2025 Accounts Payable Automation Trends Report: Key Takeaways

A SAP Concur blog post summarizes the Accounts Payable Automation Trends research study it sponsored, conducted by The Institute of Financial Operations and Leadership (IFOL). The report shows 52% of AP professionals now spend fewer than ten hours per week processing invoices, down from 62% a year earlier; manual entry of invoices into ERP or accounting systems dropped to 60%, from 85% in 2023. However, 64% of respondents still cite stress from outdated processes as their biggest hurdle, and 40% point to strained vendor relationships. AI adoption remains limited, with only 7% of respondents using AI for spend management, though 40% are considering adoption within the next year.