More companies are placing a premium on the technology that enables fast and accurate payments, yet many business-to-business (B2B) companies still lag in payments automation.
According to a study by American Express, 91% of business leaders surveyed recognize that an optimized payments system drives overall business growth.
However, while roughly a quarter of respondents said that payment issues were a frequent reason for ending a relationship with a supplier, even fewer (17%) reported having fully automated their own payments processes.
The top three reasons cited for not fully automating payments were cost concerns, doubts about the benefits of automation, and security.
Automating the Reconciliation Process
While concerns exist—as they do with all aspects of payment processes—two of the main benefits of payments automation are increased efficiency and security. For example, automating the reconciliation process can help reduce errors and mitigate fraud risks associated with manual processing.
Additionally, payment automation gives business owners much more insight into their operations. With increasing regulatory scrutiny on the relationships between businesses, banks, and fintechs, external audits have become more common. An automated reconciliation process can be instrumental in providing accurate reporting to regulators and avoiding potential penalties.
Driving Business Growth
Becausemany companies have found themselves in these complex relationships with multiple financial services providers, finance teams often struggle to get a consolidated view of the company’s cash position.
Manually aggregating bank statements from multiple institutions and generating reports and forecasts can be a substantial burden on operations. Automation can reduce this lift and allow finance teams to focus on strategic initiatives that drive business growth.
As a result, the trend toward payments automation in the B2B space will continue. However, the central consideration remains on improving the customer experience. According to the American Express report, among business decision-makers planning to update their payments process this year, the most cited reason is to support business growth.
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