For many organizations, accounts payable (AP) has long been viewed as a necessary back office function responsible for processing invoices and paying suppliers on time. While accuracy and efficiency remain essential, today’s finance leaders increasingly expect AP to deliver more. They need teams that can support growth, provide operational flexibility, improve visibility into financial commitments, and contribute to broader business objectives. Achieving those goals requires more than implementing new technology. It demands a thoughtful transformation built on process improvement, organizational alignment, and scalable automation. This was the focus during a recent Ardent Partners webcast, “Scaling AP Without Scaling Complexity,” featuring Andrew Bartolini, chief research officer for Ardent Partners; Nick Nolan, U.S. controller for FirstCash; and Noel Landis, manager, bill pay specialists for Ramp.
Attendees received a practical look at what an AP transformation looks like when approached strategically. Rather than focusing exclusively on software capabilities, the discussion centered on eliminating operational bottlenecks, empowering employees, and creating an AP organization capable of supporting rapid business growth. One of the most significant outcomes of FirstCash’s transformation was not simply faster invoice processing. It was removing AP as a constraint on the rest of the business. Prior to automation, finance teams frequently found themselves responding to urgent payment requests, manually processing invoices, and managing constant exceptions. These recurring fire drills consumed valuable time while delaying work across multiple departments.
Today, that environment looks dramatically different. Instead of reacting to emergencies, the AP team operates from a position of control. Invoice approvals move quickly through automated workflows, payment flexibility has improved, and business stakeholders no longer spend their time tracking invoice status or escalating payment requests. According to Nolan, one of the greatest accomplishments has been eliminating the daily operational disruptions that once dominated the team’s workload. Those benefits extend well beyond the AP department. As organizations grow through acquisitions and geographic expansion, finance teams often struggle to integrate new business units into existing financial processes. Multiple ERP environments, inconsistent workflows, and disconnected payment systems frequently create additional complexity just as organizations are attempting to scale.
Solving Operational Challenges
FirstCash approached this challenge differently. Rather than adding more disconnected systems, the organization built an accounts payable process designed for expansion. New business units can now be incorporated into standardized workflows quickly, allowing acquired organizations to begin operating within the company’s AP environment in a relatively short period of time. That flexibility provides significant long-term value because future growth no longer requires rebuilding financial operations from scratch.
Scalability. Operational scalability also changed how finance resources are utilized. Before automation, employees devoted considerable time to repetitive administrative activities such as importing payment files, initiating transactions, and managing manual workflows. Those responsibilities limited their ability to contribute to higher-value financial activities.
Automation. Automation created an opportunity to rethink how people spend their time. Rather than assigning employees to repetitive processing tasks, FirstCash has been able to involve team members more broadly across accounting operations. The result is not simply greater efficiency, but a workforce that contributes more strategically to the organization.
Relationship management. The transformation also improved relationships with internal stakeholders. Historically, AP departments often become known for delays because approval workflows require multiple handoffs and limited visibility. Employees frequently contact finance requesting invoice updates or asking for expedited payments because they lack confidence in the underlying process. By simplifying approvals and enabling mobile access for managers, FirstCash significantly improved the user experience. Employees can approve invoices from their phones instead of waiting until they return to their desks, accelerating payment cycles while reducing frustration across the organization. Finance no longer serves as a bottleneck but instead becomes an enabler of business operations.
Equally important was the organization’s disciplined implementation strategy. Rather than attempting a company-wide rollout immediately, FirstCash deliberately selected lower-risk departments where finance maintained close vendor relationships. This allowed the team to validate payment workflows, test remittance processes, and refine operational procedures before expanding deployment across the broader enterprise.
That measured approach reduced implementation risk while giving the AP team valuable experience with the new platform. Once internal confidence increased, broader organizational adoption became significantly easier because proven processes and training materials already existed.
An important lesson for finance leaders is that a successful AP transformation is not measured solely by automation rates or invoice processing speed. The greatest value comes from removing friction throughout the organization, creating scalable financial operations, and giving finance professionals the time to focus on activities that drive greater business value.
For organizations pursuing digital finance initiatives, the experience shared by FirstCash demonstrates that sustainable transformation begins by identifying operational bottlenecks and systematically removing them. Technology enables that change, but thoughtful planning, phased implementation, and organizational alignment ultimately determine whether automation delivers lasting strategic impact.
This is Part One of three that we’ll be featuring over the coming weeks. Access the full webcast here.
