Accounts Payable Processing

Q: Do approvers still need to review invoices before payment?

Yes. The automation prepares invoice details and routes them to approvers for sign-off, but approvers retain full control over which invoices are paid.

Q: Will the automation work with our existing accounting software?

The automation integrates directly with QuickBooks Online and other mainstream accounting platforms. It reads purchase orders from your system and writes approved invoices back automatically, eliminating manual re-entry.

Q: What happens if an invoice does not match a purchase order?

The automation flags non-matching invoices and routes them to your team for manual review. This ensures no invoice is paid without verification while still automating the routine cases that match perfectly.

Q: How does the automation reduce errors in invoice processing?

By eliminating manual typing and matching, the automation removes the most common sources of data entry mistakes. All extracted data is validated against purchase orders and your chart of accounts before approval.

Capturing, coding, routing supplier invoices per client.

1.7k hrs

Manual time identified

Companies have mapped

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About This Automation

Accounts payable processing involves receiving invoices, extracting data, coding accounts, and obtaining approvals before payment. Manual handling creates bottlenecks in data entry, purchase order matching, and approval workflows.

Automation reads incoming invoices, extracts vendor and amount details, codes them to the correct general ledger account, matches them to purchase orders, and routes them for approval. The result is faster invoice processing with fewer errors and reduced manual data entry.

Key features:

Extract invoice data automatically from email attachments and vendor portals

Code invoices to the correct general ledger account based on vendor and line item description

Match invoices to purchase orders in your accounting software

Route approved invoices to payment scheduling without manual re-entry

Capture and log all invoice details in a single system of record

Data insights How it works Apps used What you get FAQ

Top friction points when done manually

The issues teams report most often with this process

#	Friction point	Companies Report This
1	Manual invoice data entry Bookkeeper manually reads each invoice and types vendor, amount, and line item details into the accounting system.	80%
2	Purchase order lookup delays Searching for matching purchase orders in the accounting software is time consuming and error prone.	67%
3	Approval bottleneck Waiting for approver sign-off via email or chat slows down the invoice-to-payment cycle.	53%
4	GL account determination Bookkeeper must manually decide the correct general ledger account based on vendor type and description.	40%
5	Invoice file management Invoices arrive via multiple channels and must be downloaded, saved, and organized before processing.	26%

Disclaimer

Automation readiness

How well-suited this process is for automation

Process Pain Score™

8.2/ 10

AI Fit Rating™

9.1/ 10

Automation Lift Index™

8.8/ 10

Hidden Overhead™

7.3/ 10

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Invoice Received in Emailtrigger

A new email with an invoice attachment arrives in the designated inbox. The automation detects the email and extracts the attachment.

2. Extract Invoice Data

The automation reads the invoice PDF and extracts vendor name, invoice number, amount, due date, and line items automatically.

3. Suggest GL Account

The automation analyzes the invoice description and vendor type, then suggests the correct general ledger account and cost centre.

4. Match to Purchase Order

The automation queries to find matching purchase orders and verifies the invoice amount and line items.

5. Create Bill in QuickBooks

The automation creates a bill record with the extracted data, suggested account code, and due date.

6. Request Approval

The automation sends a summary of the invoice to the approver with a link to review and approve.

7. Schedule Payment

Once approved, the automation marks the bill as approved and schedules payment for the due date.

Most popular tool stack used

— the complete tool combinations companies use

52% of companies

28% of companies

15% of companies

Disclaimer

What you get when you map this process

Everything you need to understand, plan, and build your automation.

ROI and business case

What this process costs today and what changes once it's automated.

Launch schedule

What gets built, in what order, and what success looks like once it's live.

Process runbook

How the automation runs day to day, including exceptions and human decision points.

Developer handover pack

Full build spec, logic, and configuration — ready to hand off without a briefing call.

Integration and connections guide

Every tool connection, credential, and data mapping the build needs.

Test and QA plan

184 hrsIdentified

4Mapped

View

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

What types of invoices can the automation handle?

The automation processes invoices from any vendor in any format, including email attachments, PDF files, and vendor portal downloads. It extracts data from standard invoice layouts and codes them to your chart of accounts.

Do approvers still need to review invoices before payment?

Will the automation work with our existing accounting software?

What happens if an invoice does not match a purchase order?

How does the automation reduce errors in invoice processing?

View more FAQs

Process pain:8.2/10

Mapped by:17 Companies

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Page updated 10 August 2026