Viewing Capabilities Benefit Suppliers Too
Keeping your suppliers happy is easier than ever with accounts payable invoicing automation (APIA). The reason is simple: your suppliers enjoy far fewer headaches and get paid faster. Part of what makes this possible is the viewing capabilities that come with an advanced APIA platform. This type of high-level solution includes a supplier portal that allows suppliers to see what is happening with their invoice in real time. No longer does the supplier have to pick up the phone and call for a status – it’s right there on their computer screen.
If there’s a problem, such as a coding error, it will be picked up that much faster. If an approval is being held up because of an issue only the supplier can address, it can be resolved immediately with a few keystrokes and clicks. All of this is made possible by the convenience of real-time access, anywhere.
The accounts payable job is easier, too. Viewing capabilities allow personnel to go into the account and see the same thing the supplier is seeing. If necessary, the procuring department or authorizing manager can jump in, too – whoever is needed to answer questions.
Suppliers love the fact that their invoices get paid much faster with AP automation, but just as important, they feel plugged into the process rather than left in the dark, wondering what’s going on. It’s no wonder that viewing capability is one of the most popular features with suppliers. Just as popular is the fact that companies like iPayables don’t charge suppliers a fee.
The supplier portal, and the visibility it provides, is one of the main reasons APIA can open the door to dynamic discounting that AP departments could only dream of before. Knowledge is power, as they say, and APIA makes exchange of information lightning fast compared to how things were done with the old paper invoicing system. Since the workflow speeds up exponentially, the invoicing process takes days instead of weeks. Your AP department can then leverage this speed to negotiate savings.
So, you can stop worrying about how to approach your suppliers about your new E-invoicing platform. When they realize what it can do for them, at no cost, they will look forward to making the change.