Streamlining accounts payable is usually approached as a purchase, and the changes that return the most per unit of effort cost nothing. That is not a rhetorical point. In a small finance team the largest single source of wasted time is invoices going backwards, and most of the reasons they go backwards are addressed by decisions rather than by tools: a single arrival address, a written no-order rule, a published approver map, coding at entry, and a visible unapproved list. This page is those five, why each one works, and what to do after them, because at some point the free changes are exhausted and the next step does cost money.
The three that stop invoices going backwards
One arrival address, so nothing sits in a personal mailbox. A written rule for invoices with no order, which is the commonest reason an invoice stalls. And a published approver map with named alternates, which is the second.
The two that shorten the route
Coding at entry while the document is in front of somebody, rather than later from a supplier name. And a visible unapproved list as the cut-off approaches, which does more chasing than a person can and does it without anyone feeling chased.
What comes after the free changes
Capture, then matching, then routing. On the worked example on this site, 400 invoices at three touches of six minutes with a 12% exception rate is 134.4 hours a month: $4,300.80 at a $32 loaded rate, $10.75 an invoice and $51,609.60 a year. The free changes typically address the exception and rework portion; the paid ones address the routine portion. Doing them in that order means the paid stage is sized correctly.
Questions people ask about streamline accounts payable
How much can the free changes save?
Enough to be worth a fortnight's attention, and we will not quote a percentage. Measure your route before and after with the free worksheet on this site and you will have your own figure.
Which one first?
The single arrival address, because everything else depends on invoices being in one place. It is also the easiest to do in an afternoon.
Do these still help if we automate later?
They make automation cheaper and more effective, because you are automating a documented route rather than a habit.