Accounts Payable Automation with UiPath

Processing 2,500+ invoices per month through an automated workflow, without an ERP API integration.

Business challenge

An Australian business received more than 2,500 invoices each month from multiple senders. An administrator manually sorted and filed the invoices before an accountant, available twice a week, captured them in the ERP system and prepared payments.

The process created a recurring backlog. Invoice capture depended on accounting availability, while filing, payment preparation and payment confirmations added further administrative work.

With no API integration available for the ERP system, the business needed a solution that could operate through its existing applications.

Use case objective

Automate the repetitive steps from invoice receipt to payment confirmation, allowing invoices to be processed as they arrived while retaining human approval over payment release.

Process before automation

1. Invoices arrived by email from multiple senders.
2. An administrator manually sorted and filed each invoice.
3. Invoices waited for the accountant’s next processing session.
4. The accountant captured invoices in the ERP system.
5. Payments were prepared, uploaded and scheduled for release.
6. Payment confirmations required additional filing and communication.

At more than 2,500 invoices per month, these manual handoffs made it difficult to keep processing up to date.

Automation scope

Kyberus implemented a UiPath workflow covering invoice intake, document filing, ERP capture, bulk payment preparation and post-payment administration.

The automation operated the ERP and banking portal through their existing user interfaces, enabling the business to connect the process without replacing its systems or requiring an API integration.

Automated workflow

1. Trigger: invoice received

Invoice emails were directed to a central mailbox, creating a single intake point for processing.

2. Document filing

The bot read incoming emails and filed invoice documents by company and date.

3. ERP transaction capture

UiPath logged into the ERP system, navigated the relevant screens and created the invoice entries.

4. Payment batch preparation

The automation compiled payment transactions into a CSV file for bulk upload.

5. Banking upload and approval handoff

Using pre-authorised authentication, the bot accessed the banking portal, uploaded the payment batch and notified the responsible user.

Control point: An authorised person reviewed and approved payments before release.

6. Post-payment processing

Once payments had been made, the automation downloaded the receipts and filed them alongside the corresponding invoices.

7. Payment confirmation

The workflow replied to the relevant recipient with proof of payment, completing the processing cycle.

Business outcomes

Backlog cleared in four hours: The automation resolved the existing invoice backlog within four hours.

Invoices processed as received: After clearing the backlog, the bot processed invoices individually as they arrived, reducing dependence on twice-weekly manual capture sessions.

Reduced administrative handling: The workflow automated repetitive tasks across email, document folders, the ERP system and the banking portal.

Consistent payment records: Payment receipts were stored alongside their corresponding invoices.

Human payment oversight retained: Payment preparation was automated, with release remaining subject to approval by an authorised person.

Estimated monthly efficiency benefit

At 2,500 invoices per month, a conservative planning assumption of five minutes of manual administration per invoice represents approximately 208 hours of work each month.

The automation therefore targeted a manual workload with an illustrative labour value of approximately AUD $8,300 per month, or AUD $100,000 per year.

These are workload estimates, not verified net savings. They assume five minutes of manual administration per invoice and a labour rate of AUD $40 per hour. Actual savings depend on remaining review time, exception handling and automation costs. Annual figures assume a consistent monthly volume. The four-hour backlog clearance is a separate observed result.

Use case applicability

This approach is relevant to businesses that:

• Receive high volumes of invoices by email.
• Manually capture invoices into an ERP system.
• Experience backlogs due to limited accounting availability.
• Use systems without suitable API integrations.
• Prepare bulk payments requiring human approval.
• Need consistent invoice and payment record keeping.

Explore accounts payable automation

Kyberus helps businesses automate repetitive finance processes using UiPath and RPA. If your team is managing invoice backlogs or manually transferring information between systems, we can assess how automation could support your existing workflow.