As a CFO, controller, or AP manager, you may be reluctant to convert to AP automation due to how your staff will react. When faced with change, many employees are resistant if they feel their job security is impacted.
Approaching the AP automation process with a sense of curiosity about what other benefits it can bring to the workplace is the key for a CFO, controller, or AP manager getting the buy-in from their AP team. Once your employees understand how AP automation will make their life easier, you’ll have more support behind you during implementation.
Cross Training Opportunities
More than 50 percent of employees surveyed estimated they could save over 200 hours a year if management integrated automation into their position (2). This is time they could be using for professional development or taking on more advanced AP tasks, freeing up additional time for their AP manager, controller, and CFO (3).
Outdated data entry practices fail to capitalize on employees’ underlying talents and strengths (3). However, offering the opportunity for employees to expand their knowledge through cross-training uncovers additional areas where your team can assist the accounting department.
Specialized skills equal more pay across the board and make employees more marketable when applying for internal job openings (1). Encouraging staff to cross-train allows them a chance to suggest ways to improve current processes.
Broader Coverage for Time Off
If you’re running a leanly-staffed department, it can be frustrating for team members to have their vacation plans dashed because of inadequate task coverage.
Once you unleash AP automation, it becomes easier for staff to cover for people who are out of the office. They do not have to oversee the entire invoice life cycle but rather check in at various points, like when an exception is identified.
The time saved with AP automation also means that team members can attend conferences or off-site training without needing to stay late to make up for being out of the office.
Additionally, AP automation allows controllers and AP managers to distribute tasks more evenly across their AP team. This helps when experiencing employee turnover or a shortage of qualified candidates in the workforce to fill an open position (4).
Decreased Audit Anxiety
Audit season is the time of year when the CFO, controller, and AP manager have to control their stress and keep their team calm. Never knowing what samples auditors will request sets the AP team on edge and leads to some snappy accounting professionals.
AP automation takes that anxiety down several notches. Yes, samples will still need to be pulled, but the overall nervousness about whether every letter was dotted and crossed is lifted. AP automation data capturing is infinitely more accurate than human data entry.
Better accuracy equals fewer questions from the auditors, which results in a very happy AP team, CFO, controller, and AP manager.
Many staff members fear automation will negate the need to clock in at all, but the biggest obstacle for a CFO, controller, or AP manager is to help them realize that AP automation offers much more freedom.
Perhaps the best strategy for pushing AP automation is to remind the AP team that this new process isn’t taking anything away from their job; it is freeing up time for professional development by eliminating outdated manual tasks (4).
Schedule a demo today to learn how AP automation can become a welcome new addition to your AP team.
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