AvidXchange Chief Evangelist on Barriers to AP Automation Innovation
The SAP Concur Conversations podcast features Chris Elmore, Chief Evangelist at AvidXchange, discussing barriers to innovation in AP automation. Elmore notes that the risk-averse culture in accounting trains younger workers to uphold the status quo rather than drive change. He emphasizes that the real value of automation is freeing up time for accountants to focus on high-value work, citing the historical example of loom industry automation creating new markets.
Impact and considerations
Advancing AP automation involves not only technology selection but also organizational culture and change management. Understanding how risk-averse culture impedes innovation and how automation frees time for high-value work provides reference for finance managers driving digital transformation.
Key points
- The risk-averse culture in accounting trains younger workers to uphold the status quo.
- No one in AP is incentivized to disrupt the status quo, which is a key barrier to innovation.
- The real value of automation is freeing up time for accountants to focus on high-value work.
- After the loom industry was 90% automated, jobs actually increased because automation reduced production costs and opened new markets.
- Technology investments should focus on mission, purpose, and outcome, not just because the technology is cool.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- SAP Concur
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 12 Jul 2023, 19:03
- Page published
- 14 Aug 2026, 08:22
- Last updated
- 12 Jul 2023, 19:03
- Original links
- SAP Concur Blog：Reimagining AP and Moving Beyond Digitization: An SAP Concur Conversations Podcast (opens in a new tab)Primary source · en · Published 12 Jul 2023, 19:03