AP departments need a better way of processing incoming requests and documents from suppliers. Incoming supplier emails must be understood and appropriately processed – a seemingly simple but in fact complex task. In most organizations that task is too labor-intensive, too time-consuming, too error-prone, and too expensive, and it can be frustrating for suppliers. An AP Inbox solution automates the processing of incoming supplier emails and radically improves financial management and supplier communications.
What is an AP Inbox?
An AP Inbox is an automated solution that streamlines the processing of incoming supplier emails and documents for Accounts Payable (AP) departments. By leveraging AI and integration with ERP systems, an AP Inbox automates tasks such as invoice triaging, data extraction, and communication with suppliers. This automation reduces manual effort, errors, and processing time, enhancing overall efficiency in AP teams.
Benefits of an AP Inbox
An effective AP Inbox automation is an intelligent automation solution that leverages AI, business rule automation and ERP integration to:
- Eliminate manual effort
- Streamline AP workflows
- Reduce exception management
- Cut time from AP processing
- Prevent fraud
- Increase transparency
- Improve supplier communications
Most organizations don’t yet have good AP Inbox automation and are missing out on these benefits. So, what do you need to automate your AP Inbox and reap the rewards?
Required Capabilities of an AP Inbox
Simply put, the challenge is to automate the tasks that currently require human intervention when a supplier email arrives. These include: understanding the supplier email; deciding what next step is required; triaging the request to engage the right team; submitting invoices for approval and ERP processing; checking against ERP or other systems to understand status; driving the right workflow; and responding to the supplier with an appropriate message.
Outlined below are the capabilities that experience tells us an intelligent AP Inbox requires.
Advanced Email Routing and Prioritization
- Intelligent routing to appropriate work queues based on multiple business rules and NLP analysis.
- Business rules need to configurable based on keywords, sender email address, subject lines, urgency, and other criteria.
- Prioritization of emails should be feasible based on urgency and importance so that critical emails are addressed promptly.
NLP-Powered Content Analysis
- Exploit Natural Language Processing to analyze email content and understand intent, sentiment, urgency, and other relevant factors.
- Filter and sort emails according to customizable rules based on keywords, sender email addresses, subject lines, and other criteria.
Automated ERP and AP System Integration
- Identify and process multiple document types (Invoices, Purchase Orders, etc.), including data extraction and entry.
- Integrate to ERPs and AP systems to support duplicate invoice and special handling checks, and create automated responses to submitters.
- Integrate with ERPs to check for duplicate invoices by comparing multiple data elements such as invoice number, date, amount, vendor, description, and facility.
Automated Communications and Error Handling
- Automate responses for status updates, errors, and specific instructions (e.g., submission guidelines, address changes).
- Handle illegible invoices, password-protected attachments, and emails without proper attachments or with links.
Invoice and AI-driven Document Automation
- Split invoices/documents while preserving the original email context.
- Leverage AI to improve document processing accuracy over time by learning from any required manual intervention.
Seamless Attachment and File Handling
- Handle email attachments without constraint on file size.
- Convert document types if necessary and process multiple attachments in a single email.
- Copy emails with multiple attachments and ensure each attachment is processed individually.
Vendor and Supplier Site Verification
- Automate verification and creation of supplier sites in ERPs or AP systems.
- Route emails to specific teams for site changes or additions, and systemic checks for vendor additions and processing.
Collaboration and Exception Handling with SLAs and Visibility
- Support collaboration and tracking of exceptions with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure timely resolution.
- Provide visibility into email processing stages to ensure no emails are missed and that all actions are completed within required timeframes.
Machine Learning and Generative AI for Auto-Routing
- Utilize Machine Learning algorithms to improve the accuracy and efficiency of email routing over time.
- Implement Generative AI to predict and automate routing decisions based on historical data and patterns, continuously enhancing system performance.
Transform your AP Department with an AP Inbox
Incorporating an AP Inbox into your Accounts Payable (AP) processes can revolutionize the way your organization handles invoices and supplier communications. By reducing manual effort, minimizing errors, and speeding up processing times, your AP team can shift focus to more strategic tasks that drive value for your organization. The improved accuracy and transparency provided by an AP Inbox not only enhance internal workflows but also strengthen relationships with your suppliers through timely and precise communication.
Deliver AP Inbox with Ondox
Embrace the future of accounts payable with our Ondox solution. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you streamline your AP processes, reduce costs, and boost overall efficiency. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your AP department and achieve greater financial control and visibility.
