Accounts payable may have once been seen as a back-office task — but in today’s environment, it’s quickly becoming a strategic priority. As finance teams face more pressure to do more with less, AP automation is gaining serious momentum in organizations of all sizes.
But what’s driving the shift? And why is automating AP no longer just a modern convenience — but a financial necessity?
Let’s break it down.
Why AP is at a breaking point
Traditional AP processes are heavily manual. Think: printing invoices, routing approvals over email, chasing down signatures, keying in payment data, mailing checks.
For years, this worked — but at a cost.
Manual AP creates bottlenecks, increases the risk of errors, and limits visibility into company spending. It’s also difficult to scale. As invoice volume grows or remote work becomes standard, manual processes start to break down.
At the same time, CFOs and controllers are being asked to improve cash flow, tighten compliance, and deliver real-time insights. It’s no wonder many finance teams are asking: Why are we still doing this by hand? According to Rillion’s 2025 State of Finance Automation Report, 90% of finance teams are still partially or significantly reliant on manual processes — which highlights just how much room there is for improvement.
Why the push for automation now?
The acceleration toward AP automation is about more than efficiency — it’s about control, agility, and better decision-making. Here’s what’s behind the growing shift:
1. Manual processes are expensive (in more ways than one)
Every extra touchpoint — data entry, paper routing, approval delays — costs time and money. Manual AP also leads to late payments, missed early-pay discounts, and strained vendor relationships.
Solutions like Rillion eliminate these touchpoints by automating invoice capture, coding, approval workflows, and even payment reconciliation. Teams using Rillion have reduced processing costs and boosted accuracy through AI-driven automation.
2. Finance leaders need visibility and accuracy
When invoices sit in someone’s inbox — or get approved over email — it’s hard to answer basic questions like:
- What do we owe right now?
- Are we paying duplicate invoices?
- Are we compliant with policies?
With real-time dashboards and audit trails, AP automation solutions like Rillion give finance leaders full visibility over their invoice lifecycle.
And the results are tangible: Rillion’s Finance Lab found teams using AI for invoice coding were up to 90% more accurate, freeing up AP teams to focus on high-value work.
3. Security and compliance are under the microscope
As fraud risks and compliance requirements increase, companies are rethinking how they manage financial data. Automation helps reduce risk through:
- Controlled workflows
- Approval hierarchies
- Built-in policy enforcement
- Digital audit trails
Rillion also supports fraud prevention with segregation of duties and secure payment tools — a growing priority, especially in a landscape where 78% of organizations have experienced attempted or actual payment fraud.
4. Teams want to focus on strategic work
Most AP professionals don’t want to spend their time printing invoices or chasing down approvers. With automation, they don’t have to. Instead of processing paper, teams can:
- Investigate exceptions
- Optimize payment timing
- Analyze vendor performance
- Support financial forecasting
Rillion customers report that their AP teams have reallocated time toward vendor relationship management and analytics thanks to automation.
5. Remote work and modern expectations have changed the game
Finance teams need tools that work wherever they do. That means cloud-based platforms, mobile-friendly approvals, and seamless ERP integrations. Rillion is designed for today’s remote work environments, enabling decentralized teams to collaborate easily while maintaining centralized control.
But what about the barriers?
Some companies hesitate to automate AP due to:
- Budget concerns
- Integration fears
- Internal resistance to change
Rillion’s Finance Lab reports that 29% of finance leaders cite budget as their top concern, with integration challenges close behind at 28%. But Rillion’s cloud-based solution offers a fast, low-lift implementation that fits within most IT ecosystems — typically going live in weeks.
The real risk isn’t in making the switch — it’s in waiting too long.
What’s next?
In 2025 and beyond, more organizations will move beyond basic digitization and embrace true end-to-end automation — from invoice capture and AI-powered coding to secure payments and reconciliation.
Rillion is at the forefront of this shift, helping over 3,000 companies streamline AP and payments globally. As Sam Stull, Rillion’s VP of Sales, puts it:
It’s not just about adopting tools — it’s about creating a mindset shift that empowers teams to lead with confidence.
Ready to take the next step? Check out Rillion’s AP automation 101: Fact or Fiction guide and see how you can unlock real value in 2025 and beyond.
