Managing accounts payable (AP) in a logistics business is a demanding task. With hundreds or even thousands of invoices flowing in every month, finance teams often find themselves buried in manual data entry, cross-checking line items, and dealing with mismatched totals. If your company uses CargoWise, there’s good news: you don’t have to handle all of this manually anymore.
Automating AP invoice posting to CargoWise not only improves efficiency but also eliminates common errors that slow down your month-end close. Let’s explore what accounts payable automation is, why it’s critical for CargoWise users, and how to get started practically and cost-effectively.
Why do Manual AP Processes Cause Delays and Errors?
In many freight forwarding and logistics companies, invoices still arrive via email as PDFs, scanned documents, or physical paper copies. A typical AP clerk spends time downloading each file, reading the invoice, entering every detail into CargoWise, vendor name, invoice number, amounts, tax codes, job numbers, and finally matching it against a purchase order or accrual record.
This workflow takes time, and errors are bound to happen. Even small mistakes like a wrong digit in the invoice amount, incorrect charge code, or duplicate entry can lead to payment delays, reconciliation issues, and vendor disputes. Moreover, the more time your team spends on data entry, the less time they have for financial analysis or exception handling.
What does AP Invoice Automation Mean in a CargoWise Environment?
Automating AP invoice posting means using intelligent software to read invoices, extract relevant data, and post it directly into CargoWise’s Accounts Payable module. Instead of entering invoice data manually, the system uses technologies like OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and AI to read each invoice and identify:
- Vendor name
- Invoice number
- Date and due date
- Amounts, taxes, and currencies
- Job references or shipment numbers
- Purchase order or accrual matches
Once validated, the invoice is automatically posted into CargoWise. This end-to-end AI document automation speeds up the process while maintaining compliance with your accounting workflows.
What are the Benefits of Automating AP Invoice Posting?
Automating your invoice posting process can deliver major benefits to your operations, finance, and vendor relations teams.
Save Time on Manual Work
AP automation can reduce invoice processing time by up to 86%. What used to take hours now takes minutes.
Minimize Data Entry Errors
Accurate data extraction and validation reduces human errors like typos, wrong amounts, or mismatched job numbers.
Avoid Late Payments
When invoices are processed faster and accurately, you can avoid late payment penalties and keep your vendors satisfied.
Improve Cash Flow Visibility
Automated AP postings give you better visibility into outstanding payables and upcoming liabilities.
Enable Your Team to Focus on Value-Added Work
Free your finance team from repetitive tasks and let them focus on reconciliation, reporting, and analysis.
What Does an Automated Workflow Look Like?
Here’s a simplified view of how an automated AP invoice posting process works with CargoWise:
Invoice Collection
Invoices are received via email, upload, or directly from suppliers.
Data Extraction
The software reads the invoice file and extracts key fields like vendor details, amounts, and references.
Validation Against CargoWise Records
The system cross-checks the invoice with CargoWise accruals, purchase orders, or jobs to ensure all details match.
Exception Handling
If something doesn’t match, the invoice is flagged for human review. Otherwise, it proceeds automatically.
Posting into CargoWise
Once validated, the invoice is posted directly into the Accounts Payable module in CargoWise.
Archiving and Audit Trail
Every step of the process is recorded, and invoices are stored for future audit or compliance checks.
What Kind of Invoices Can Be Automated?
Most logistics invoices can be automated, including:
- Vendor invoices for freight, handling, and customs charges
- Utility or warehouse bills tied to shipment jobs
- Consolidated invoices with multiple line items
- Credit notes and debit notes
- Recurring invoices for leased equipment or services
As long as the invoice has structured data (PDF, scanned copy, or even EDI), the automation system can process it accurately.
Conclusion
Automating AP invoice posting to CargoWise isn’t just a process upgrade, it’s a strategic move toward better financial control and team productivity. It helps you reduce errors, speed up processing, and gain better visibility into your cash flow, all while freeing up time for your team to focus on more valuable tasks.
If you’re tired of manual invoice entry and want a better way to handle your payables, now is the right time to automate.
Let us show you how AP invoice automation works with CargoWise, contact us today for a personalized demo and take the first step toward error-free, touchless invoice processing.
