Should You Replace Your AP Automation Solution? 6 Signs It’s Time

Every accounts payable (AP) leader wants to achieve full automation.

You want straight-through invoice processing – not bottlenecks, manual touchpoints, approval chasing, or mountains of supplier emails. A fast and accurate process is the dream, yet for many AP leaders, it stays just that. Why?

Because while the desire for fully automated invoice processing is strong, the fear of change is stronger, so you end up telling yourself:

• “It kind of works.”
• “We don’t have time to switch systems.”
• “What if the new solution is worse?”
• “We’ll deal with it after the next acquisition.”
• “Let’s just get through this busy season.”

This dilemma is a classic case of what the book The JOLT Effect by Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna calls FOMU – Fear of Messing Up. FOMU causes most organizations to stall during the pursuit of better technology, even when they know what they have isn’t cutting it and is costing them.

This article will help you understand if it’s time to change your AP automation solution and, if so, why you should take your foot off the brakes now.

What Invoice Processing Looks Like for Most AP Departments Today

While some digital tools may be in place – and some may even promise to automate invoice processing, most AP teams still operate in a manual or semi-manual reality that creates frustration and inefficiency. In fact, according to the Institute of Financial Operations and Leadership (IFOL)’s 2025 Accounts Payable Automation Trends Report, 73% of AP teams are not fully automated, with 27% operating without any automation at all.

This means that most teams are facing these accounts payable challenges:

• Invoices that still arrive as paper or email attachments: Despite best efforts to go digital, many suppliers still send invoices via mail or PDF, requiring manual intake and scanning before processing can begin.
• Manual re-keying, even when OCR is used: Optical character recognition (OCR) is often inconsistent, requiring staff to double-check and re-enter key fields like invoice number, amount, and vendor name – wasting time and increasing the chance of errors.
• A lot of back-and-forth with purchasing when matching invoices to POs and proof of delivery: Without effective automation, staff must manually compare invoices to POs and receiving documents, often chasing down colleagues to confirm delivery or pricing discrepancies.
• Approval routing that depends on tribal knowledge, not business rules: Staff often know who usually approves certain invoices, but that knowledge isn’t encoded into a system. When someone is out or roles change, invoices sit and delays build up.
• Delayed, reactive, or nonexistent reporting: Without integrated analytics, teams struggle to track invoice cycle times, approval bottlenecks, and exceptions – leaving AP in a constant state of reaction.
• Inboxes flooded with supplier inquiries, adding even more work: When suppliers can’t access invoice statuses themselves, they reach out repeatedly for updates via phone or email. This pulls AP staff away from their core responsibilities and further slows the process.

6 Signs It’s Time to Rethink Your AP Automation Solution

Are you realizing you fall into the same bucket as “most AP teams,” but are still unsure if your struggles really warrant a change?

If these red flags sound familiar, your current solution is holding you back more than you think:

1. Your AP staff spends more time reacting to problems than preventing them: Constantly putting out fires leaves no time for process improvement, and morale suffers when teams are always behind.
2. You manually key more than 20% of invoice data: Manual data entry is a clear sign your system isn’t doing enough heavy lifting. It leads to errors that then lead to rework. This struggle is highlighted in the IFOL’s recent report, which states that the top two process challenges for AP teams are manual data entry and data errors.
3. Less than half of your invoices are automatically matched to POs or receipts: This gap results in delays and constant manual verification. As volumes grow, the problem only gets worse.
4. Invoices are frequently delayed because the right approver is hard to find: When routing depends on guesswork or emailing around for approvals, invoices get stuck, leading to missed early payment discounts and vendor frustration.
5. You lack real-time visibility into invoice statuses or KPIs: Without clear insight into your process, you can’t improve it. Blind spots make it impossible to manage performance or respond quickly to inquiries.
6. Supplier inquiries are still a daily distraction: If your AP inbox is clogged with “Where’s my payment?” messages, your system lacks self-service capabilities that save time and keep vendors informed.

What Full AP Automation Actually Looks Like

What do you do if some – or all – of those red flags strike a chord? Familiarize yourself with true accounts payable automation and how the right solution can deliver consistent, touchless efficiency across the entire invoice lifecycle.

Here’s an overview of what a full AP automation solution can do:

• AI-powered capture and classification of invoices from all sources: Artificial intelligence (AI) can instantly recognize and categorize invoices regardless of how they’re submitted – email, upload, electronic data interchange (EDI), or paper scan. This eliminates the need for manual sorting or guesswork, ensuring every invoice enters the process the right way.
• GL coding and exceptions resolution powered by intelligent automation: Rather than relying on human memory or spreadsheets, end-to-end invoice processing automation solutions apply business rules and learn from prior decisions to automate general ledger (GL) coding and resolve discrepancies. This speeds up processing and reduces errors.
• PO and delivery receipt matching with zero human touch: Invoices that match approved purchase orders (POs) and delivery confirmations can be auto processed without manual intervention. No more waiting for someone to verify line items or chase down packing slips.
• Business rule-based approval routing: Invoices are routed instantly to the right approver based on vendor, department, dollar value, or any other configurable logic. This avoids bottlenecks and removes the guesswork of who should approve what.
• Supplier self-service portals that eliminate most inquiries: Suppliers can check invoice and payment status themselves, update their information, and resolve issues without calling or emailing your team. This frees AP staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
• Real-time dashboards and alerts for complete process visibility: Live views into invoice status, bottlenecks, and key performance indicators (KPIs) help AP leaders take proactive control of performance. No more digging through spreadsheets or outdated reports.
• Audit trails and business intelligence tools at your fingertips: Every action is recorded, making audits painless and compliance easier. Built-in analytics help uncover trends, reduce risk, and drive continuous improvement.

With an AP automation solution with these features, you get an intelligent, straight-through process that runs smoothly, scales effortlessly, and delivers complete control without the chaos.

The Benefits of Upgrading Your AP Automation Solution

Switching to a new AP automation solution is a strategic investment – and when it’s built for straight-through processing, the return is fast, measurable, and transformative. Here are some key benefits you can achieve:

• Lower cost per invoice by eliminating manual intervention: Straight-through processing eliminates the need for human touchpoints by automating everything from intake to approval. This cuts processing costs dramatically – often by 60–80%.
• Faster invoice approvals and payments, improving vendor relationships: By automating approvals with business rules and intelligent routing, invoices move seamlessly through the process. That means fewer delays, more early payment discounts, and stronger supplier trust. Seventy-four percent of AP teams that leverage full AP automation report vendor satisfaction improvements.
• Stronger internal controls and fraud protection: With a straight-through process, compliance is built in. Automated matching, real-time audit trails, and reduced manual handling minimize payment fraud risk and eliminate duplicate payments.
• Happier staff, freed from repetitive, low-value tasks: Your team no longer has to waste time keying data, chasing approvers, or fielding supplier emails. Instead, they can focus on high-value activities that elevate the department and support organizational goals.
• Smarter decision-making with real-time, actionable insights: Straight-through processing delivers real-time dashboards and KPIs that provide full visibility into invoice status, bottlenecks, and team performance – enabling proactive management and continuous improvement.
• Scalability to handle future growth proactively: The right solutions flex with your business. Whether you’re navigating a merger, expanding internationally, or shifting more spend to POs, straight-through automation keeps AP flowing without disruption.

If you want real ROI, don’t just automate – optimize for straight-through, and watch your AP department become a strategic powerhouse.

Don’t Let Fear Win: Upgrade Your AP Automation Solution Today

Every AP leader wants to reach full automation, but not everyone gets there.

Forward-thinking AP leaders don’t let fear of change stop them. They recognize that sticking with a “kind of working” solution only guarantees “kind of okay” results.

You deserve better. Your team deserves better. Your organization deserves better.

When you’re ready to transition from “managing problems” to “driving performance,” MetaSource is here to help. Speak to one of our invoice processing experts today.

If you’re not quite ready to take that next step, check out our eBook on transforming your AP process. It was built to help you evaluate your current process, diving into key indicators that your process is outdated and providing valuable advice as well as success stories.