In my book, The 8 Pitfalls of Accounts Payable Automation, I discuss that the process from decision, purchase, and implementation to go-live is like a roller coaster ride. In the same spirit of the article, there are 5 ups and downs that you may experience while going through the AP automation change.
Ups and Downs
Up 1 – I have found that people are naturally excited about making the decision to automate their AP process. There is a certain amount of back-patting and high-fiving. At this point, you tell me how your are so happy with your decision and how much you appreciate my help. You may even ask me if I am a sports fan because you have some tickets to give away.
Down 1 – Then, the first time you see the contract, you are hit by the fact that what you are about to do is going to be a permanent change. You might not return my calls or emails so quickly, and you start questioning our relationship.
Up 2 – Once the contract has been agreed to and you are happy with the terms, you get a feeling that you are doing the right thing and are excited to get started. You and I once again are friends and you ask me how my kids are…
Down 2 – As the project gets scoped and you start to understand the work ahead of you, you come to a personal understanding that you have taken on another project on top of your current workload and you could care less how my kids are doing….
Up 3 – As you forget your former life and settle into a new normal, your paperless life starts to take shape. You are now understanding your codes, your environment, your approval processes and it is awesome!
Down 3 – With all of the planning and testing approaching an end, the next phase hits you like 10,000 lost invoices…you now have to introduce this to the end-users. Yep– those people who think invoices and their approvals can be done “when there is time” not because it is a financial obligation to the company. You and I now have meetings off site at a bar (I pay of course).
Up 4 – The first training class is upon you and guess what? It is not that bad! After some anxiousness, the initial group is warming up nicely and seeing the benefits of AP automation for themselves. Yea! You and I go back to the bar to celebrate (I still pay).
Down 4 – There are so many questions. You can’t believe that these people even took the training. Not just the internal users, but questions from leadership and vendors as well. Oh why did you ever do this? You and I are good, because my work is over, but you can’t even remember what life was like back when you used to be able to find peace and quiet.
Up 5 – Now 60 days after go-live. No calls or questions, the paper is gone, everyone is working well with the system and you have achieved your goal. You get a call from to me see how everything was going. We talk about how you cannot believe how much you stressed out during the process and that the pain in change doesn’t feel so bad. Overall, you are very pleased with the process and outcome.
Down 5 –I say great…“What do you think about Automating AR?” – Click. Hello? Hello?
Considering automating your AP process? Download my eBook on 15 Pieces of Terrible AP Automation Advice.
About AvidXchange
AvidXchange is an industry-leading, SaaS based AP and Payment Automation solution provider located in Charlotte, NC. AvidXchange has been helping companies eliminate 100% of paper invoices and paper checks from their AP process since 2000 creating more efficient and scalable processes for their customers. AvidXchange is integrated with Dynamics AX, GP, SL, and NAV.
See why over 450 companies chose AvidXchange to automate their AP process.
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