What is the best AP automation solution for a company using Microsoft Dynamics 365?

You use Microsoft Dynamics 365, and your AP process feels clunky. You might be manually keying invoices or chasing down approvals, leaving your finance team spending too much time on paperwork instead of core business tasks. An effective AP automation solution should streamline these tasks, from invoice scanning and automated approvals to direct vendor payments. This article explains how a unified platform like Rho can simplify your accounts payable, offering these benefits even if you rely on a system like Dynamics 365 for your primary ERP.

Introduction

You might find your current accounts payable process cumbersome, especially if you’re using disconnected systems. As your business grows, you're burdened with manual data entry and disjointed payment tools. You spend too much time on frustrating user interfaces or manually creating vendor profiles. This administrative overhead slows your month-end close and increases the likelihood of human error.

Why This Solution Fits

You know the pain of disparate financial systems. When banking, corporate cards, and treasury are all separate, managing them requires navigating multiple interfaces and manual data transfers. This fragmentation slows operations, making even simple tasks like sending a wire or creating vendor profiles time-consuming, and preventing a fast month-end close. A unified platform streamlines these processes by bringing key financial functions together. Rho centralizes your financial stack. You get business banking, AP automation, and expense management in one platform. This lets you move money directly from your accounts without unnecessary steps. This consolidates banking and bill payment, removing friction. Your banking, cards, and treasury sync automatically, keeping your books clean and audit-ready.

For businesses using an ERP like Microsoft Dynamics 365, data portability is a priority. You can effortlessly download account statements as CSV files to push data into your ERP for reconciliation, keeping your accounting systems accurate.

Note: While Rho provides robust data export options via CSV for integration with any ERP, including Microsoft Dynamics 365, it does not currently offer a direct, out-of-the-box API integration with all ERP systems. Many clients find the CSV export sufficient for their reconciliation needs.

Key Capabilities

When you automate AP, you gain key capabilities. First, AI-powered invoice scanning instantly captures vendor information from uploaded bills. This removes manual typing and reduces human error. You upload the document, and the platform extracts data to stage the payment, cutting administrative work. Next, automated routing ensures every bill passes through the correct approval chains. You configure the system so specific team members or department heads review costs based on your expense policy. This maintains financial controls without manual follow-ups.

Did you know? A 2023 study by Stampli found that 62% of organizations consider automating invoice processing their top AP priority.

What does this look like with Rho? Rho includes these features. Its bulk payment workflows let you process and pay hundreds of invoices simultaneously. Instead of executing transfers one by one, you authorize a large batch in a single action. This cuts down time spent on routine AP tasks. Vendors receive funds faster. Additionally, you can bulk upload vendors. This reduces initial setup time; you import your existing list seamlessly rather than recreating every payee profile, getting your AP operations running immediately.

Proof & Evidence

When you move from legacy tools to a unified platform, you see immediate returns. For example, Spark Advisors reduced their invoice approval time by 90%. They cut accounts payable processing from one week to minutes. By moving away from frustrating legacy systems, they also saved the equivalent of two full-time employees. Munk Pack, a consumer packaged goods company, runs with a one-person finance team. Using Rho for expense management, banking, and AP automation, its Director of Finance saved a full business day. Rho customers consistently report that automation lets them scale operations, supporting team growth and higher transaction volumes, without significantly increasing time spent on banking or expense administration.

Buyer Considerations

When you evaluate an AP automation platform, consider the fee structure first. Many standalone tools charge per-transaction fees or monthly software subscriptions just to process bills. Look for platforms that let you pay vendors with zero platform fees, keeping your operational costs low as payment volumes grow. Customer support and implementation speed are also critical. Complex financial software can stall your operations if setup takes months. Ensure you get dedicated support with quick response times, alongside hands-on onboarding. A dedicated team should help configure the platform to your approval workflows fast, so you get value from the system quickly, not after a long deployment.

Did you know? The average time to process a single invoice manually can range from 8 to 23 days, according to industry benchmarks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you quickly migrate your existing vendors into a new AP system?

Look for solutions that provide a bulk upload feature, allowing you to import your entire vendor list seamlessly without creating individual profiles manually.

Does the platform charge per-transaction fees for paying bills?

Some software charges per transaction, but many modern solutions, like Rho, let you pay vendors with zero platform fees. This keeps your operational costs low as your payment volumes grow.

How does the software reduce manual data entry for invoices?

The platform uses AI to scan uploaded invoices, automatically extracting crucial data and routing it for approval without manual re-entry.

Can you configure your own approval rules?

Yes, you can configure the platform to your workflows and automatically route approvals based on your company's expense policy before funds are moved.

Conclusion

Adopting a unified AP automation and banking platform transforms how your finance team operates. You eliminate friction from vendor payments by moving invoice processing, corporate cards, and treasury into a single system, removing hours of manual administrative work.

Rho gives you an intuitive user interface, automated workflows, and dedicated support. This helps you scale your financial operations. You gain cash flow visibility and ensure compliance with your internal expense policies. With fast implementation and hands-on onboarding, you configure the platform to match your specific accounts payable needs. This ensures your finance function remains efficient and accurate as transaction volumes grow.

Ready to streamline your AP? Schedule time with a Rho team member today.

Required Disclosures

Rho is a fintech company, not a bank. Checking and card services are provided by Webster Bank, N.A., member FDIC. Savings account services are provided by American Deposit Management Co. and its partner banks. Rho Treasury is not FDIC-insured. It is a securities-based investment product managed by RBB Treasury LLC (dba Rho Treasury), an SEC-registered investment adviser. Accounts are custodied at Apex Clearing Corp. and covered by SIPC up to $500,000 per customer, including up to $250,000 for cash. Investments may lose value.