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Accounts payable (AP) automation has become an essential tool for modern finance teams. By replacing manual AP processes with automated solutions, organizations aim to gain cost savings, efficiency, and real-time visibility across financial processes.
However, many businesses encounter recurring AP automation challenges that prevent them from realizing the full value of their investments. We’ve compiled a list of the top automation issues our clients face in their AP departments. Let’s take a look at the accounts payable automation solutions that are most effective at addressing them.
The first mistake organizations make is trying to automate broken processes. Too often, AP teams rush to deploy software without asking if the underlying workflows even make sense. That means bottlenecks, outdated approval chains, or redundant steps don’t disappear; they just happen more quickly.
Chuck Hagood, Executive Vice President at Illumis Global, put it best: “People often think that automation and technology will automatically make things better. But if you’re not careful, it can just make things faster. You make the same mistakes you’ve always made; you just do it at a more rapid pace.
Even the best AP automation software can’t function properly without clean, reliable vendor data. And when it comes to automating accounts payable, the vendor master file is often the weakest link.
Many companies have duplicate supplier records, outdated payment terms, or missing tax IDs in their vendor database. Once automation kicks in, it only amplifies these issues. The system may choose the wrong vendor record, apply the wrong payment terms, or route invoices incorrectly — all without alerting the user.
Most AP automation tools are built to process routine transactions quickly and consistently. But when something falls outside the expected pattern, many systems don’t know what to do next. This could include things like a missing PO, an invoice with mismatched amounts, or a supplier billing in a new currency. These exceptions often get flagged, but not resolved.
Without the right logic and escalation paths, exception queues become digital purgatory. Invoices stall. Teams spend hours chasing down approvals or clarifying mismatches. And because exceptions require manual review, they tend to pile up, undermining the very efficiency automation promised in the first place.
At Illumis Global, we’ve spent nearly three decades helping premier global organizations overcome these exact AP automation challenges. Our experience with AP recovery audits, business intelligence tools, and supply chain consulting gives us a front-row seat to how companies stumble; and more importantly, how they thrive when AP automation is done right.
AP teams count on us because we count on people. Our team understands supplier behavior and can solve problems that software alone cannot. Combined with IQ technology and global reach across 175+ countries, we deliver clarity, control, and confidence.
Ready to start turning technology into a true driver of profit recovery and growth? Contact Illumis Global today.
Working for Illumis for 21 years, Brush has been instrumental in the growth of the company. Brush served as Vice President at Illumis before stepping into the role of President / CEO and has been involved in all aspects of the company’s business throughout his career.
Brush’s approach to his role centers on the motto of Illumis, Bright Ideas for Better Profits. Known for his loyalty, team building, and tough but fair expectations, he empowers employees to deliver, therefore fostering a company culture that ensures customers can count on people.