If you missed the recent “The Metrics and Strategies That Drive Results in 2025” webcast, hosted by Ardent Partners and Medius, it showcased that for finance leaders, AP is no longer just a back-office function — it’s a critical driver of cost savings, efficiency, and financial strategy. In this webinar, the presenters unpacked the latest findings from Ardent Partners’ The AP Metrics That Matter in 2025 report and explored how today’s top-performing AP teams are achieving best-in-class results.
In part two of a two-part series, we provide some of the webcast highlights, including the key benchmarks, trends, and strategies that will shape the future of AP.
Click on the link to access the full event and exclusive content.
AI and Automation: The Future of AP Starts Now
Accounts Payable is on the brink of something bigger. What was once a routine, transactional department is evolving into a vital part of enterprise strategy, thanks to the convergence of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). After years of slow, incremental change, AP is now being recognized as a source of strategic value — capable of influencing cash flow, supplier relationships, and operational efficiency.
This transformation didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it took a global crisis to accelerate the shift. The pandemic made it clear that manual, paper-based processes were no longer sustainable. Forward-thinking companies took the disruption as a signal to modernize, with many starting with AP. As a result, what was once a reactive function is now poised to become a hub of predictive insight and automation-led value creation.
But that doesn’t mean the road ahead is smooth. AP leaders expect 2025 to be more demanding than previous years, citing challenges ranging from supply chain instability to rising fraud threats. These difficulties have intensified the pressure on teams to do more with less, optimizing performance even as they reduce costs and resources. Fortunately, that’s exactly where technology can make a difference.
AI, in particular, is becoming a game-changer. From automated invoice data capture to predictive exception handling, AI is eliminating friction and enhancing productivity. When embedded properly into workflows, AI doesn’t just replace human input — it elevates it. Think of AI as a task-based engine: goal-seeking agents trained to streamline specific processes and reveal insights no human could uncover alone.
That’s why companies are no longer asking if they should use AI, but how. The key lies in building systems that enable AI to thrive, such as clean data, clearly defined workflows, and a deep understanding of what’s possible. AI has already been integrated into AP tools for years under the guise of machine learning. Today, it’s being rebranded, repackaged, and reimagined to drive what many are calling “touchless processing.”
Touchless invoice processing has long been considered the Holy Grail in AP — and AI is finally helping bring it within reach. Rather than targeting a complete overhaul all at once, companies are using AI to reduce the last 15–20% of manual touches, delivering measurable gains in accuracy, speed, and user experience. And it’s not just for AP staff — stakeholders, invoice approvers, and suppliers all benefit when friction is removed from the process.
Fraud detection is another compelling use case. As fraudsters adopt AI themselves, finance teams must fight fire with fire, using AI to flag anomalies in payment requests, bank account changes, and supplier behavior. With 70% of AP teams expecting increased fraud attempts this year, proactive defenses are no longer optional.
Still, despite growing adoption, full automation remains rare. Many AP departments have systems in place but aren’t leveraging them effectively. In this way, AP is both ahead of the curve and trailing it — aware of the opportunity, yet struggling to reach its full potential.
If there’s one takeaway for today’s AP leaders, it’s this: transformation starts now. AI won’t fix a broken process, but it will multiply the value of one that works. The organizations that get their data house in order, automate intelligently, and prioritize continuous improvement will be the ones that define the next era of AP.
