AP automation in large enterprises: are you keeping up?
- Introduction
- The challenges of AP automation in large enterprises
- What is the state of AP automation in large enterprises today?
- How scalable AP automation drives enterprise efficiency
- The role of AI and analytics in AP automation
- AI-Driven Capabilities in AP Automation
- AP automation as a catalyst for enterprise-wide digital transformation
- The future of AP automation for large enterprises
- Medius is autonomous AP
Hear what's covered in this article:
Enterprise AP teams don’t just manage invoices—they navigate a maze of systems, regions, regulations, and approvals. The complexity of accounts payable at scale has long been a roadblock to efficiency, but it doesn’t have to be.
AP automation isn’t just about going digital—it’s about going autonomous (aka full autopilot). With AI doing the heavy lifting, finance teams get the control, visibility, and intelligence to keep things running like clockwork—no manual roadblocks, no sweat.
The challenges of AP automation in large enterprises
Enterprise companies face challenges that smaller businesses just don’t deal with. If your AP team is handling tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of invoices every month—across multiple subsidiaries, countries, and currencies—this might sound familiar:
Invoice overload
Buried in paperwork or stuck with an outdated AP system? This usually leads to delays, errors, and significant inefficiency.
Approval chaos
Multi-level approvals, endless back-and-forth, and teams spread out everywhere—it’s like herding cats, but with invoices.
Compliance hurdles
Keeping up with global tax laws and e‑invoicing mandates can feel like an impossible game of catch-up.
Fraud risks
Without solid controls, you’re opening the door to invoice scams, duplicate payments, and fake vendors slipping through the cracks.
What is the state of AP automation in large enterprises today?
The truth is, many businesses are dealing with these challenges every day, and traditional AP processes just can’t keep up anymore. These days, trying to stay on top of things—let alone scale—without an AI-powered AP automation solution is nearly impossible.
Automation has been part of AP for a while, but it’s come a long way in recent years thanks to big advances in AI. Tasks like invoice capture, invoice processing, and payment processing are now standard for automation. But today, you need more than that—you need compliance, fraud protection, and powerful data and analytics to stay ahead.
The State of ePayables 2024 report shows that 31 percent of AP teams were already using AI to tackle these challenges at the start of 2024, with another 45 percent planning to adopt it. By mid-2025, 77 percent expect to be on board. This trend highlights how AI is increasingly seen as the go-to solution for long-standing issues like manual bottlenecks, high invoice volumes, complex workflows, and security risks.
That said, adoption rates are lagging in organizations with a shared service center (SSC) model. By the end of 2024, only 14 percent were using AI, and nearly 41 percent admitted they had no plans to implement it.
So, while the benefits of automation for enterprises– especially AI-driving AP automation–are clear, many companies have room to improve.
How scalable AP automation drives enterprise efficiency
Modern enterprise AP automation software integrates seamlessly with your financial systems, making it easier for businesses to grow without drowning in manual processes. Here’s how automation makes it happen:
Speeding up invoice processing
Automated workflows can speed up invoice approvals from weeks to days—or even hours—making everything run more smoothly. For example, a large retailer handling 100,000 invoices a year can use AI automation to cut down on processing time and reduce manual effort, freeing up resources for more important tasks.
What does this mean?
By automating invoice processing, companies with complex PO invoices have increased touchless processing to 70 percent. This means faster approvals, quicker payments, and handling more invoices without extra staff.
Improving financial control and visibility
Automation brings all your invoice and payment data into one system in real-time, giving your team a clear view of spending and trends. This is a game-changer for companies with multiple subsidiaries. Take a global software provider, for example—their AP team used to track metrics manually across regions but switched to automation to cut down on errors, delays, and long approval times.
What does this look like?
Automation slashed approval times from six weeks to just two days. Plus, real-time dashboards now show spending patterns across departments, helping CFOs make data-driven, proactive decisions to optimize working capital or adjust budgets as needed.
Strengthening compliance and risk management
Staying compliant with regional tax laws and regulations can be overwhelming, especially for global businesses. According to the 2025 SSON report, nearly 29 percent of shared service teams report having no knowledge of e-invoicing mandates or CTC compliance. That’s alarming.
AP automation simplifies compliance with built-in features that automatically adjust to global tax requirements, like VAT or e-invoicing mandates. For instance, a multinational corporation can stay compliant with new tax laws without manual updates, reducing the risk of audits or penalties.
What’s the impact?
Automatic AP compliance updates that adapt to regional rules, cutting down on fines and fire drills and keeping businesses aligned with ever-changing regulations.
Building better supplier relationships
Automation ensures suppliers get paid on time, which improves trust and minimizes disputes or inquiries. A company managing hundreds of vendors can streamline communication, handle disputes effectively, and keep suppliers happy with accurate, timely payments.
How does this help?
A hefty reduction in supplier payment inquiries, stronger vendor relationships, and better opportunities for early payment discounts.
The role of AI and analytics in AP automation
AI adoption in SSCs might be moving slower, but its potential to transform AP is huge. The biggest pain points—like manual data entry, invoice delays, and fraud risks—are exactly where AI can make a real difference. Instead of viewing these as roadblocks, businesses should see them as opportunities to leverage AI for smarter, more efficient solutions.
It’s not just about swapping out manual tasks for digital workflows. It’s about using AI to make processes faster, more accurate, and insightful.
AI-Driven Capabilities in AP Automation
Automated invoice capture and matching:
AI uses tools like optical character recognition (OCR), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP) to capture data from invoices—no matter the format—and match it with purchase orders and receipts. This cuts down on errors and saves you from tedious manual work. The result? Faster approvals, fewer delays, and an easy way to stay on top of payment deadlines.
Fraud detection and risk prevention:
AI-powered machine learning helps finance teams spot and stop fraud by catching unusual transaction patterns. These tools continuously learn from data, flagging things like duplicate invoices or suspicious payments, making it easier to reduce fraud.
Smart payment scheduling:
AI-powered analytics help businesses save money and improve cash flow by timing payments better and making the most of early-payment discounts, giving a boost to cash flow savings.
Advanced reporting and forecasting:
Ardent Partners Pulse on B2B Payments report shows that lack of visibility into B2B payments is the third highest challenge for AP teams at 22 percent. Plus, 41 percent of teams plan to further prioritize improving reporting and analytics. Why? Because it's important.
AI connects with ERP systems, AP platforms, and payment networks to bring financial data together in real-time. NLP helps make sense of unstructured data—like invoice descriptions and emails—so reporting stays accurate. Meanwhile, ML looks at past AP data to spot any discrepancies.
With predictive capabilities, AI can create visual dashboards that provide real-time financial insights, making it easier for CFOs and AP teams to track key metrics, adjust strategies, and make quicker, smarter decisions.
AP automation as a catalyst for enterprise-wide digital transformation
Let’s talk about how AP automation can really make a difference for enterprise organizations—not just in AP processes but beyond. It’s not just a standalone project; AP automation is a key piece of the bigger picture when it comes to enterprise automation. You can greatly impact your entire financial operations by connecting AP automation with ERP, procurement, and expense management systems.
Key enterprise-wide benefits of AP automation:
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Smarter procurement processes:
Automated AP systems simplify procurement workflows, helping you stick to vendor contracts and budgets.
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Less IT hassle:
With cloud-based AP automation, there’s less need for IT maintenance, making it easier to scale your financial operations.
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More financial flexibility:
Real-time spend tracking helps businesses quickly adjust budgets and strategies as markets shift.
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Boosted employee morale and productivity:
Automation takes care of manual data entry and reconciliation, freeing up finance teams to focus on more important work.
The future of AP automation for large enterprises
Insights from the SSON 2024 AP Automation Virtual Summit reveal that 26 percent of enterprises have automated less than a quarter of their AP processes. But with AI making rapid advancements, this is set to change fast.
As AI and machine learning continue to evolve, AP automation is shifting from simple task management to smarter, decision-driving solutions. Many enterprises now see the importance of AI-powered AP automation and the potential of fully autonomous AP. The real challenge is building the case and implementing these solutions—but in today’s financial landscape, there’s no reason not to.
“With Medius AP Automation we process 50% more invoices within the same time period compared to the prior solution. Since we have automated 3-way invoice matching in place, Medius AP Automation processes a large volume of invoices automatically, without anyone touching or seeing the invoice.”
Boudewijn Rast
Group IT Manager, Fluiconnecto
Medius is autonomous AP
Medius has been at the forefront of AI-driven AP automation for enterprise organizations – driving industry change toward autonomous AP. Ready to see how it can transform your enterprise?
