Gartner defines the accounts payable applications market as cloud-based applications that enable corporate controllers and their teams to automatically manage supplier invoice processing, facilitate payments and support supplier master data management across one or more ERP applications. Organizations use accounts payable applications to improve their supplier invoice processing, payments and supplier master data management activities. They allow organizations to efficiently and confidently pay supplier invoices. These applications are modular cloud-based tools that customers can configure to deliver standard processes and integrate with one or more ERP applications. Additionally, they integrate with other operational tools, such as source-to-pay suites, partner networks, banks and payment service providers, while creating flexibility for suppliers to deliver supplier invoices. An example would be the collection and processing of supplier invoices using a digital mailroom, whereby data (structured and unstructured) is extracted from scanned documents and validated prior to approval for payment.
Error and Anomaly Detection in finance leverage AI and ML to identify errors, mistakes, or unusual activity, as well as violations of internal policies, compliance rules, and accounting standards. These tools report anomalies and errors in real-time or via periodic batch processing, allowing users to take investigative or corrective actions on findings. These tools can be leveraged as on-premises, cloud-based or stand-alone solutions; or integrated with accounting and reporting systems (e.g., ERP). The typical users of these tools are risk management teams, fraud, and financial analysts, IT security teams, and compliance officers.
Expense management software is used to simplify organizations’ expense reimbursement and reconciliation process. The software provides facilities for expense report creation, submission, approval, reimbursement, and accounting. The software replaces the manual paperwork with an automated workflow to upload, track and submit expense receipts conveniently. These reimbursement receipts are accessible to the administrators through a streamlined process to approve the claims while checking for any corporate policy violations. In addition, the software assists organizations in keeping track of employees’ corporate expenses. It is widely used by finance and procurement teams, employees who submit expense claims, managers who review and approve them, and leadership groups responsible for monitoring overall organizational spending.