Feb 16, 2023
•2 minute read
SAP AR AP
SAP Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable (AR/AP) are the core sub-modules of SAP Financial Accounting (FI) that manage an organization’s financial relationships with customers and vendors. As finance teams automate and modernize invoice-to-cash and procure-to-pay processes, SAP AR/AP plays a central role in supporting operational efficiency and cash flow visibility. SAPinsider covers SAP AR/AP automation, payment processing, and integration with SAP S/4HANA Finance.
What is SAP AR AP?
SAP Accounts Receivable (FI-AR) manages all incoming customer invoices, credit management, customer payments and dunning processes. SAP Accounts Payable (FI-AP) manages vendor invoices, payment runs, cash discounts and vendor master data. Both modules feed into the SAP Universal Journal in SAP S/4HANA, providing a unified view of open items, aging reports and cash flow projections. SAP AR/AP integrates with procurement, sales and treasury processes to support end-to-end financial operations.
What use cases does SAP AR AP address?
- Invoice processing and automation: Organizations use SAP AP to automate vendor invoice capture and matching using optical character recognition (OCR), SAP Document and Reporting Compliance and machine learning-assisted three-way matching to reduce manual processing time.
- Customer credit and collections: SAP AR supports credit limit management, collections workflows and dispute resolution for customer accounts, enabling finance teams to reduce days sales outstanding (DSO) and improve cash conversion.
- Payment run management: SAP AP automates vendor payment runs with configurable payment methods, bank communication management and SAP Multi-Bank Connectivity to reduce payment errors and optimize cash outflows.
- Cash flow visibility: SAP AR/AP provides aging reports, liquidity forecasting inputs and real-time open item analysis to support treasury teams with daily cash positioning and short-term liquidity planning.
What does SAPinsider research say about SAP AR AP modernization?
SAPinsider research shows that accounts payable and receivable automation is a top investment priority for finance organizations, driven by the need to reduce manual processing, accelerate the close and improve working capital management. Organizations moving to SAP S/4HANA Finance report that unified ledger capabilities in the Universal Journal streamline AR/AP processes and reduce reconciliation effort. Explore SAP AR/AP resources and practitioner coverage at SAP AR AP.
Automating AP Invoice Management Research Webinar On-DemandThis report explores the need for SAPinsider organizations to consider automating AP processes to save time, reduce operational costs associated with manual labor, and minimize human errors that result from repetitive or complex tasks. Our findings show that most survey respondents (76%) do not digitize incoming paper invoices, while eight in ten (80%) survey respondents reported an average throughout time for incoming invoices exceeding 14 days. By utilizing strategies for automating AP invoice management, organizations can optimize their entire AP invoicing process, gain full compliance with global regulations, and improve cash flow.
Top Three 2023 Topics for Your Procurement and AP TeamsFinance departments are under constant pressure to make their processes both more efficient and more compliant. At the same time, they deal with challenges such as skills shortages, disrupted supply chains, and increasing cybersecurity risk. In this webinar, we will examine what contribution Procurement and AP teams can make to tackle these challenges and increase resilience in finance departments. Explore how processes in these teams can become more efficient, flexible, and user-friendly, and what technological trends support companies in achieving this.
Join us to hear from the President & CEO of Xsuite, Danny Schaarmann, as he sheds light on the three most important technology trends to reach these goals in Procurement and AP teams – artificial intelligence in finance, international e-voicing initiatives, and digital vendor communication.
Session Takeaways:
Understand the relevance of AI for AP processes.
Identify possibilities to smoothen vendor onboarding and communications.
Build a timeline to cope with international e-invoicing requirements.
Feb 8, 2023
•1 minute read
Automating AP Invoice Management – Benchmark Research ReportReducing operational costs and increasing productivity requires strategies for automating accounts payable (AP) invoice management, as manual or partially automated processes no longer provide efficiency. An expanding digital economy and increased competition require organizations to have efficient processes to support and maintain supplier relationships and keep pace with industry peers. With a hybrid workforce and increasing global e-invoicing requirements, organizations must ensure visibility into their AP invoices across multiple countries, currencies, and payment methods.
This report explores the need for SAPinsider organizations to consider automating AP processes to save time, reduce operational costs associated with manual labor, and minimize human errors that result from repetitive or complex tasks. Our findings show that most survey respondents (76%) do not digitize incoming paper invoices, while eight in ten (80%) survey respondents reported an average throughput time for incoming invoices exceeding 14 days. By utilizing strategies for automating AP invoice management, organizations can optimize their entire AP invoicing process, gain full compliance with global regulations, and improve cash flow.
From October to December of 2022, SAPinsider surveyed 188 finance community members to learn more about the strategic priorities of SAP organizations regarding their approach to automating AP processes.
Dec 29, 2022
•2 minute read
Serrala Talks Payments Modernization and AutomationRegarding process improvement, there are many initiatives that CFOs and treasurers can tackle to increase efficiency and optimize performance. One such initiative is automating manual processes – an area particularly relevant for Accounts Payable (AP) teams. By automating manual and paper-based processes, AP teams can gain greater efficiencies and improve their overall performance. In addition, […]
Aug 4, 2022
•1 minute read
4 Ways in which SAP S/4HANA can pull A/R out of the back officeAccording to recent SAPinsider research, 77% of their audience are evaluating or have made the move to SAP S/4HANA. Migrating to SAP S/4HANA will improve business processes by offering teams real-time connectivity to all lines of business, from finance, supply chain, and manufacturing to sales, distribution, and more. Receivable teams need to stay agile and innovative with little disruption to business processes while increasing efficiency and automation. There is a wide range of business capabilities that the Cloud will bring to receivables innovation using machine learning and AI.
In this presentation, we will present 4 ways in which migrating to SAP S/4HANA Cloud helps achieve an intelligent accounts receivable management system.
You will learn:
-How A/R teams are automating repetitive, manual activities and implementing AI to leverage data-driven analytics making informed business decisions using SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
-How A/R leaders can achieve unparalleled visibility into the receivables process and free up resources to deliver on the company’s capital and cash flow goals by migrating to S/4HANA.
-Learning how to quickly disseminate information and capture insights from the sales processes in supply chains and act as a collaborator to accelerate the receivables turnaround time.
-Achieving a unified global view of your customers by eliminating data silos and helping A/R teams identify and respond to risky customer accounts in real-time by using Cloud solutions.
Aug 12, 2021
•1 minute read
Customer Q&A: How Radiant Logistics Automates more than 2 million Invoices Every YearCome hear how Radiant Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: RLGT) is a publicly-traded, non-asset-based global transportation and supply chain management company supports an annual invoice volume of approximately 2 million and a very complicated manual workflow process in North America. Bring your toughest questions and learn how Radiant manages complex invoices with often more than 100 pages of attachments through the deep integration of xSuite with SAP.
Jul 7, 2021
•1 minute read
Sysmex optimizes procure to pay processes leveraging a proven invoice management solution from SAPBuilding a strong foundation for financial operations is essential for SAP customers to drive innovation in the new normal. Find out how Sysmex is using powerful functionality to control procure-to-pay processes and help ensure that the right information reaches the right people at the right time. Learn how you can produce critical management reports that […]
Jun 25, 2021
•1 minute read
The four indispensable FI-AP tips and tricks every SAP customer needs to knowMake your FI-AP processes run more efficiently and help your users be more productive with 4 indispensable tips and tricks. Understand your choices for using special G/L indicators. Learn the differences between internal and external vendor GR/IR accounts and learn how to pick the right option that best reflects your business situation. You will
- Get practical advice for tracing open items in an effective and rapid manner
- Find out how to use Special G/L indicators effectively
- Walk through a step-by-step process for segregating internal & external Goods Receipts (GR/IR account)
- Learn a little used trick to avoid the annoying fiscal year popup when double clicking on clearing documents
May 11, 2021
•1 minute read
How BORUSAN CAT automated incoming invoice processesManaging incoming invoices is generally a complicated process for the companies. Invoice approval/rejection process must be handled by the cooperation of the relevant business units who procured the service/product. Printed invoices has the risk of getting lost. Invoices should be recorded to the SAP ERP system on-time and error-free. By attending this session you will get an understanding of:
- How an incoming invoice portal can be developed to cover all the approval/rejection and automatic ERP system recording processes
- How OCR Technologies can be utilized so that printed invoices can be converted to e-invoices with all the metadata included
- Document Management System Opentext utilization to categorize and store all the incoming invoices in a single storage location
Jan 19, 2021
•1 minute read
Vendor Document Automation for Accounts Payable ProcessesManaging accounts payable and vendor invoice processing can be streamlined by applying automation. Reductions in human error, faster invoice processing times, and decreased labor costs are just some of the benefits that can be gained by using vendor document automation (VDA) software, which is offered as an add-on by many SAP certified suppliers.
In this Q&A, discover important facts about the key components of VDA, and a listing of vendors in this space. You will learn:
- The different components offered by VDA products and how these components can help you streamline processes;
- Efficiencies that can be gained by using VDA software and things to consider when implementing; and
- VDA software vendors recommended by the author.
Oct 14, 2020
•5 minute read
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