts payable (AP) automation is proving its worth in use cases spanning the B2B payments ecosystem. From the role of AI and AP to what makes a top-performing AP team in 2026, this topic is surprisingly nuanced. For that reason, among others, it's our pleasure to welcome back Andrew Bartolini of Ardent Partners as we unpack the new Ardent Partners 2026 AP Automation and Payments Technology Advisory Report.

Owen McDonald: Andrew Bartolini, it's great to have you back on The Payments Podcast.

Andrew Bartolini (guest): Oh, and glad to be here.

Owen McDonald: Very glad you could be, Andrew. To set the stage, tell us the primary purpose of the 2026 AP Automation and Payments Technology Advisory Report. What did you set out to learn?

Andrew Bartolini: Ardent Partners is a research and advisory firm focused exclusively on the source-to-pay process. We evaluate the entire lifecycle, from intake through payment, and have been researching the AP automation and payments market for 17 years.

Since 2019, we have published regular technology advisory reports. The purpose of the 2026 report was to give AP leaders a genuine decision framework they can use. We wanted to move beyond a simple vendor list and instead explain how modern AP solutions differ at the capability level and how those differences affect day-to-day operations.

The goal was to translate what has become a very complex technology market into something structured and actionable. We also wanted to understand how AI and payments are changing what an AP platform needs to deliver today. AP automation is no longer just invoice capture and matching; it’s about intelligence, compliance, supplier experience, and cash management.

Owen McDonald: How would you characterize the evaluation criteria? How have they changed in an ISO-compliant world?

Andrew Bartolini: The criteria are built around how AP departments actually operate, not how software is marketed. We organized capabilities across the full receive, process, and pay lifecycle and layered in governance, analytics, supplier enablement, and AI.

Each category was tied to measurable outcomes like cycle time, exception reduction, compliance risk, and payment optimization. In an ISO-compliant world, automation alone isn’t enough. You need defensible controls, traceability, data integrity, and global e-invoicing readiness. Compliance was treated as a foundation, not a feature.

Owen McDonald: There’s a lot of noise around AI and AP. How should organizations be thinking about explainable AI versus black-box solutions?

Andrew Bartolini: AI is front and center in this report. AP organizations should think of AI as an operating capability, not a buzzword. The real question isn’t “do you have AI?” but “what decisions does your AI improve?”

We encourage teams to ask providers how models are trained, what data they rely on, how exceptions are handled, and how decisions can be explained and overridden. The strongest solutions treat AI as a co-pilot with guardrails, audit logs, and continuous learning—not as a magical replacement for human judgment.

We’re still early in advanced AI development. No provider is fully mature on the agentic side yet, but the roadmap matters. AP leaders should evaluate both current capability and future direction.

Owen McDonald: What separates market leaders from the rest?

Andrew Bartolini: Coherence. Market leaders treat capture, workflow, payments, and compliance as a single connected process with shared data and intelligence.

They execute well, not just architect well. We conduct reference checks and deep demo evaluations because capability alone doesn’t guarantee impact. Leaders help customers measure outcomes like improved matching, fraud reduction, and payment performance using AI in practical, observable ways.

Owen McDonald: Final question. What should AP leaders keep front and center when starting an evaluation?

Andrew Bartolini: First, define your own requirements before selecting providers. Evaluate capabilities before brand. Start with a framework, not a shortlist.

Second, AI and compliance must be treated as core requirements. They determine whether automation is sustainable over the next five years.

Finally, tie technology choices directly to outcomes—lower cost per invoice, better cash visibility, reduced fraud. When leaders keep that connection clear, selection becomes more objective and more successful.

Owen McDonald: Market performance, not marketing claims. That’s the Ardent Partners 2026 AP Automation and Payments Technology Adviser Report. Check it out.

Thanks again to Andrew Bartolini of Ardent Partners. And to our audience—the smartest people in B2B payments—thanks for listening. Subscribe and catch us on Apple, Spotify, Blubrry, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.

Owen McDonald: Bye for now.

The Payments Podcast, from Bottomline.