Why Automating Accounts Payable Should Be Your First Step Toward Business Efficiency

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the Accounts Payable (AP) department plays a more strategic role than ever before. Far from just paying invoices, AP teams are responsible for maintaining cash flow, managing supplier relationships, and safeguarding businesses against fraud all while staying compliant with ever-evolving regulations.

Yet, for many businesses—especially SMEs—AP processes are still bogged down by manual data entry, endless email threads, paper invoices, and outdated tools like spreadsheets.

Let’s be honest: clinging to spreadsheets isn’t just old-school—it’s holding your business back.

According to a global study by Atlassian, nearly one in four Australian knowledge workers spend 10 hours a week searching for information buried in email chains, Slack messages, or siloed systems—often without ever finding what they need. That’s a quarter of the workweek lost to inefficiency.

Even worse?

50% say their work is delayed because they’re waiting on information from other teams.
Nearly the same number admit they’re duplicating work—recreating documents, reports, or processes that already exist—because they simply don’t know it’s been done.

This isn’t just a productivity issue—it’s a business growth killer.

That’s why more businesses are turning to automation, starting with Accounts Payable, as a smarter, scalable way to break down silos, eliminate waste, and reclaim valuable time.

The Primary Goals of AP Automation

Let’s explore why automating Accounts Payable is often the first—and smartest—entry point for automation and AI in a business:

Streamlined Processes for Greater Efficiency and Time Savings. AP automation eliminates repetitive tasks like manual data entry, invoice matching, and chasing down approvals. With smart workflows, invoices move seamlessly through the system—no bottlenecks, no delays. Employees can redirect their focus from busy work to business-critical tasks, leading to faster invoice processing and healthier supplier relationships.
Cost Reduction Through Efficiency and Early Payment Discounts. Manual AP processes are not only time-consuming, but they’re also expensive. Human errors, late payments, and missed discount opportunities all add up. Automation ensures invoices are approved on time, enabling businesses to take advantage of early payment discounts and avoid late fees. Over time, these savings can be significant.
Enhanced Fraud Prevention and Invoice Security. With invoice fraud on the rise, especially through phishing and business email compromise (BEC), automated systems offer built-in protections. Automated approval chains, multi-factor authentication, and secure data storage dramatically reduce the risk of fraud. Every action is recorded, making it easy to verify authenticity and trace activity.
Compliance and Easy Auditability. Regulatory compliance is non-negotiable. AP automation platforms help businesses stay compliant by maintaining a complete and tamper-proof audit trail. In the event of an audit, reports and invoice histories can be generated in seconds—no more digging through filing cabinets or scattered email threads.

Secondary Benefits That Make AP the Ideal Starting Point

Beyond solving immediate pain points, AP automation also supports wider business goals that make it an ideal first use case for AI and automation:

The First Entry Point of Automation and AI. Because AP processes follow repeatable patterns, they’re perfectly suited for early-stage automation and AI. Intelligent data extraction, machine learning for invoice classification, and predictive analytics all thrive in this environment.
Drive Business-Wide Efficiency. Automating AP often reveals process inefficiencies in other areas—procurement, finance, even HR. It sets the stage for broader digital transformation and builds internal confidence in automation tools.
Real-Time Data, Zero Mistakes. Automation reduces human error and provides live data on payment status, liabilities, and cash flow. Executives gain better control over financial decisions, and team members work with confidence knowing the data is up to date and accurate.
Time and Money Saved Through Efficiency. Less time spent chasing invoices and reconciling payments = more time for strategic work. The ROI of AP automation is often felt within the first few months of implementation.
Improved Data Access, Storage, Security, and Visibility. Cloud-based AP systems offer centralised access to invoices and related documents, all stored securely with backup and encryption. No more lost paperwork or siloed data.

It’s time to stop drowning in spreadsheets and start building a future-ready finance function.

The statistics are clear: when your teams are spending 10 hours a week just looking for information, productivity suffers, collaboration breaks down, and opportunities are lost.

Automating Accounts Payable is a simple but high-impact way to reverse that trend—and set the stage for a smarter, faster, more connected business.

Ready to Take the First Step?

If you’re ready to reclaim lost time, cut unnecessary costs, and build a more agile business – start with AP automation.

👉 Book a free consultation with our team today and discover how you can modernise your finance operations without disrupting your business.

To learn more about RBC’s Automation Solutions visit here.

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Why Automating Accounts Payable Should Be Your First Step Toward Business Efficiency

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