---
title: Five signs your accounts payable technology needs an upgrade
url: https://www.medius.com/blog/five-signs-your-accounts-payable-technology-needs-an-upgrade/
updated: 2026-05-27T00:38:00Z
---
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                                Accounts Payable

2.28.2025

# Five signs your accounts payable technology needs an upgrade

                        Hint: you and your AP team are still coping with process pains

Table of Contents

1. Invoice capture and processing is slow and error-prone
2. Spending too much time on manual interventions
3. Vulnerable to undetected fraud
4. Manual connections between systems
5. Limited ERP compatibility and frequent errors
6. Medius can help

Hear what's covered in this article:

* * *

[Accounts payable (AP) technology](https://www.medius.com/solutions/medius-accounts-payable-automation/ "Medius Accounts Payable Automation") has come a long way, but not all systems keep up with modern standards and the pace of artificial intelligence (AI). For accounts payable managers, outdated systems often mean more headaches than help, so if you’re still feeling constant pains in your AP process, it might be time to take a look at whether your technology is helping or hindering you. Modern AP teams benefit from AI, and increasingly, Agentic AI, which can actively manage processes, anticipate exceptions, and reduce manual workloads. Here are five telltale signs that it’s time to invest in a more advanced AP automation system:

1. ## Your invoice capture and processing is *still* slow and error-prone

**How long is it taking your team to process invoices? Is it shorter than three days? It should be.** If it’s not, your technology isn’t working hard enough for you. First, the [invoice capture](https://www.medius.com/solutions/medius-accounts-payable-automation/invoice-capture/ "Invoice Capture") part of the process should be easy and make the start of the entire process smooth and quick.

If your team is using a [template-based system](https://www.medius.com/blog/is-your-invoice-capture-truly-ai-driven/ "Is your invoice capture truly AI-driven?"), you're always tweaking fields to get the data right, which can lead to backlogs and mistakes. Take an AP manager at a construction company, for instance. With hundreds of invoices coming in daily, they might spend hours correcting templates that don’t pick up important data.

### AP Automation Benchmarks at a glance

|  | **KPI** | **AVERAGE** | **BEST-IN-CLASS** **![award icon](https://www.medius.com/media/fi1ifir5/award-fill-red.svg?rmode=max&width=32&height=32)** |
| :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: |
| **Non-PO Invoices** |
| Total invoice processing cycle time | 7.43 days | 2.04 days |
| Touchless capture rate | 70% | 98.8% |
| Automatic routing rate | 64.42% | 99.58% |
| Average approval time | 3.27 days | 0.69 days |
| **PO Invoices** |
| Total invoice processing cycle time | 5.61 days | 0.98 days |
| Touchless capture rate | 69.3% | 99.3% |
| Touchless processing rate | 63.31% | 92.32% |

[Medius 2024 Benchmarks Report](https://www.medius.com/resources/guides-reports/ap-benchmark-report/ "AP Benchmark Report")

Beyond simply capturing data, your cloud-based accounts payable (AP) automation solution should eliminate reliance on templates, adapt seamlessly to new formats (so you never need to make the same corrections over and over again), and minimize manual intervention throughout the invoice process. The secret to a successful invoicing system is all about speed and simplicity.  With Agentic AI, your system doesn’t just adapt. It actively learns from previous invoices, optimizes processing, and anticipates exceptions, further reducing errors and manual touchpoints. You can tackle common payment challenges effectively by speeding things up while keeping accuracy and quality in check. This makes paying suppliers on time a breeze and even gives you access to early payment discounts, which can boost your cash flow.

2. ## You’re spending too much time on manual interventions

We all know by now manual processes in accounts payable are antiquated methods. Yet, many businesses still rely on manual processes or get stuck with too many manual interventions. As many as [87% of finance professionals](https://www.medius.com/news/cid-8468A121F16CC392/medius-unveils-two-groundbreaking-ai-solutions-to-revolutionize-accounts-payable-efficiency/) are responsible for replying to vendor emails, answering an average of 28 emails daily. **This translates to an average of six hours a week responding to supplier inquiries about invoices.** If you find yourself having to reply to unnecessary questions, reconcile, match, or move invoices through manually more often than you like, your technology might be behind.

Many organizations still rely on rule-based [robotic process automation (RPA) systems](https://www.medius.com/blog/why-rpa-cannot-solve-most-important-ap-challenges/ "Robotic Process Automation in Accounts Payable: benefits and challenges"), which require extensive oversight when invoices deviate from expected formats. For example, an AP team in a manufacturing firm using RPA systems can spend hours rescuing misclassified invoices or manually approving expected tolerances like freight or minor weight differences, draining productivity.

Adopting machine learning-based AP automation, and especially systems enhanced with Agentic AI, can reduce manual interventions by up to 70%. Agentic AI actively learns from data patterns, continuously improving, adapting to exceptions, and even taking initial actions autonomously without requiring human input.

At Medius, for instance, we tackle this with solutions like [Medius Copilot](https://www.medius.com/solutions/medius-copilot/ "Medius Copilot") and [Supplier Conversations](https://www.medius.com/solutions/supplier-conversations/ "Supplier Conversations"), which help automate those repetitive tasks and handle supplier inquiries, letting AP staff focus on more critical work and reducing the need for manual intervention.

“Medius provides state-of-the-art AI and machine learning that is superior to the system we had in place. It *actually* grows 'smarter' with every invoice.”

**Michael Weare**
Project Manager, Granngården

[Read the case study](https://www.medius.com/resources/case-studies/granngarden/ "Granngarden")

[![Granngården logo](https://www.medius.com/media/btfphkx2/granngarden.png?rmode=max&width=286&height=44)](https://www.medius.com/resources/case-studies/granngarden/ "Granngarden")

3. ## You feel vulnerable to undetected fraud

Fraud is scary, real, and costs businesses millions of dollars. In accounts payable, dealing with fraud prevention shouldn’t add extra stress. **Ask yourself or your team if you feel protected from potential fraud. If the answer is no, look a little deeper at your AP solution fraud detection.**

Without [solid fraud detection](https://www.medius.com/solutions/fraud-risk-detection/ "Fraud & Risk Detection"), AP managers risk duplicate payments, unauthorized vendors, or invoices out of order. Twenty percent of finance professionals can't [guess how much fraud costs](https://www.medius.com/financial-census/ "Financial Census") them as they often don't realize it's occurring. Meanwhile, the other 80% estimate an average cost of $133,000 annually.

![Discouraged business woman at desk](https://www.medius.com/media/03il0prc/adobestock_190105041-red.jpg?rmode=max&width=372&height=0&v=1d99262bf9d07d0)

Real-time fraud detection technology detects unusual patterns and alerts AP teams immediately. Agentic AI gives you even greater support by monitoring transactions, identifying anomalies in real time, and even suggesting corrective actions, ensuring your AP team is proactively protected. This empowers your team and helps them feel confident that fraud prevention and detection is not an afterthought – but a proactive part of your process and solution

[!\[Karl Lagerfeld case study cover\](https://www.medius.com/media/abwippsr/case-studies-menu_karllagerfeld.png?rmode=max&width=372&height=0&v=1d9d14cbc9f0c80)](https://www.medius.com/resources/case-studies/karl-lagerfeld/)

### Real-world success:
Karl Lagerfeld case study

The team at Karl Lagerfeld has been able to spend less time chasing down approvals, resulting in faster invoice payments. Medius has helped verify invoices and reduce errors, ensuring a consistent and efficient process throughout the company. This has not only saved them time and money but also bolstered their overall risk reduction efforts.

**Discover more about how Medius transformed Karl Lagerfeld's accounts payable processes and learn how you can achieve similar results.**

[Read the Full Case Study](https://www.medius.com/resources/case-studies/karl-lagerfeld/ "Karl Lagerfeld")

4. ## You have to make manual connections between systems because they don’t talk to each other (no suite approach)

If you are still manually reconciling data across procurement, expense, and accounting systems (among others), you are also dealing with data silos and delays. This means you don’t have a suite approach, which can hold you back.

Working without a [suite-based approach in accounts payable (AP) technology](https://www.medius.com/solutions/ "Solutions") means inefficient workflows and compliance risks. When AP systems are standalone, you have no visibility into procurement and finance, and processes are misaligned and manual.

What you really need is an all-in-one suite that improves visibility and automates workflows. Think about [expense management within an accounts payable (AP) automation suite](https://www.medius.com/solutions/expense/ "Expense")—it improves efficiency and gives you better control over company spending by managing both direct and employee expenses. This setup makes submitting and approving employee expenses a breeze, providing real-time insights into spending habits and helping you stick to budgets.

Hover over the image below to learn how solutions should work together.

5. ## You’re stifled with limited ERP compatibility and frequent errors

Without managed ERP integrations, your AP team likely grapples with data inconsistencies and duplicative efforts in aligning records, leading to wasted time and increased frustration. You could have one or multiple, like [Fluiconnecto](https://www.medius.com/resources/case-studies/fluiconnecto-ap-automation/ "Fluiconnecto AP Automation"), which comprised a group of companies gained by mergers and acquisitions. This led to several different ERP systems being used throughout the organization.

Either way, you’re likely feeling the pain of manual reconciliation that consumes valuable resources and leads to frequent errors that can impact cash flow and decision-making. These challenges can exacerbate operational inefficiencies as your team becomes bogged down in repetitive tasks rather than focusing on strategic initiatives.

[Managed ERP connectors](https://www.medius.com/solutions/for-your-erp/ "For your ERP") make transferring data between accounts payable systems and ERPs easy, helping streamline workflows and boost accuracy. If your system isn’t automating routine tasks like invoice matching and payment approvals, you’re probably missing out on faster processing and a lower risk of human error. Plus, removing manual reconciliation means smoother month-end reporting, giving you timely and accurate financial insights your whole team needs for smart decision-making.

The benefits extend beyond just error reduction; managed ERP integrations foster greater collaboration across departments by providing a single source of truth for financial data.

## Embrace cloud-based AP solutions,
like Medius.

If you're experiencing any of these signs and frustrations in your accounts payable processes, it may be time to reevaluate your technology.

[!\[AP Automation\](https://www.medius.com/media/wduby4ty/product-tour.png?rmode=max&width=372&height=0&v=1dc8cb151901790)](https://www.medius.com/solutions/)

Medius can help.

Explore [Medius's autonomous, cloud-based AP solutions](https://www.medius.com/solutions/ "Solutions") to discover how they can transform your accounts payable processes. Medius goes beyond automation to make AP autonomous. With embedded Agentic AI and intelligent technology to capture, process, and pay your invoices, our AI keeps learning and improving, getting smarter (and making your life easier) with every invoice.

**See how it works.**
[Explore live demos.](https://www.medius.com/watch-a-demo/ "Watch a demo")

**Get the latest research and insights in accounts payable.**
[See resources.](https://www.medius.com/resources/guides-reports/ "Guides & Reports")

**What makes Medius different?**
[See for yourself.](https://www.medius.com/about/why-medius/ "Why Medius")

#### The Financial Professional Census

Explore hurdles facing finance professionals today and learn how to overcome them in our research-backed Financial Professional Census report.

[Get the report](https://www.medius.com/resources/guides-reports/financial-professional-census-report-2024/ "Financial Professional Census Report 2024")

#### Ardent Partners' State of AP in 2026

AI is changing what AP teams can do, and fast. Get leading analysts at Ardent Partners' take on where the industry is headed.

[Get the report](https://www.medius.com/resources/guides-reports/ardent-partners-state-of-ap/ "Ardent Partners State of AP")

#### Webinar: Preparing for agentic AI in AP

In this webinar with SSON, see how leading finance teams are moving from automation to autonomous AP, with real governance built in.

[Watch the webinar](https://www.medius.com/resources/events-and-webinars/through-trust-and-governance-sson/ "Through trust and governance SSON")

#### Discover accounts payable benchmarks

Learn the efficiency metrics that matter for AP teams and the benchmarks derived from thousands of Medius customers around the globe.

[Get the report](https://www.medius.com/resources/guides-reports/ap-benchmark-report/ "AP Benchmark Report")

#### Watch a demo

Get a first-hand look at Medius AP Automation, Analytics, and Pay with our 13-minute product demo.

[Watch now](https://www.medius.com/watch-a-demo/#recorded "Watch a demo")

## Related Posts

[8.11.2026
Fraud & Risk
The best AP automation platforms for strengthening payment controls](https://www.medius.com/blog/the-best-ap-automation-platforms-for-strengthening-payment-controls/)

[8.10.2026
Accounts Payable
Top finance and accounting conferences and events in 2026](https://www.medius.com/blog/top-finance-and-accounting-conferences-events/)

[8.10.2026
AP Automation
Best AP automation software for e-invoicing compliance](https://www.medius.com/blog/best-ap-automation-software-for-e-invoicing-compliance/)

[8.7.2026
AP Automation
Why manufacturing invoice matching creates so many exceptions](https://www.medius.com/blog/why-manufacturing-invoice-matching-creates-so-many-exceptions/)

[8.6.2026
AP Automation
Why global expansion creates AP complexity faster than expected](https://www.medius.com/blog/why-global-expansion-creates-ap-complexity-faster-than-expected/)

[8.6.2026
AP Automation
How can manufacturers improve invoice matching and PO matching?](https://www.medius.com/blog/how-can-manufacturers-improve-invoice-matching-and-po-matching/)

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