Growth and Optimization
Smarter AP Automation Starts Here: A Practical Guide for Finance Leaders in Canada
Is your accounts payable (AP) process helping your business grow or holding it back? Whether you're managing invoices for a growing team or navigating complex multi-entity approvals, manual AP systems simply can’t keep up. That’s where automation comes in. But with so many solutions on the market, how do you find the right fit for your business?
This quick guide will help finance leaders across small, medium, and large businesses in Canada ask the right questions, avoid costly missteps, and confidently move toward the right AP automation solution.
Why AP automation is no longer optional
Manual AP processes are slow, error-prone, and lack visibility. They create bottlenecks and frustrate everyone, from finance teams chasing paper trails to executives needing accurate cash flow forecasts. Automation doesn’t just fix these issues, it transforms AP into a strategic advantage.
Top-performing finance teams are already using automation to:
- Reduce processing costs and payment errors
- Improve supplier relationships through faster approvals
- Gain real-time insights into spend
- Ensure compliance and reduce fraud risk
If your current AP process can’t deliver on those, it’s time to re-evaluate.
Accounts Payable Automation: A Buyer's Guide
Before AP automation:
- 44% of businesses find it difficult to track spending trends and behaviours
- 43% lack well defined and easy to follow expense and invoice policies
- 13 hours spend processing vendor invoices each week
After AP automation:
- 22% reduction in misplaced invoices
- $44K in estimated annual cost savings after implementing vendor invoice management solutions
- 12 hours saved per week in processing invoices
What you really need from an AP automation solution
Choosing the right AP system isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about finding a solution that scales with your business and supports your unique workflows. Here are just a few of the key criteria finance leaders should consider:
- End-to-end automation: from invoice capture to payment and reconciliation
- Integration with your existing ERP or finance system
- Scalability for multi-entity or global operations
- Customizable approval workflows
- Visibility and control at every step
The right solution should adapt to your business, not the other way around.
Tailored to your size, industry, and growth plans
Whether you're a small or medium sized business business trying to break free from paper-based invoicing or a large enterprise dealing with complex compliance and global operations, the right automation solution can:
- Give small businesses time back to focus on growth
- Help mid-sized companies streamline operations and stay agile
- Enable enterprises to unify processes and gain actionable insights across regions
Don’t buy blind: Ask these 5 questions first
Before signing off on any solution, make sure you're asking the questions that matter, like:
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Can it scale as we grow?
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How easily will it integrate with our current systems?
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What kind of support and implementation help is provided?
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How will it improve visibility and compliance?
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Can we customize workflows based on our approval structure?
Want the Full Checklist?
We’ve created an AP Automation Buyer’s Guide tailored for Canadian finance leaders. It includes:
- A step-by-step decision-making framework
- Key features to compare across vendors
- Must-ask questions to avoid hidden costs
- Tips to align IT, procurement, and finance stakeholders
Ready to take the guesswork out of AP automation?
Download the full AP Automation Buyer’s Guide now
