Many businesses have big dreams when it comes to digital transformation. Advancements in AI have been another huge accelerant on top of changes that have already been moving swiftly.
However, these changes have not come evenly across all areas of business. Manual processes are still going strong in many finance departments, especially accounts payable (AP) teams managing vendor payments. AP teams are still using old-school methods to chase down approvals, cut checks and reconcile payments, often across multiple systems that don’t speak to one another.
Everybody knows there are inefficiencies, but upgrading feels risky. Automation sounds appealing, but not if it means having to reengineer your company’s ERP system. So employees soldier on while other areas of the business digitize and automate for incredible efficiency gains.
Fortunately, there is a better way. In 2025, modernizing your vendor payments process doesn’t have to mean replacing your ERP or disrupting your daily operations. You have to be smart about it, but the right integration-first approach can help streamline AP processes and drive those desired efficiency gains without rebuilding the financial systems you depend on every day.
Let’s talk about how you can rethink what’s possible in your business.
Why Manual Vendor Payments Hold Teams Back
According to the Institute of Financial Operations and Trends, 60 percent of AP teams are still using manual processes. Even in mid-market and enterprise finance teams, precious hours are spent keying invoices into accounting software.
These manual processes create bottlenecks and additional costs:
- Approvals are delayed by siloed systems and email-based routing.
- Data re-entry and miskeyed vendor information create errors.
- Vendor inquiries add significant time costs due to the difficulty of verifying payment status.
In a distributed work environment, these problems are magnified. Finance leaders are facing the same pressures to cut costs and improve visibility but they are limited by the need to avoid disrupting core systems like the ERP.
The ERP Overhaul Myth
Finance and IT leaders often assume that adopting automation in vendor payment processes would require rebuilding or heavily customizing their ERP system. That’s an intimidating possibility! The fear of disruption leads to inertia, and as a result, nothing changes. But today's payment automation platforms are designed to complement (not replace) existing ERPs.
It may help to think of modern AP automation tools as an overlay: they extend your ERP’s functionality by filling in the gaps where manual work still exists. These tools — like vendor payment automation from REPAY — use secure APIs and native connectors to integrate directly into leading ERP platforms. It’s a game-changer that brings powerful automation to your current processes without requiring extended system downtime or complex development cycles.
What ERP Payment Integration Actually Looks Like
You may be worried that integration = complication. That’s a common misconception. A properly designed solution should simplify your ecosystem, not add another layer of complexity.
REPAY’s platform connects seamlessly with ERPs like Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, Acumatica, numerous dealer management systems (DMS), and others. Here’s what the integration delivers:
- Straight-through processing: Invoice approvals and execution flow from one system, reducing manual touchpoints.
- Secure vendor payments: Data is securely stored through tokenization and encryption, following best practices for security.
- Realtime reconciliation: You can reduce reconciliation effort and time spent tracking down missing and late payments.
By expanding your ERP’s AP capabilities, REPAY allows teams to work within familiar interfaces while upgrading the back-end processes, which leads to greater efficiency.
The Strategic Value of AP Automation
Payment automation saves time, but it does so much more than that. In our experience as a leader in this industry, we’ve seen that organizations that implement integrated AP solutions experience noticeable improvements in many of the metrics that matter most to them:
- Faster cycle times
- Lower costs per transaction
- Stronger supplier relationships
That’s on top of the improvements to security and compliance that come from modern systems. Look for platforms that enable role-based permissions, realtime monitoring and encryption across every transaction. This will give your IT and compliance teams greater confidence in payment workflows.
What to Look For in Payment Automation Software
However, it’s important to note that not all payment automation providers are built to work with your infrastructure. When you enter the evaluation stage and start comparing specific solutions, ask questions like these:
- Does the platform offer native ERP integrations or require workarounds?
- Can it support multiple payment types from one interface?
- Is it designed to scale with your business across locations, teams, and systems?
- What kind of support and onboarding is included?
REPAY stands out by offering true embedded ERP integrations and dedicated onboarding for finance and IT teams. Our approach minimizes the lift for internal teams while delivering long-term value and agility.
AP Payment Automation That Won’t Disrupt ERP
Here’s the good news: you don’t need a new ERP to modernize your vendor payments. REPAY brings the automation, security, and control your finance team needs into the system you already use.
With a faster time to value and fewer operational risks, integrated payment automation lets your team move forward with confidence. Streamline payments, reduce costs, and strengthen supplier relationships without the pain of a complete system upgrade.
Explore how REPAY integrates with your ERP to automate vendor payments.