PO Match in Accounts Payable Automation
Companies and accounts payable departments that rely on purchase orders to verify invoice and payment information have often been disappointed when automation solutions don’t automatically match an invoice to a purchase order. This often happens because solutions are focused on the capture portion of the invoicing process, not the process as a whole. PO match in accounts payable automation is successful when the automation solution automates the full process, from invoice submission through approval and payment. This is most successful when suppliers are directly involved in the process via a supplier portal, but can be done without.
By integrating with your purchasing system, AP automation can deliver purchase orders electronically to suppliers, who can view and acknowledge the request. Once stored electronically in the solution-provided system, the PO is flipped into an invoice with the simple click of the mouse. Then, with enterprise-level automation, you should have two- and three-way match functionality based on validations provided by your company. PO flip and PO match in accounts payable automation decreases time, money, and effort that used to come as a result of manual checking and exceptions. Additionally, because it is all done electronically, purchase order flipping and matching happens in real time. This enables your department to process invoices quicker and increase your opportunities for discount capture.
Purchase orders are not uncommon in the invoicing process. In fact, depending on what industry you’re in, it may seem unreal to think of placing orders without the use of a PO. Because of how common they are, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a high-level automation solution that can accommodate the need to match purchase orders, or simplify your process by flipping POs into invoices. So, if you rely on purchase orders, don’t settle. Ask for PO match in accounts payable automation so that your process truly is automated, from start-to-finish.