Tips for Presenting an Invoice Automation Business Case

Tell an accounts payable (AP) professional that there must be a better, more efficient way to get their job done, and they will most likely reply with “Tell us something we don’t know”. Manual processes or partial automation cause daily frustrations and delays, particularly with hybrid working in the mix, but senior business leaders can be slow to give the green light and transition to full AP automation.

The good news is most AP departments have moved away from paper-only processes. The not so good is that many leaders don’t understand the difference between digitising some processes, and full automation – even though moving from the first to the second could greatly impact efficiency and growth across the business.

So, what does automated invoice processing look like? With the ability to access near real-time data through the cloud, it makes sense in today’s world that’s how it would work, so why do some leaders need convincing? Resistance to change is often down to the fear of risk. Senior leadership look at online banking, payment processes and spreadsheets, thinking “These are online, so we are digital and it works well enough”, but those are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Your best tool to build allies within your organisation is a business case which scratches below the surface to reveal their specific pain points and outline how automation can help. Consider each of the stakeholders’ motivations and business objectives, breaking down the AP automation business case into arguments targeting:

• AP personnel who process invoices and reconcile budgets
• The IT department who manages and computes all the data
• The senior executives who need to understand the big picture

Drawing out the key concerns of each of these groups will give you the internal champions you need to help gain buy-in from those who make the final decisions.

So, what should be included in a business case for each of these stakeholders?

How to Build a Business Case for AP Automation 

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The Bottom Line – Start with Finance

The AP team are all about speed of payment, visibility into spend and securing early payment discounts. Naturally, they will be receptive to anything that pulls together fragmented processes, creating effortless, connected and transparent workflows.

Focus your business case on the benefits of automated invoice management that creates a complete view of employee and supplier spend data, including purchase orders, e-invoices, p-card spending and supplier networks. SAP Concur solutions scan and verify invoices using Optimal Character Recognition (OCR) technology, so employees don’t have to. Employees can easily locate supplier invoices and expenses in the workflow and, by doing this, they can make timely payments as well as capture early payment discounts and better rates. 

With automation, the AP team can ensure managers review invoices before approving them. The creation and management of spend policies becomes easier, which boosts compliance. On a broader business level, emphasising automated invoice management helps control costs and supports additional revenue growth.

Drill Down to Data with IT

IT teams are typically juggling many demands at once, whilst balancing resources and budgets – so make sure your business case cuts to the chase. Focus on the ease of integration, available support and the short implementation times associated with cloud-based invoice management solutions, such as Concur Invoice (which includes upgrades and updates and data integrations at no additional cost). With data security posing a constant challenge for IT, the fact that SAP Concur solutions provide secure hosting facilities and audits is a winning argument. End-user training, resources and administration are also included. 

If they push back arguing “It’s not the right time for change”, then remind them there is never a good time for change, but continuing with disjointed invoice processes increases the risk of non-compliance with data privacy regulations. 

Get Strategic with Senior Leaders

You’re now ready to collate the positive feedback from the finance and IT teams. Draw up a bird’s eye view for your senior leadership, detailing the benefits of automation ensuring to focuse on total value, ROI and KPIs. Aligning all the key points with your organisation’s core objectives is the best route to take. For senior leaders,  the greatest attraction will be that a fully automated invoice management platform pulls together all the invoice data into one place so they can route, approve and get it paid – fast. Strategically, it means the business can discover new opportunities, increasing buying power through better data visibility, and significantly tighten up on spend control and compliance.

Timely and accurate reporting for accruals and cash flow enables leaders to make the right decisions for their business. Finally, when manual processes are replaced with automation, employee satisfaction increases – a key driver for leaders battling employee acquisition and retention.

How SAP Concur Solutions Can Help

Once the invoice automation business case is ready, you can back it up with a demo of Concur Invoice. Seeing invoice automation in action will drive home how a cloud-based mobile app can help streamline invoice management processes, make employees happier, and provide the insight required to make informed decisions about both spending and spend policy across every corner of their business.

To find out more about how to build a business case for automated invoice management, read the eBook: How to Build a Business Case for AP Automation