If you are still manually processing vendor invoices in your logistics business, you are stuck in a time warp. There are mountains of documents, lengthy email exchanges, mistakes made by hand while entering data, penalties for late payments, and team members devoting hours to balancing the books. Manual accounts payable (AP) processing is no longer sufficient in the rapidly evolving supply chain environment of today.
Accounts Payable Automation can help with that. Additionally, Cargo Docket AI, a secure platform that automates invoice data extraction, validation, reconciliation, and posting straight into CargoWise, has improved the experience for CargoWise users. We’re not merely discussing accelerating things. We’re talking about getting rid of all the repetitive paperwork that clogs your finance workflows, along with the errors and stress.
Understanding Accounts Payable Automation
Accounts Payable Automation refers to the use of digital tools, specifically Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI, to handle invoice processing without human intervention. Instead of a team manually typing in data, scanning documents, or checking for inconsistencies, automation tools extract data, validate it, and reconcile it with your internal systems like CargoWise.
In addition to digitizing your documents, it also analyzes, comprehends, and compares them to your accruals before accurately entering the data into CargoWise. Your finance team deserves an update like that.
Why Manual AP Reconciliation is Holding You Back
Over 80% of logistics companies still handle AP invoices manually, either through internal finance teams, shared service centers, or BPOs.
Here’s what that typically involves:
- Retrieving invoices from emails or shared folders
- Manually extracting data
- Verifying line items
- Comparing invoice values to purchase orders or accruals
- Going back and forth to resolve discrepancies
- Finally entering everything into CargoWise
This traditional process is slow, expensive, and prone to errors. Even basic OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools can’t fully solve the issue. Most OCR systems can’t adapt to multiple formats or handle exceptions efficiently. You still end up manually fixing things.
How Does Accounts Payable Automation Work for CargoWise Users?
1. Receive Documents from Anywhere
Invoices can be automatically pulled from emails, shared drives, or uploaded directly into the system. This ensures you’re never missing documents or wasting time on email searches.
2. Read & Extract the Data
Using advanced OCR and machine learning, Cargo Docket AI reads the invoice, regardless of format (PDF, Excel, scanned image, etc.), and extracts critical data like vendor name, invoice number, dates, amounts, and currencies with pinpoint accuracy.
3. Data Mapping and Conversion
The system maps the extracted invoice data to your CargoWise master data and converts it into a format that CargoWise can process smoothly. Whether you’re dealing with multi-currency invoices, different document types, or complex vendor templates, Cargo Docket AI handles it.
4. Compare Against Accruals in CargoWise
Once the invoice is mapped, it’s automatically compared to your accruals in CargoWise. This ensures the invoice lines up with what you expected and catches any discrepancies before they cause headaches.
5. Exception Management Made Easy
If there’s a mismatch or missing data, Cargo Docket AI flags it and displays it in an intuitive dashboard. You can assign it to a user, add comments, and resolve the issue without leaving the platform. You can set user/team permissions for better control.
6. Push the Invoice Data to CargoWise
After validation, the invoice is automatically posted to CargoWise, no manual entry is needed. The data is also uploaded into eDocs, maintaining an auditable, traceable trail for compliance.
Benefits That Make a Real Difference
Improved Accuracy
Eliminate errors caused by manual data entry. Our RPA tools ensure that invoice data is captured correctly the first time, every time.
Faster Turnaround Times
No more waiting days to process invoices. Automation accelerates the entire process, improving payment cycles and cash flow.
Lower Processing Costs
Reduce up to 85% of manual work, freeing up your finance team and cutting labor costs.
Enhanced Compliance
Stay audit-ready with full traceability, consistent formatting, and secure data handling. It’s easy to prove compliance when everything’s documented and accessible.
Boosted Efficiency
From invoice intake to payment approval, the whole process flows faster. That means fewer delays and happier vendors.
Better Collaboration
With a shared platform and dashboard, your finance team can collaborate smoothly. No more scattered documents or miscommunications.
Additional Features That CargoWise Users Benefit
- Auto-upload to CargoWise eDocs
- Handle multiple document types in one workflow
- Multi-currency support for global operations
- Add internal comments for collaboration
- Smart exception detection with root cause tagging
- Human and robot handoff workflows for smoother resolution
What Types of Documents Can Cargo Docket AI Handle?
- Standard and scanned PDFs
- Multi-page invoices
- Excel & CSV files
- Word documents
- Email attachments
- JPEG, PNG, TIFF images
- Text files (TXT, DOCX)
- Invoices in multiple currencies and languages
This kind of flexibility ensures your AP automation isn’t limited by file format or complexity.
Conclusion
You should reconsider your procedure if you are still manually reconciling bills in CargoWise. Accounts payable automation is made easy, accurate, and quick with Cargo Docket AI, exactly how it should be.
When you can obtain smooth, intelligent automation that handles the heavy lifting for you, why settle for slow, prone-to-error AP workflows?
Your staff can concentrate on what is important if you let Cargo Docket AI take care of the minutiae.
Contact us today to set up a demo or learn more about how our AP automation solutions may be tailored to your CargoWise operations.
