Common Accounts Payable Errors to Look Out For: One of the more difficult facets of running a business is processing invoices for accounts payable. However, it continues to be a crucial one for every organisation.

The cash flow of the company is significantly impacted by the accounts payable procedure. We can benefit from streamlining the accounts payable process by keeping good contact with our suppliers.

Bills may not be paid on time, supplier relationships may be harmed, late fees and other costs may be incurred, and the credit score may even be negatively impacted without a properly managed accounts payable procedure.

Continue reading to learn about some typical errors and how to establish the ideal workflow for the accounts payable process. There is always room for advancement in accounts payable.

Common Accounts Payable Errors That Businesses Should Avoid

• Duplicate Payments: Most double payments are caused by manual data entry, though they can happen from other causes as well. A single invoice may be paid twice due to errors in manually submitted invoice amounts, supplier data, or even coding. Additionally, if the initial invoice isn’t paid off right away, suppliers frequently send out a second one. It’s easy to unintentionally pay both invoices that are lying around the office. Uncertainty over which location is paying which vendor invoice can arise if you run a company with many locations. Keep an eye out for double payouts!
• Delayed Payments: We aim to guarantee that all our accounts payable obligations are fulfilled completely and on time. Yet the corporation can end up paying late for a variety of reasons. The payment may arrive later than anticipated if a bill is misfiled, entered erroneously into the accounting software, or if we just lack the funds. The credit status of that business and others may suffer for years if accounts payable are not paid on time. We don’t want to come to the point where we can’t receive the supplies or inventory, we need to conduct our business. The primary responsibility of the accounts payable services department is to ensure prompt payment of your bills.
• Settling Bills Before Delivery: Overworked accounts payable workers may unintentionally pay bills when they come in without verifying that the products were delivered or, if they were, that they were in the condition that was expected. Paying bills in advance can sometimes result in savings from suppliers, but it’s not always a good idea, especially if the source is new.
• Processing That Is Unreliable and Slow: Manually processing the accounts payable might take a lot of time. If the internal process is ineffective, the outcomes might not be ideal. For instance, a medium-sized business can require the approval of two or more employees before processing a vendor invoice. These approvals will take longer if they need to hand-deliver or email the invoice around. When the invoice is paid, it’s possible that an early-bird discount or even a late payment fee was overlooked.

If our internal process is ineffective, there is also a danger of making unlawful transactions in addition to late payments. Setting guidelines for what items to buy and who should approve such purchases can have a significant negative impact on our finances and budget. Instead, we could use outsourced accounting services.

• Failing To Finish a Purchase Order: Most of the office’s accounts payable are related to purchases of commodities, materials, or services. We probably use purchase orders to keep track of the items that have been ordered and the items that need to be ordered. A corporation issues a check for payment after receiving the items and an invoice. The accounting department must close the purchase order for it to be valid. Its cycle has come to an end. If the purchase order isn’t closed, the risk of issuing payments more than once exists. Don’t rely on the suppliers’ alert that there is a double payment.
• Bulk-Entry of The Invoices: The desire to process invoices in a batch may occur when there are several invoices to handle. This method has advantages in terms of saving time, but it also has disadvantages. Invoices should ideally be processed one at a time for one reason: to establish a thorough audit trail.

The Conclusion

It is time to take preventative measures to avoid problems caused by sloppy accounts payable procedures. A single late payment can snowball into the loss of clients and contracts. Therefore, there is no need to be concerned about lost or delayed payments if we are successful in overcoming the aforementioned accounts payable issues. We may decrease errors and spend more time developing business partnerships by putting in place a streamlined approach. Furthermore, by maintaining strong relationships with the suppliers, the company will benefit from rebates on large purchases.