AP Automation Challenges in a Mixed WFH in-person office
Recent world events made AP automation challenges evident as organizations struggled to avoid business interruptions due to natural disasters and the pandemic. In addition, as companies closed their physical doors, they learned the importance of having virtual ones to support remote workers.
Cloud automation kept workers connected in a secure and collaborative environment from any location and device. As a result, many people established informal home offices to stay focused. Additionally, companies with manual processes or partial automation scrambled to fully automate workflows to remain productive and profitable.
Now an increasing number of people want more options for remote work, which means companies need to accommodate them to attract top talent. As more people prefer working remotely, at least part of the time, it is now crucial to face off with AP automation challenges in a mixed work-from-home (WFH) and in-person office.
Challenges With the Productivity-Anywhere Approach
A recent study projects that 73 percent of all teams will have remote workers by 2028. Another study found that 99 percent of workers would prefer remote work, even part-time. Since the pandemic, people have discovered they are more productive working remotely and achieving a better work-life balance. Additionally, the millennial workforce prefers remote opportunities, encouraging companies to adopt automation to attract top talent.
As a result, companies are taking a productivity-anywhere approach to remain competitive. With cloud AP automation, team members work from anywhere globally and stay connected through all types of devices. The ability to collaborate effectively remains a top challenge for remote workers, and automation provides a secure environment to connect.
Companies clinging to time-consuming and error-prone manual processes will be left behind. A paperless process means no paperwork or files to maintain in a physical office. Additionally, partial automation leaves room for mistakes and fraud. Total automation customizes workflows and streamlines operations to provide a secure and collaborative cloud environment team members access anytime and anywhere.
Pitfalls of Partial Automation
The pandemic proved the pitfalls of automation as specific processes, such as paper check payments, required manual handling. Nearly half of the organizations adopted complete AP automation solutions to improve accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, management discovered advantages such as reduced overhead and fewer absences from work due to illness.
Partial automation means combining manual and automated processes, creating confusion and delays. As a result, organizations with partial automation risk increased late payments and a loss of savings for early payments. Other issues include a lack of remote accessibility, business interruptions, and security concerns.
Adopting a complete automation solution supports remote and in-office workers. Everyone has real-time access to the latest financial updates from any location. Thus, invoices are approved in minutes or days rather than weeks or months. Organizations improve supplier relationships for faster production, increasing brand reputation and recognition. Additionally, companies harness to power of automation to secure discounts for early payments.
Picking the Right Partner
Choosing the right automation partner reduces IT effort with features such as prebuild connectors. In addition, an easy integration lowers costs and keeps operations moving forward. The goal is to integrate and customize AP software to create a standardized workflow so team members work securely from any location.
Cloud automation allows everyone to work together in real-time and eliminates the inefficiencies of manual processes, such as manual routing for approval and paper invoices. In a world fueled by technology, manual workflows slow down your team, leaving you behind the competition. For example, faster supplier onboarding helps build a more diverse supplier base to get the best possible terms, regardless of global circumstances.
The experts at Medius help organizations discover the advantages of working in the cloud. Companies realize a measurable ROI with increased productivity by providing a secure cloud environment for WFH and in-person team members. With the right partner, organizations eliminate fraud and adopt AP best practices to stay ahead of the curve today - and tomorrow.
Making a Smooth Transition
One of the most significant challenges in a mixed WFH and the in-person office is making a smooth transition to AP automation. Common concerns include inefficient manual processes, manual routing of invoices for approval, paper invoices, and loss or missing invoices. A complete AP automation solution helps eliminate these issues.
Training and opportunities to collaborate encourage the team to adopt total automation. Plus, eliminating the paper saves time and effort while supporting remote work. Instead of going to the invoice to open the mail and receive invoices, they are instantly accessible. Whether workers are at home or in-office, they have the same workflows.
Automated invoice capture and verification processes do the job in a fraction of the time with fewer errors. Also, reducing manual routing and workflow activities increases visibility and minimizes bottlenecks. Solutions from a single vendor such as Medius makes integration easy and reduces launch time so that everyone can get back to work - either at home or in the office.
Who’s On First?
Another challenge of a mixed WFH and in-person office is accountability. When everyone is in the office, management knows what they are doing and when it gets done. AP automation provides transparency and visibility to ensure everyone is working together seamlessly.
Overcoming AP automation challenges in a mixed office supports remote and in-person workers at all times. Flexibility enables organizations to remain productive and prevent business interruptions, regardless of global events. Conversely, failure to adopt complete automation leaves gaps that lead to late payments, business interruptions, and damage to brand reputation. Contact us today to learn more about how to power through AP automation challenges and come out on top!
