How a Leading University Achieved 88% Faster Processing With Grant-Based Payables Automation
Industry: Education
Service: Grant Fund Payables Compliance & Automation
Client Background
The client is a well-known private university in the USA with more than 12,000 students and six academic departments funded through government grants, research programs and private scholarships. As research activity expanded, the finance team struggled to manage grant-linked invoices.
Every vendor payment required funding validation, supporting documents and audit-ready proof. All of this was done manually, making the process slow, error-prone and difficult to track across departments.
Challenges
- Manual funding validation: Each invoice had to be manually checked against grant rules, which resulted in allocation errors and processing delays.
- High audit risks: Inconsistent documentation storage made it challenging to demonstrate compliance during audits.
- Delayed vendor payments: Faculty invoices often sat in inboxes waiting for approval, leading to slow payments and vendor frustration.
- Limited expense transparency: Department heads lacked real-time insight into grant utilization, available balances and committed spend.
How Did APS Help?
- Automated funding allocation – APS implemented automated matching that assigned each invoice to the correct grant, project or cost category based on predefined rules and PO details.
- Digitized compliance documentation – All supporting documents including vendor quotes, purchase requests and grant approvals were digitized and securely linked to each invoice.
- Approval routing for faculty and finance teams – A simplified workflow ensured that invoices were routed directly to the relevant faculty members and grant administrators for timely validation and approval.
- Grant utilization dashboard – Real-time dashboards gave a clear view of committed spend, available funds and upcoming payouts, helping prevent overspending.
Results Achieved
- Invoice turnaround accelerated by 88%, dropping from 14 days to just 4–5 days.
- Funding mismatches were reduced by 95% through the use of automated allocation.
- Audit readiness improved significantly with complete, organized compliance data.
- Department heads gained clear visibility into grant spending versus available budget.
- Vendor satisfaction increased thanks to consistent, on-time payments.
As a result, the university gained:
- Accurate and compliant allocation for all grant-funded expenses.
- Better financial decisions backed by real-time transparency.
- Smoother coordination between finance teams and academic departments.
- A scalable AP system capable of supporting future grant expansion.
APS helped the university shift from manual, fragmented grant payable management to a fully automated, compliant and audit-ready process. With clearer visibility, faster approvals and stronger financial control, the institution can now support research growth confidently and manage grant funding with far greater accuracy and accountability.