Thursday, March 17, 2011

Significance of Having Outsourced or Automated Accounts Payable Services - Accounting

Buying and selling is a daily activity for any business despite the industry it functions in. In the process of buying and selling of raw materials and goods, there are several dues that companies and suppliers have with each other. Accounts payables are basically the dues that an organization has towards its suppliers. Often these dues are paid off over a course of time and hence they need to be organized in an efficient manner so as to avoid any payment delays and loss of invoices. In simple terms these payables are a debt that the organization has towards a vendor. Accounts payable management requires considerable amount of care and vigilance in order to maintain efficiency in the entire process. All organizations have their preferred way of maintaining their payables. While some prefer to maintain it in the original paper based format, others prefer automation.

It is common practice to outsource these processes to an agency that is solely dedicated to providing services related to maintaining payables for companies. Gone are the days when trade payables had to be maintained in a paper format. With the help of automated accounts payable processing organizations can ensure that the process is a lot more streamlined and maintains regularity and efficiency. The primary advantage of having automated AP management is that it enables you to maintain a database of all your invoices no matter how old. While looking for an older invoice individuals can easily find them by simply searching for it in the program. Also this method improves efficiency amongst employees as it saves time and effort on manual maintenance.

Outsourcing of AP management provides a plethora of benefits such as timely payment of the dues that are held by the organization, regular reports of the payables on either Monthly, quarterly or yearly basis and reduction in work load amongst employees of the organization.

With the growth of technology there are software's that can manage the accounts payable processing and can further reduce manual effort. The biggest advantage of software is that it is programmed to recognize any discrepancies in the invoices and alert the company in case of any loss or overdue invoice. While looking for an external organization to maintain payables it is important to conduct thorough research before selecting one. Since this organization will be responsible for all your invoices it is necessary that the organization is trustworthy and renowned for providing efficient service.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Anybill has been a leader in providing innovative, effective accounts payable services and software since 1997. For more than a decade, accounts payable is what we do and all we do. Anybill provides accounts payable services and software to the small- to medium-enterprise market (SME), as well as some of the world's largest corporations and institutions. More than 300 organizations, including Office Depot and the American Diabetes Association, have chosen Anybill for our proven solutions and superior customer service. We also maintain a broad range of strategic relationships with local and national CPA firms such as Raffa, BDO Seidman, and KPMG.