Back to all articles
Technical
Accounts Payable Automation: From Invoice to Payment in 60 Seconds
Technical deep-dive into automated AP workflows that eliminate manual processing while maintaining full audit trails and approval controls.
16 min read
January 11, 2025
Accounts payable remains one of the most labor-intensive functions in enterprise finance. Despite decades of ERP investment, the average AP department still processes significant portions of invoices manually, with each invoice touching 4-6 people before payment. True AP automation requires more than digitizing paper—it requires rethinking the entire invoice-to-payment workflow around instant, programmable payments. This technical guide explores how modern treasury infrastructure enables end-to-end AP automation.
The Current State of AP
$15-40
Cost to Process Single Invoice
25 days
Average Invoice Cycle Time
4-6
People Touching Each Invoice
Automated Invoice Processing
typescript
// Automated AP Workflow with GRAIN
import { TreasurySDK } from '@grainandvault/treasury-sdk'
const treasury = new TreasurySDK({ apiKey: process.env.GRAIN_API_KEY })
// Invoice arrives via email/EDI/API
const invoice = await parseInvoice(incomingDocument)
// Automatic 3-way match (PO, Receipt, Invoice)
const matchResult = await treasury.threeWayMatch({
invoice,
purchaseOrder: await erp.getPO(invoice.poNumber),
receipt: await erp.getReceipt(invoice.receiptNumber)
})
if (matchResult.matched && matchResult.variance < 0.02) {
// Auto-approve and schedule payment
await treasury.schedulePayment({
vendor: invoice.vendorId,
amount: invoice.amount,
currency: 'GRAIN',
executeAt: calculateOptimalPaymentDate(invoice.terms),
metadata: { invoiceId: invoice.id }
})
}Approval Workflows
Smart contract-based approval workflows encode business rules directly into payment execution. Spending limits, multi-signature requirements, and segregation of duties are enforced automatically. Audit trails are immutable. And unlike traditional approval systems, these controls work 24/7 without human intervention.
- Under $10K: Automatic approval if 3-way match succeeds
- $10K-$100K: Manager approval required (mobile notification)
- Over $100K: Director + Finance approval (multi-sig)
- New vendors: Additional compliance review automatically triggered
Ready to Transform Your Treasury?
Join forward-thinking enterprises using GRAIN for instant, zero-friction payments with protected reserves.