As companies expand, finance teams are often asked to process more transactions without a proportional increase in staff or resources. For accounts payable (AP) departments, this challenge presents a critical question: how can volume grow without compromising timeliness, accuracy, or oversight?
The solution lies in automation. When thoughtfully implemented, AP automation does not replace personnel—it enhances their capacity. It allows teams to focus less on routine processing and more on exception management, vendor relationships, and financial insight.
This article explores how several organizations have used Ascend’s automation tools, integrated with Workday, to scale AP operations efficiently while preserving headcount and improving performance.
The Operational Limits of Manual AP Processes
Manual AP systems, often based on spreadsheets, email, or legacy tools, are ill-suited for scale. As invoice volume increases, these systems require more labor, introduce more risk, and limit visibility.
Key issues that arise include:
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Delays in invoice approvals and payments
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Increased errors from manual data entry
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Poor visibility into processing status
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Heavy reliance on individual employees for process knowledge
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Reduced time for analysis, reporting, and strategic support
Hiring additional staff may offer temporary relief, but without systemic improvements, it does not address the root inefficiencies that strain AP departments over time.
Automation as an Enabler, Not a Replacement
Ascend’s AP automation platform is built to support—not replace—finance professionals. By automating repetitive tasks such as invoice intake, data extraction, and coding, the system allows teams to redirect their efforts to higher-value activities.
These activities include:
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Investigating and resolving exceptions
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Monitoring vendor performance
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Supporting audits and internal reporting
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Collaborating with procurement and budget owners
Rather than eliminating jobs, automation strengthens the role of AP by eliminating low-value work and enabling staff to contribute more strategically.
One illustrative example is OU Health, which reduced its AP validation workload by 83 percent, from multiple full-time positions to just 20 hours of effort per week. No jobs were eliminated; responsibilities shifted toward oversight and reconciliation.
OU Health
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Increased touchless processing to 90 percent, up from 40–50 percent
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Reduced validation labor to 20 hours per week
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Retained staff and reassigned effort to analytical work
Virgin Voyages
Panera Bread
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Processes 400,000+ invoices annually
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Improved OCR header recognition from ~50 percent to 85 percent
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Centralized AP across 2,000+ locations with 40 percent faster processing
Sturdy Memorial Hospital
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Attained 65 percent touchless processing and 98 percent OCR accuracy
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Reduced manual invoice handling from four touches to nearly zero
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AP staff shifted from data entry to exception handling and analysis
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Completed implementation in just over two months
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Realized 30 percent time savings shortly after go-live
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Selected Ascend for its integration strength and user-oriented design
Conclusion: Expanding Capacity Without Expanding Headcount
Accounts payable teams should not be expected to scale through manual effort alone. When equipped with the right technology, AP professionals can support higher volumes, improve accuracy, and contribute meaningfully to broader financial goals.
The companies featured in this article did not reduce staff. They invested in systems that allowed their existing teams to achieve more. That is the essence of modern AP automation: empowering professionals to do their best work at scale.
To explore how Ascend can support your AP transformation, we invite you to connect with our team for a tailored demonstration.
