Start a conversation ↗

Description

Digitalising Accounts Payable: Paperless Processing, Automation and Controls

Move from manual supplier invoice processing to a fully tooled payables chain without losing control over your checks

  • 0.43 days — 3 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Intermediate
  • Up to 6 participants

Accounts payable concentrates repetitive tasks. Invoices arrive by email, are keyed in manually and approval reminders are chased one by one. Deadlines stretch at month-end, and discrepancies between purchase order, goods receipt and invoice are settled case by case with no usable trail.

These three hours describe a supplier chain tooled from end to end. Participants position the contribution of automated capture, three-way matching and electronic approval workflows, then identify the control points to maintain and the conditions for retaining supporting documents.

Learning objectives

  • Describe the stages of a paperless payables chain from invoice receipt to payment
  • Distinguish the contribution of automated capture and matching with the purchase order
  • Configure an approval workflow consistent with the delegations of authority in force
  • Identify the controls to retain once data entry becomes automated
  • Organise the archiving and traceability of supporting documents

What makes this programme different

The approval workflow is redesigned from the participant's actual delegations of authority
Matching exceptions are handled on a representative sample of invoices
A control checklist adapted to automated data capture is built during the session

Programme

1Mapping the Payables Cycle

Seeing where time is lost

  • Stages from invoice receipt through to payment
  • Break points between procurement, goods receipt and accounting
  • Volumes and types of invoices processed
  • Cycle time and quality indicators

2Automated Capture and Matching

Automating without losing control

  • Capture and recognition of invoice data
  • Matching with the purchase order and goods receipt
  • Handling discrepancies and invoices without a purchase order
  • Interfaces with the accounting system and the vendor master file

3Approval, Control and Retention

Preserving the audit trail

  • Designing the approval workflow and delegations of authority
  • Controls maintained after automation
  • Audit trail and traceability of changes
  • Retention conditions for digitised documents

Who is it for

Accounts payable accountants and accounting managers, together with management controllers and project leads involved in modernising the purchase-to-pay cycle.

Prerequisites

Practical experience of the purchase-to-pay cycle and accounts payable.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.