Programme overview
Introduction:
Accounts payable management failures show up as late supplier payments, duplicate or fraudulent disbursements, unmatched invoices and month-end surprises in the ledger. This five-day Accounts Payable Management course from CoreConcept equips finance operations staff to run the purchase-to-payment cycle to a controlled standard: invoice capture, 2-way and 3-way matching, vendor master data, payment runs, fraud prevention, AP KPIs and a clean month-end close, including the handling of structured electronic invoices. Working on case documents and ledger extracts, each participant builds an AP Process and Control Improvement Plan for their own team.
Course Objectives:
- Process supplier invoices from receipt to posting, applying coding rules, approval routing and exception handling
- Perform 2-way and 3-way matching against purchase orders and goods receipts and resolve price and quantity variances
- Maintain vendor master data with controlled onboarding, change verification and periodic clean-up
- Prepare and review payment runs that balance supplier terms, discounts and cash availability
- Detect and prevent duplicate payments, fictitious vendors and bank detail change fraud through AP internal controls
- Close the AP ledger at month end with accruals, vendor statement reconciliations and KPI reporting
Target Audience:
- Staff responsible for receiving, coding and posting supplier invoices
- Staff who match invoices to purchase orders and goods receipts and clear exceptions
- Staff who maintain supplier records and bank details in the finance system
- Staff who prepare payment proposals and release supplier payments
- Staff who reconcile the AP subledger and prepare month-end AP schedules
Course Outline:
Day 1: Accounts Payable Foundations and the Purchase-to-Pay Cycle
- Purchase-to-Pay Process Map from Requisition to Payment
- AP Roles, Responsibilities and RACI Chart
- Supplier Invoice Types: Tax Invoice, Credit Note and Debit Note
- AP Subledger and General Ledger Control Account Link
- AP Current-State Assessment Checklist
Day 2: Matching Models, Controls Frameworks and E-Invoicing Standards
- 2-Way Versus 3-Way Matching Rules and Tolerance Settings
- Goods Receipt and Service Entry Confirmation Procedures
- Segregation of Duties Matrix for the AP Function
- Structured E-Invoice Formats: XML, QR Codes and Validation Checks
- Delegation of Authority Limits for Invoice Approval
Day 3: Invoice Processing, Vendor Master Data and Payment Runs
- Invoice Capture, Coding and Approval Workflow in the ERP
- Price and Quantity Variance Resolution Log
- Vendor Onboarding Form and Master Data Field Standards
- Payment Proposal Preparation Using Due Date and Discount Terms
- Payment File Review, Bank Upload and Remittance Advice
Day 4: AP Fraud Prevention, Risk and Performance Measurement
- Duplicate Payment Detection Queries and Recovery Audit
- Bank Detail Change Call-Back Verification Protocol
- Fictitious Vendor Red Flags and Vendor File Data Analytics
- AP KPI Scorecard: Days Payable Outstanding, Cost per Invoice and First-Pass Match Rate
- Invoice Automation Options: OCR Capture and Touchless Processing Criteria
Day 5: Month-End Close Case Study and AP Improvement Plan
- Month-End AP Close Checklist and Cut-Off Procedures
- Goods Received Not Invoiced Accrual Calculation
- Vendor Statement Reconciliation Case Exercise
- AP Aging Review and Debit Balance Clean-Up
- AP Process and Control Improvement Plan Presentation
Skills You Will Gain:
- Invoice Exception Handling
- Three-Way Match Reconciliation
- Vendor Master Data Governance
- Payment Run Scheduling
- Payment Fraud Detection
- AP Performance Reporting
- Accrual Estimation
- Subledger Reconciliation
Why Attend This Course:
- Cut the time invoices spend in exception queues by applying clear matching tolerances and variance resolution steps
- Test your own vendor file and payment routines against fraud scenarios drawn from manufacturing, services and public sector cases
- Leave with a ready-to-use month-end AP close checklist and reconciliation templates
- Return with a peer-reviewed AP Process and Control Improvement Plan tailored to your team
Conclusion:
A reliable payables function protects supplier relationships, cash and the integrity of the financial statements. Across five days, participants move from mapping the purchase-to-pay cycle to applying matching rules, vendor data controls and payment run procedures, then analysing fraud risks and performance measures. The final day applies these skills to a month-end close case, ending with an AP Process and Control Improvement Plan reviewed by peers and ready to put into practice with their own team and systems.