Centralizing Procure-to-Pay: 70% Time Saved for a Leading Aviation Academy
Industry: Travel & Aviation Training
Service: Accounts Payable Automation
Challenges
- Decentralized Purchasing: Each location managed its procurement using spreadsheets, resulting in fragmented data and a lack of oversight.
- Limited Visibility: The accounting team only became aware of purchases when invoices were received, too late for proper tracking or control.
- Manual Reconciliation: Cross-referencing invoices with spreadsheets was error-prone and time-consuming, often taking several days per month.
- No Real-Time Updates: Purchase orders were inconsistently captured, changes weren’t logged, and missing information led to follow-ups.
- CFO Concerns: The lack of situational awareness around spend created budgeting blind spots and operational inefficiencies.
Our Solution
Amid the COVID-19 slowdown, the academy partnered with APS to streamline its procure-to-pay process. Here’s how we transformed their operations:
- Implemented a centralized procurement system across all locations, eliminating the use of spreadsheets and shared drives.
- Automated the full purchasing and approval workflow, providing complete visibility from PO creation to invoice.
- Enabled real-time budget tracking for department heads, preventing overspending and ensuring accountability.
- Improved invoice matching and exception handling, significantly reducing follow-up and reconciliation time
Results Achieved
Within months of implementation, APS helped the client gain full control over its purchasing process and dramatically reduce manual workload. Here’s what we achieved:
- 70% reduction in time spent reconciling invoices and purchase records, freeing up the accounting team for strategic tasks.
- 100% visibility into real-time purchasing activity across all locations.
- Fully automated approval workflows eliminating delays and manual oversight.
- Zero spreadsheet dependency, ensuring better data integrity and audit readiness.
- Improved budget control, with proactive spend tracking and fewer invoice-related surprises.
As a result, the aviation academy gained:
- Greater financial control and operational visibility.
- Faster monthly closings with minimal errors or follow-ups.
- Confident, real-time decision-making for CFOs and department heads.
- A scalable, modern procurement process that supports future growth.
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