In many companies, the teams responsible for spend often operate in silos. The accounts payable (AP) team handles invoices and payments, Procurement sources and purchases goods and services, and Legal drafts and reviews contracts. Each has its own goals, metrics and priorities. But that separation creates friction, inefficiency and missed opportunities.
The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Functions
When these teams operate in silos, here’s what happens:
- AP receives unmatched invoices = more exceptions, delays
- Procurement negotiates terms Legal/AP can’t execute
- Legal signs contracts that don’t reflect operational workflows
Result?
- Payment delays
- Supplier disputes
- Lost cash flow
Where Collaboration Pays Off
Cross-functional alignment improves:
- Cycle time: Invoices process 70% faster
- Match rate: PO-to-invoice accuracy > 90%
- Compliance: Fewer surprises, less fraud risk
Top AP performers process 3x more invoices at ¼ the cost
What Strategic Alignment Looks Like
Here’s how smart finance teams make it work:
1. Shared KPIs
- % of invoices matched to PO & contract
- Cost per invoice
- Days Payable Outstanding (DPO)
📍 Hold monthly review meetings across AP, Procurement & Legal
2. Standardized Workflows
- Map your procure-to-pay journey
- Define when Legal reviews are required
- Use shared templates for onboarding, POs, and contracts
📁 Standardization = fewer errors + faster approvals
3. Integrated Systems
- Sync your AP automation, procurement, and CLM tools
- Use dashboards to track status in real time
- Automate routing & matching with AI
🖥️ Automation lifts touchless processing from <20% to >60%
4. Cultural Alignment
- Cross-train staff (e.g., AP learns supplier terms)
- View Legal as an enabler, not a blocker
- Build a cadence: monthly alignment, quarterly reviews
💡 Better communication = fewer fire drills
ROI Benchmarks
AP, Procurement and Legal don’t have to be silos.
When they align:
- Payments accelerate
- Risks drop
- Cash unlocks
Book a demo to see how unified AP automation helps cross-functional teams work smarter, not slower.
