While getting rid of paper seems to be the mantra of the 21st Century for those in AP and accounting departments around the globe, “going green” and saving a few trees while we’re at it, is not only a worthy trend and good for the environment (a sheepish nod to Hollywood’s green brigade) it’s good for your department’s bottom line!

There’s been a growing best practice movement with The Accounts Payable Network members and savvy finance professionals in all types of organizations: they’re getting rid of paper checks and combining the use of a well-designed p-card program with vendor ACH payments, and saying bye-bye to check stock, needless costs and wasted time with huge check runs. Cutting paper checks is like ingesting a bowl of empty calories. The munchies always show up on your waistline, stomach, or on the AP department cost placard.

In talking with so many in accounts payable, some have lamented that they just don’t know where to begin to get rid of the paper. Furthermore, they are frustrated that their company or organization would probably never entertain the notion of investing in scanning or imaging software, even though it’s been on AP’s Christmas list for three or more years now.

Well, you can start small and affect some change without a big purchase. One trailblazing TAPN member company is doing 91 percent ACH payments! No, that’s not a typo; 91 percent. Only 9 percent of their $2 billion annual disbursements is paid with paper checks.

If you happen to belong to TAPN, click on the AP Profiles tab and read the Aquila case study. Another company I recently spoke with, a well-known restaurant chain that just joined TAPN, is in 31 states and growing rapidly, is at 70 percent ACH, and just implemented a p-card program six months ago. They are saying bye-bye to paper checks. You can, too!

Susan M. Bova
Director, eLearning
The AP Network