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Updated September 2026
Automation, transformation, and getting back your value
Finance teams are leaping ahead when it comes to modernising their workflows with new AP software.
According to IFOL’s 2026 AP automation trends report, just 7% of respondents described their AP function as fully automated. 72% were planning to automate or further enhance their AP processes. These days, there are few accounts payable teams that haven’t automated at least part of their process.
So, you’re about to invest a large amount of money into digital transformation.
Whether it’s a duplicate invoice checker, a new ERP system, a supplier portal, or a risk management platform like FISCAL’s, you want that investment to pay off. More than that, you want it to create ROI. Unfortunately, businesses often fail to realise the expected value from their software. In fact, according to TNN, that figure is a huge 94% of businesses.
We’ve worked with hundreds of companies across different sectors, and so we’d like to think we’re experts on getting the best from your software. This blog features our advice to help you get there.
How to achieve results from new AP software, fast
With any new technology, planning is necessary to achieve return on investment.
Preparedness, product knowledge, adequate support, process integration, reporting – it all plays into how your team perceive and utilise the technology.
Include the end users from the beginning
The people utilising the product are the most important people you need to buy-in to the software. If they underutilise it, you’ve effectively wasted your money. So before you ever sign the contract, you need feedback on the product from their point of view. They’ll tell you whether something won’t work, how things might need to change, and whether it will be useful for cost savings. They need to be enthusiastic about the new software beforehand, so they’re excited to learn it and start producing results. And don’t forget to include input from your IT team!
Fully learn the system
The effectiveness of your team is only ever as good as their software knowledge.
The mark of a great software partner is a high level of training and support to take you from beginner to expert. Anyone worth their salt will personally train your team and respond quickly to queries. They should also include video or written guidance.
Training your team as early as possible is key for them to hit the ground running. That means potentially allowing them access to use the tool in a test environment before implementation. Including all learning styles – visual, auditory, reading or writing, and doing – gives all your staff a deeper understanding.
Use the software immediately
The sooner your staff use the new AP software and understand the benefits, the less stigma it creates around changing the status quo. For many leaders, this is one of their largest hurdles. Being transparent about the issues your team face and how the technology solves them is key.
Practice makes all the difference. If the team find it difficult at first, encourage them to use the software daily.
Optimise your workflow
So the software automates for you – how can you use it to the best of your ability?
Maybe your team are manually inputting files, but the platform can be set up to integrate with your ERP or retrieve files from a specific inbox. The best way to optimise is to explore the options.
This is now even more important as AI takes centre stage. It’s useful to know how you can use the AI options to best effect, and where they won’t save you any time.
Update associated processes speedily
Evaluate how that change affects your process. You may need to make process adjustments to better adapt to your new software. For example, certain components, such as controls, could move far earlier in your process.
While this is happening, emphasise the benefits it brings to your staff. The reduced need to do something boring or repetitive, for example. Or the output being easier to deal with than the previous method.
If possible, plan your change in process well beforehand and share it as the team train with the software. This gets them used to the new process and allows them to find potential clashes with existing processes. You can address those issues fast, causing fewer delays during or after implementation.
Assign a super user
This user should truly understand the software and have all the necessary training. They will be in direct contact with your software supplier, getting support and best practice information to share with the rest of the team.
What’s more, they should be an aficionado for the technology, actively encouraging others to use it and reap the benefits. Having a peer who is passionate about the technology often encourages others to use it.
Set clear goals and measure carefully
There’s peril in setting your staff off on a project without providing goals and deadlines, and the same could be said for any technology.
Before implementation, set a realistic timeline for when you expect your AP team to be proficient in using it. Also, set a date to begin measuring the outcomes of the software. Measure your KPIs for the process you are replacing. Make them SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Once implemented, ensure that your team are reporting on this with regularity. This should show over time how your team are progressing and how effective the technology is.
Once you have reached the time your team should be proficient, you can compare your replaced process. This should give you the most accurate indicator of whether it works as intended. At intervals, compare again to check that your team are still able to work as efficiently, and to track continued improvement.
Investigate the features thoroughly
Sometimes there are built-in tools, settings, and shortcuts to make it easier for your team to use the software. For example; pre-built templates and customisation options, an SSO to integrate, or a bookmarking function.
Your AP software provider should be able to guide your team through which features will optimise your processes. If in doubt, ask, as the solution to your issue may already be within the platform.
An example from our platform: Our customer manually assigned tasks to each of their team members within the platform, causing a delay. However, with our group function, they could automate assigning tasks to each person. With this in place, when team members arrived at work, they each had their allotted tasks waiting for them.
Ensure you’re up to date
While cloud-based software tends to automatically update across the user base, if you’re using on-prem software, this can be a manual job. Bug fixes, new features, faster running, quality of life improvements… these are what you miss out on if you don’t update!
And of course, ensure your team engage often with your software provider to be aware of these updates. For example, attending a regular meeting with your account manager, a subscription to their newsletter or reading notifications on updates included within the system.
Conclusion: Making your AP software investment count
Modernising your finance function is a huge achievement, but the real value comes from what happens next. Getting pay-off from your Accounts Payable software is about embedding it into your team’s daily rhythm, using it to streamline processes, increase productivity, and achieve smarter outcomes.
It needs effective collaboration with your technology provider from the planning stages for thorough testing, troubleshooting, and training. And it needs early alignment across your own organisation.
With the right knowledge, support, and strategic mindset, your team can go beyond implementation and turn this technology into tangible, long-term value. Ensure your team makes the time to learn it, optimise it, and measure the difference, and you’ll see just how powerful your finance function can be.
