4 Crucial Accounts Payable Trends to Know for 2025
Accounts payable automation continues to be a key point of investment for organizations of all shapes and sizes. In fact, research from the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM) shows that 50% of organizations have already implemented automated AP systems, and the benefits are clear:
- Cost Savings: Automation reduces invoice processing costs by an average of 29.2%, significantly impacting the bottom line.
- Improved Turnaround Times: Faster payment processes enhance vendor relationships and unlock early payment discounts.
- Enhanced Transparency: Automation provides better monitoring and tracking of invoice statuses, improving decision-making and accountability.
Source: AIIM
Even with the tremendous gains in efficiency that automated payables departments experience, continued innovation and evolving best practices continue to pave the way for even greater returns on investment. In this post, we’ll discuss 4 highly impactful accounts payable automation trends worth implementing in 2025 and why they make such a massive difference.
Top Accounts Payable Trends for 2025
1. The Rise of AI in AP Processes
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how businesses manage accounts payable. According to recent surveys, 65% of finance departments are already leveraging AI, and the potential for this technology continues to grow.
- Streamlined Invoice Capture: AI-powered capture simplifies invoice processing, saving significant time on template adjustments and errors while reducing costs.
- Enhanced Searchability: AI enables organic and intuitive searches for transaction records, making information retrieval faster and more convenient.
By leveraging AI in their invoice capture process, Covenant Village has saved significant time on data entry.
“With the previous solution, each department had to go in, tell it what account it belongs to, put in the amount, put in the vendor, and put in if it’s taxed or not. But with TransformAI, the department gets the invoice, either approves or rejects it, and then they just click a drop-down that tells it what account it belongs to, and it moves on.” – Cory Sills, Technology Director at Covenant Village.
2. Consolidating Tech Stacks with Cloud ERP Systems
Disconnected systems no longer meet the demands of complex workflows and distributed workforces. In fact, by 2026, statista indicates the global ERP software market is projected to reach $101 billion, driven by businesses embracing more robust, cloud-based platforms. This has led to the adoption of tools that enhance the functionality of these systems, including:
- Data Capture: Tools like OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and AI capture fuel ERP systems with accurate data, often trapped in paper and PDFs.
- Simplified Workflows: Intuitive, no-code workflows enhance automation, improving productivity across departments.
These additional tools can be easily integrated with cloud ERP platforms by providers with iPaaS functionality. This functionality facilitates the organized flow of data across both platforms for centralized access.
3. The Shift Toward Mobile AP Applications
With hybrid work environments now the norm, organizations are turning to mobile solutions to manage accounts payable remotely. Mobile accessible AP automation allows your staff to:
- Approve payments
- Manage invoices
- Track expenses
All from any location. This ensures uninterrupted workflows even when busy managers and approvers are out of the office. Square 9’s next-generation platform, GlobalSearch Go, has been designed from the ground up with mobile functionality in mind.
4. Addressing Security Concerns in AP Automation
With 75% of finance departments reporting exposure to cyberattacks, security remains a top priority for those seeking AP solutions. Businesses are looking to invest in platforms that incorporate much-needed security tools and follow best practices in hosting and data protection, including:
- Encryption
- Penetration Testing
- Single Sign On
- Audit Trails
- User-based Permissions
These protections help organizations adhere to new regulations and long-standing best practices, mitigating risk and maintaining consumer trust.
In Summary
Accounts payable automation continues to yield impactful results for organizations. By embracing new technologies and best practices like AI-powered tools, consolidated tech stacks, mobile applications, and advanced security measures organizations can maximize their returns on their investments for increased savings and efficiency.
How Square 9 Can Help
Square 9 is a leading provider of AI-powered intelligent information management solutions that take the paper out of work and make it easier to get things done. With digital workflows that automate many aspects of how you work today, we make it easy by extracting information from scans or PDFs, storing documents in a searchable archive, and building digital twins of your current processes through graphical workflows.
