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- Accounts Payable Automation
- Who it's for
- Services and project spend
Services and project spend
Service and project spending often needs a clear non-PO route alongside purchase-order-backed work. The AP team must know what was requested, who can accept the charge and how the expense should be attributed. Accounts Payable Automation supports that invoice decision and payment process without taking over project delivery or the connected general ledger.
How Accounts Payable Automation is set up for you
Non-PO evidence
A permitted service invoice uses the applicable approval matrix and supporting documents. An empty purchase-order reference does not automatically make the invoice acceptable. Retain the reason for its route and the scope of the deciding person.
Department and project coding
Keep the bill-line account hints, department and project codes visible for review. A correct supplier total can still be charged to the wrong project; the reviewer needs the allocation detail before authorizing the obligation.
Approval boundaries
An Approver sees own-scope bills, while AP Manager and Controller / CFO handle their configured tiers. Forwarding an email does not transfer financial authority. Record delegation and the actual actor on the decision path.
Subcontractor handoff
Approved payment applications arrive with a stable source reference. Preserve the upstream result while retaining AP’s own payment controls. Declare the filing owner for that payment population so separate applications do not create competing year-end submissions.
Features to start with
Roles on the team
- AP Manager
- Owns the AP function end-to-end. Runs the weekly payment cycle, manages Vendor relationships, tracks Disputes through to resolution, owns the year-end 1099 file readiness. The named approver in mid-tier bill bands.
- AP Clerk
- Operational role — the day-to-day Bills processor. Captures / keys / OCRs vendor invoices, runs three-way match, prepares payment run items for AP Manager review.
- Approver
- Line-of-business approver — typically a Department head or Project lead. Approves Bills against own cost-center per the bill approval matrix tier band that maps to the Approver role. Sees own department / project bills only.
Set up Accounts Payable Automation your way.
Start free, then use Proto to change fields, steps and approvals before your team goes live.