[Editor’s Note: Ardent Partners recently published its Accounts Payable-themed report, “The State of ePayables 2025: AP’s Unfinished Journey.” Over the next several weeks, this site will feature our series highlighting key AP management strategies and top priorities for 2025.
Sub-Process Automation: Encouraging Signs with Gaps to Close
Industry-wide adoption of ePayables technology continues to rise, but perhaps the more significant development is how much better these solutions are being used. Teams that have deployed automation are processing higher volumes of invoices and payments, which signals real progress and should provide a sense of optimism to AP professionals still evaluating or expanding their technology strategies.
The most automated activities today include travel and expense management, payment scheduling, invoice approvals, payment execution, and invoice processing. These areas lend themselves to rule-based automation and benefit from well-established solutions that can streamline approvals, manage policy compliance, and initiate payments with light staff involvement. However, there is room for improvement. It is essential to remember that an AP digital transformation is not complete until automation extends across the entire invoice-to-pay process.
AI Adoption: A Good Start with Room to Accelerate
AI adoption within AP remains in the early stages, with fewer than half of AP teams (44%) currently using AI technologies in any capacity. This includes machine learning, natural language processing, and other AI-driven tools aimed at improving efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making. However, the landscape is shifting quickly. Within the next 12 months, the number of teams using AI is expected to rise to more than 75 percent, suggesting that many organizations are actively preparing to incorporate AI into their operations.
Despite this projected growth, a notable segment of AP teams (22%) report having no immediate plans to adopt AI. These teams may be constrained by budget limitations, integration challenges, or uncertainty around where to start. As AI tools become more accessible and embedded into core platforms, broader adoption will likely follow at a steady, but not universal, pace. AP is entering a transformative period where artificial intelligence will permeate its processes and solutions. For the 22% of respondents with no plans to use AI within the next year, it is still recommended to commit some time and effort to tracking it in the ePayables market.
