Good relationships in credit and collections make all the difference to a successful strategy. Both internal relationships with sales and management, and external relationships with customers are key to creating an environment of openness, collaboration — and ultimately, receivables success — yet it’s sometimes a delicate balance. Lisa stresses communicating early and often is important to making certain all the stakeholders are aware of a collections situation, to discovering why an invoice hasn’t been paid, and making sure the issues are resolved to ensure accurate and timely payments.

In this podcast, Defays discusses the problem of siloing in the O2C process and how that can impact the business’s bottom line. He also offers suggestions for improving O2C operations by using training resources, benchmarking and best practices as tools for broadening perspective and getting out of “we’ve always done it that way” mode.

Join us for a conversation between Debra Richardson and IOFM’s Executive Editor Jess Scheer as they discuss the vendor master file, fraud, compliance, keeping the VMF clean – and how desktop procedures are a big part of that effort.

Now more than ever, the world is in flux. It’s hard to keep up with this shifting landscape — not only because of the pandemic and the workplace changes it’s necessitated, but also due to staff attrition and increased automation. Staying current requires a willingness to seek out change through constant learning. Being open to new information and developing additional skills allows AP professionals to elevate work, build confidence and engage with the team in a positive way.

If you have a long list of professional achievements, yet you still doubt your own qualifications and worth sometimes, you may be a victim of “imposter syndrome.” According to Sherry Stroud, APM, this can prevent you from reaching your maximum potential. However, the good news is it can be overcome. In this podcast, Stroud explains what imposter syndrome is, how it works — and how to conquer it.

One problem with AP automation is that we tend to look no further than the implementation and the immediate issues it solves. But what comes after that? In many cases, the assumption held by the top of the organization all the way on down is that automation will result in big staff reductions. However, in many cases, reallocating those human resources to more strategic, less clerical tasks can create a better outcome for the business. Join Tiffany Miller as she discusses the hidden treasure within AP, what comes after automation, and how to educate upper management and the rest of the organization about the value-added tasks staff can take on when their clerical duties are minimized. The bottom line, she says, is treating team members with honesty and respect, no matter how their roles will change post-implementation.

Liberal arts graduate Michael Rochelle dreamed of working in accounts payable. Although he didn’t have any experience in the field, one day he took a chance and applied for an AP job. The hiring manager saw something in him and brought him onboard. Now, almost 20 years later, he has achieved his dream, bringing a fresh perspective to his role as Senior Manager. Join Michael as he offers an innovative, fun way of thinking about leadership in this entertaining podcast.

In this podcast, IOFM Advisory Panelist David Glass discusses virtual card programs and the benefits for both his organization and the vendors—faster payments for vendors, less time and money spent processing paper checks for his organization. Through the combined efforts of his team and his card provider, WVU Medicine continues to grow the program, making AP a profit center within just three years.

Accounts payable director Bethany Mezzadra offers insight into her techniques for developing a highly productive and engaged AP team. She candidly discusses her strategies for problem-solving and improvement during the pandemic, which coincided with a major system implementation earlier this year, and balancing performance with compassion during this difficult time.

Cameco Corporation’s AP/AR Manager Doreen Smuda offers her tips for leading a remote team. Her financial operations team began experimenting with working from home more than a year ago, giving her a head start in capturing lessons learned. Spoiler Alert: She thinks there may be some long-term good news for AP departments that come from these unparalleled times.