<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re going to automate, you best know the basics. With that in mind, here\u2019s a short explainer on the more salient points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, accounts payable (AP) automation refers to the use of technology to streamline and digitise the payables end of a company\u2019s finance operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, accounts payable processes have been manual and paper-intensive, involving physical invoices, data entry, approvals, check writing and a lot of man hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With automation the whole process is overhauled. Using software like Zahara, you can now digitise and streamline AP from top to bottom.<\/strong> Replacing the manual steps with digital workflows improves accuracy, efficiency, and visibility, among other benefits we\u2019ll get into below. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAP automation software captures invoice data digitally \u2013 often using OCR software<\/a> (optical character recognition) \u2013 and uses AI to read the information. It then routes the data through predefined approval workflows. Once approved, payments can be scheduled and executed automatically, with just a few clicks. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThis reduces the risk of human error, missed payments or fraud, and generally makes the process much smoother and simpler. <\/p>\n\n\n