Accounts Payable Slow to Adopt Paperless Invoicing

October 29, 2009

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Businesses could save money and decrease environmental impact by modernizing their accounts payable departments, which lag other business departments in reducing environmental impact.

About 83 percent of A/P departments are managing about the same amount of paper invoices as they did four years ago. Meanwhile, about 68 percent of A/P departments are processing the same amount of manual payments as they did four years ago, according to the “E-payables Benchmarking 2009: Accounts Payable Rising” study from the Aberdeen Group.

Ironically, despite the lack of a move to paperless invoicing, about 70 percent of A/P departments report being under “high” pressure to reduce costs (see above chart).

Here is a look at how best-in-class A/P departments are outpacing their peers in use of processes, organization, knowledge and technology.

click to enlarge

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Reader Comments

“Businesses could save money and decrease environmental impact by modernizing their accounts payable departments, which lag other business departments in reducing environmental impact.”

I am not sure how using less paper and more computer technology is better for the environment. Since when is it more environmentally friendly to strip mine a piece of land rather than convert it to a working forest. Supply follows demand.

Nancy Schmicker | October 30th, 2009

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