Daily tasks like invoice processing, payment, and reconciliation keep things running smoothly. It’s time to take your QuickBooks AP workflow to the next level. With ProcureDesk’s AP automation software, your master data—such as GL accounts, suppliers, and payment terms—are automatically synced with QuickBooks Online. This ensures consistency across systems, reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors. Any updates to GL accounts, supplier details, or payment terms made in QuickBooks are reflected instantly, keeping your systems aligned.

Finance teams and management can monitor cash flow, analyze spending trends, and ensure adherence to budget policies. The Workflow menus in QuickBooks Online Advanced let users create automated workflows and reminders for either customers or your company’s team members. Other standard QuickBooks Online Advanced workflows apply to customer invoices and their approval process. Instead, consider using third-party add-on AP automation software integrated with QuickBooks Online. AP automation software already includes robust role-based supplier invoice approval processes. It gives approvers access to online invoices and matching receiving reports and purchase orders (if a PO is used for the purchase).

We provide a seamless integration with QuickBooks Desktop and Online for AP and payment automation. This allows companies to incorporate an easier, faster and more secure way to process invoices and make payments. Get started with Ramp Bill Pay to complement your QuickBooks accounts payable processes for smarter, better AP management. By using Ramp AP automation software with QuickBooks, Bubble transformed its financial processes, achieving greater efficiency, improved accuracy, and substantial cost savings. Bubble, a bootstrapped software company, faced fragmented financial processes that complicated reporting and GAAP compliance.

Next, we’ll look more closely at the manual data entry and upload bill workflows. An inefficient accounts payable process can cost $1000s in lost productivity & blunders like paying duplicate invoices. If you use QuickBooks Online, you know how important it is to stay on top of your bills and invoices. But manually entering and paying each bill can be time-consuming and error-prone.

The lack of built-in approval workflows presents another critical challenge that many businesses underestimate. QuickBooks Desktop versions, except Enterprise Platinum and Diamond editions, lack any form of automated approval routing. QuickBooks Online fares slightly better, but only the Advanced version offers custom workflows—and even these remain limited compared to dedicated AP automation solutions. Stampli is for larger AP teams that are serious about processing invoices with quick turnaround times.

• By clicking on Reports and scrolling down to “What You Owe”, you can run an Accounts Payable Aging Summary report and see total balances for current and late payments.
• Categorize each line item by selecting the appropriate expense account under the Category dropdown and then write in the line item descriptions from the supplier invoice.
• These limitations explain why most growing businesses eventually adopt third-party solutions that integrate with QuickBooks while providing enterprise-grade automation capabilities.
• By 2030, industry experts predict fully autonomous AP departments where human intervention focuses exclusively on relationship management and strategic decision-making.

Six-month implementation timeline

To set up a good system, you need careful planning and several important parts that work together. Businesses using manual accounts payable processes in QuickBooks face escalating operational burdens that extend far beyond simple inefficiency. Manual data entry consumes 80% of payables workload, creating bottlenecks that ripple through entire financial operations. As a result, Affinity Dental improved efficiency, reduced manual data entry, and generated new revenue through cash-back rebates. The AP automation solution empowered the organization to better manage their business’s financial processes and support ongoing growth and excellence in dental services. QuickBooks lacks integrated support for handling both domestic and international payments seamlessly.

Their cloud-based software can scale from processing hundreds of invoices per month to thousands. An 80% reduction in cost is promised by reducing paper invoices and automating the payable workflow. You can maintain complete visibility and control over your AP processes. Without automated bill capturing offered in QuickBooks, AP teams spend countless hours completing mundane and tedious tasks.

An Overview of the AP Workflow in QuickBooks

Exceptions, or errors increase as the amount of human intervention increased. In the case of accounts payable, these errors can cause a wide range of worries – payment without delivery, double payments, fraudulent purchases, etc. A recent report by Ardent partners quotes nearly 50% accounting professionals stating that this is a major problem, and one that can largely be solved with accounts payable automation.

Labor cost savings alone range from $35,000 to $42,000 annually by avoiding additional AP hires. Processing times plummet from an average of 8 days to just 3 days, while month-end close periods shorten by up to 20 days. Create comprehensive training programs tailored to different user roles. Approvers need different training than AP processors, who require different skills than finance managers. QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, specifically the Platinum and Diamond editions, offers native approval capabilities through a different approach. You’ll be able to get everything squared up for payment in a very short time.

Payment to the vendor

We also have an incredible amount of reporting for our AP department that wasn’t available through our last program…. In this article, we’ll help you understand how to use the four core QuickBooks Online accounts payable workflows to optimize your accounts payable process. We’ll explore each workflow and look at the obstacles and pain points other businesses encounter when using it. We’ll also discuss how an integrated AP automation solution may be a better fit for your business. After reading, you’ll be able to plan the best path for your business to save time and money, prevent errors and fraud, and optimize cash flow management by streamlining AP processes.

• QuickBooks doesn’t provide AP automation in-house, but it offers an upgrade to some third-party apps that provide AP automation.
• Small to medium businesses need accounts payable automation software that’s affordable and functional.
• Invoice automation in QuickBooks eliminates the need for manual data entry, reduces errors, and saves time, thus enhancing efficiency and accuracy in managing payable accounts.
• Automating AP includes an electronic push approval workflow with PDF documents attached.
• Use either efficient large batch electronic payment processing or on-demand electronic cash disbursement.

Step 3: Automated Approval Workflows

Discover how our solution can revolutionize your purchase-to-pay process. This minimizes errors, improves visibility, and saves time by automating repetitive tasks that QuickBooks alone cannot handle. Stampli is simply the best and easiest way to optimize accounts payable in QuickBooks today. Stampli has “revolutionized my job,” says one AP coordinator, saying it “has taken away the arduous task of sending e-mails for approvals. It’s very easy to fix coding issues and then it syncs easily into QuickBooks.

It’s easier accounts payable automation quickbooks to search, takes less space, and can be backed up to prevent losing data. Many accounting software solutions have built-in tools for managing accounts payable records. Accounts payable automation accelerates approvals, improves accuracy, and lets your team focus on strategy instead of tedious data entry. With fewer errors, faster approvals, and more discounts captured, the best accounts payable automation software pays for itself, often within months of implementation.

After you upload the invoice file, QuickBooks will scan and code the invoice data and create a bill. To verify the bill or make a payment, navigate to the For review tab, then find and open the bill. Once payment is issued in your accounting system (QuickBooks Online or Desktop), the payment status is synced into ProcureDesk. You don’t have to chase down or constantly remind users that approvals are needed. Streamline your accounts payable workflow effortlessly (without granting QuickBooks access to your team). QuickBooks is accounting software owned by Intuit, with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop product lines.

Key Points to Remember

AP automation uses data science AI and ML rules or algorithms to validate suppliers and invoices. Robotic process automation (RPA) automates routine AP workflow processes. Automation effectively handles the approval process by approver level and responsibility. AP automation can efficiently code and batch-process supplier invoice payments or other business payments. Payment automation can also generate employee expense reimbursement payments, global mass payments, and other cash disbursements (bill pay).

Automation costs more upfront but saves money long-term through fewer errors and faster processing. In this guide, we’ve shown that accounts payable is a liability. Managing this well is key for good cash flow and strong vendor ties.

Businesses can run other accounts payable and cash flow reports. QuickBooks Online support details steps for bill payments to a vendor using Online Bill Pay. Anyone would want a complete experience and not a partial experience. Plooto, cloud-based accounts payable and accounts receivable solution, offer complete two-way sync with QuickBooks. If you are an accountant or bookkeeper, you can learn “Why You Should Start Selling AP and AR Services to Your Clients” as well. You can signup for a separate Melio account for free to integrate with QBO.