Buzzwords like AI and ML are everywhere — and if you’re not deep in the tech world, it can feel overwhelming. But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be.
In my world — specifically CargoWise and RAFT — AP automation follows a fairly standard process. While tools may differ in bells and whistles, conceptually they often follow the same core steps:
🔹 Expenses get accrued in the TMS (like CargoWise) using charge codes and vendors.
🔹 When a vendor invoice arrives, it goes into the AP automation tool.
🔹 The tool reads the invoice, and if there’s a reference (like a shipment or file number), it tries to match it to a file in your TMS.
🔹 From here, tools diverge. Some require human validation to approve and post, while others allow for rules-based auto-approval — reducing manual touchpoints when matches fall within pre-set parameters.
🎯 The goal should always be to automate as much as possible — if the invoice matches the accrual, let it post. Less human intervention = more efficiency.
So if tools function similarly, what separates the great ones from the rest?
👉 ALWAYS — yes, always — do demos with at least 3 vendors. And don’t settle for a polished, “best-case scenario” demo. Ask the tough questions. Stress-test the system. Here are some freight forwarder-specific questions to keep in your back pocket:
- What happens when things go wrong? (Think: missing accruals, no shipment number, duplicate vendors)
- How are workflow failures managed and tracked?
- Was the tool built with your TMS in mind? Generic AP tools may not understand freight forwarding nuances.
- How robust is the reporting? Management will want to see ROI. Can you easily spot trends, failures, and successes?
- Does the tool support centralized invoice management?
Your ops team may not love handling invoices — a good AP system can shift that burden to finance. - What’s the training curve like? How long does it take to “train” the tool to accurately read your invoices?
- How does it handle multiple shipment invoices?
A must-ask for companies dealing with consolidated invoices (hello, truckers!).
And lastly — make sure someone who truly understands your current AP process is in the room for the demo. Too often, companies take a 30,000-foot view and miss the operational nuances that make or break implementation.
💡 The devil is in the details.
Everything looks shiny from a distance. But once you get into the weeds, that’s where you’ll find out whether the tool actually fits your organization — or ends up being a costly mismatch.
📩 If you need help, let’s talk.
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