Of all the different obstacles and barriers that can be encountered at the time of trying to introduce a change in any department related with accounts and the AP process in a company, the most dangerous and also the most common tends to be that many accountants, like the rest of the professional in the previously mentioned areas, find that their process “doesn’t work so badly.”
Barriers to automation
This “doesn’t work so badly” is a barrier very difficult to break. If you are one of the professionals who has seen the strategic value in modernizing the accounts payable process and have recognized that automation is the key , you encounter this old wall of immobilization based on this “doesn’t work so badly.”
Behind these words there is a species of auto complacency based on the satisfaction generated by the idea of it not being necessary to change, that everything is more or less working, and that it will continue to work in the same way for more time. But this commentary suffers from a complete lack of vision of how things can change. The honest reality is that you need to see how other AP departments are doing it and draw your conclusion from it. Many of these departments also say it “doesn’t work so badly”, and you are not going to like the image that they project ….You are also going to encounter departments who do have their processes automated, and the image they present is, frankly, promising.
Accounts Payable Automation
Specifically, the people from accounts payable, is the group of professionals who most need to look around them, at other AP professionals and the way in which they are do things in other places. It is something that the majority of AP professionals knows and accepts.
No one should settle for the idea that things aren't being done badly at all. That's the attitude of people who don't want to change, regardless of what's being offered to them. And the way to overcome that obstacle is not to implement technology properly or structure processes more orderly. Overcoming the main barrier to accounts payable automation lies in effective change management.
Any change requires prior preparation, ensuring that the team feels motivated and supported throughout the change process. And it definitely requires standardization in the use of the technologies associated with this automation so that the final implementation does not cause a crisis in the operations of the professional team. Presenting cases from other companies, training, and trials will instill confidence and security, which, combined with the cleanliness and agility of automation, will ensure that the final implementation is a success. agility of automation, will help create a positive environment for this change.
