In modern Shared Services Centers (SSCs), AI-based Accounts Payable (AP) Automation has evolved from simple data entry tools to intelligent systems capable of autonomous decision-making. These solutions empower shared services to manage massive invoice volumes from diverse global vendors with high precision and minimal human intervention. By leveraging AI, organizations can significantly reduce processing times, enhance accuracy, and improve overall operational efficiency. Our AI Assisted AP Automation solution is tailored to meet the unique needs of SSCs, ensuring that your team can focus on strategic initiatives rather than mundane tasks.


1. The Core Transformation: Data to Insight

Unlike traditional OCR (Optical Character Recognition), which requires rigid templates for every vendor, AI-driven solutions use Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing (NLP).

• Agnostic Ingestion: The AI can "read" an invoice whether it’s a PDF, a scanned image, or a mobile photo, understanding context (e.g., distinguishing between a "Bill To" address and a "Remit To" address) without needing a pre-defined layout.
• Categorization: It automatically assigns General Ledger (GL) codes by analyzing historical patterns and line-item descriptions, ensuring consistent accounting across different business units.

2. Advanced Validation: The "Digital Auditor"

Shared services use AI to perform deep validation that goes beyond basic math checks:

• Three-Way Matching: The AI automatically reconciles the Invoice against the Purchase Order (PO) and the Goods Receipt (GR). It detects discrepancies in unit price, quantity, or tax calculations in real-time.
• Fraud & Anomaly Detection: It flags "suspicious" invoices by identifying duplicate billing, unusual price spikes, or banking detail changes that deviate from a vendor's historical profile.
• Compliance Checks: In global SSCs, AI ensures invoices meet local tax regulations (like GST or VAT) and cross-references vendors against "Sanction Lists" (e.g., OFAC) to ensure legal compliance.

3. Intelligent Approval & Payout

The "last mile" of AP, approving and scheduling payment is where AI provides the most strategic value to shared services:

Feature : How AI Handles It

Routing : Invoices are automatically sent to the correct cost center manager based on organizational hierarchy and spend limits.

Exception Handling : Minor discrepancies (e.g., a $0.05 rounding error) are auto-resolved based on pre-set "tolerance" rules, while major issues are routed to a human "Exception Specialist."

Dynamic Discounting : AI identifies invoices eligible for early-payment discounts and prioritizes them in the payout queue to maximize savings.

Cash Flow Optimization : The system suggests the optimal time to pay based on the company’s current liquidity and the vendor's importance.

4. Why Shared Services Prefer AI

• Scalability: SSCs can grow their business volume by 2x or 3x without hiring more AP clerks.
• Touchless Processing: High-performing SSCs aim for a "Straight-Through Processing" (STP) rate of over 80%, where the invoice is received, validated, and scheduled for payment without a human ever looking at it.
• Vendor Relations: Automated systems provide vendors with real-time status updates through portals, reducing the volume of "Where is my money?" inquiries to the helpdesk.