AP Automation Readiness Pack
Editable AP readiness workbook and exception matrix. Not a tracker template. Payment stays outside.
Download the AP readiness pack
The AP Readiness Checklist and Exception Matrix is a control workbook for accounts payable automation. It is not an invoice-tracker template. Use the invoice tracker and tracker starter pack when you only need a status register.
What you get
- An editable workbook covering intake inventory, volume baseline, document requirements, supplier mapping, matching rules, approval/RACI, exception taxonomy, duplicate keys, human review, draft-only destination contract, payment boundary, idempotency, audit/security prompts, five fictional cases, KPI definitions, vendor questions, proof gates, rollout, and a decision record
- CSV companions for exceptions, cases, duties, and duplicate keys
- The five labeled-text fixtures from the Invoice Processing Test Pack
OCR is not measured. Payment entities are not created. Supplier bank-detail changes stay out of band.
How to start
- Open the workbook Cover sheet.
- Leave volume and KPI numbers blank until you have your own counts.
- Walk Case01 through Case05.
- Read the paired guide: Accounts Payable Automation.
If matching policy, approvers, or the draft object are still unclear, discuss the gaps on a fit call. If they are named, book a fit call to scope an AI Automation Systems build.
Use the exception matrix
Start with one supplier-invoice path. Record the source inbox, required fields, accounting destination, reviewer and the conditions that stop a draft. Add rows for a missing invoice number, duplicate supplier and number, conflicting totals, uncertain tax treatment and an unavailable approver. Each row should name the person who resolves it and the evidence they need.
Example readiness decision
An invoice arrives with a clear supplier and total but no purchase-order match. The readiness pack should keep the proposed accounting record in review, show the original invoice and assign the exception to the designated AP owner. It should not infer a PO, approve the bill or create a payment.
Before implementation, confirm that representative files are available, the destination supports a reversible draft, duplicate keys are defined and a person owns every exception. Use the Accounts Payable Automation guide for the surrounding workflow.
Use the fixtures to test the decision path
Read the ZIP instructions and run through its five fictional text fixtures before assessing live accounts-payable work. For each case, record which evidence is present, what is missing and which person can resolve the exception. These fixtures test the reasoning and handoff design; they do not establish how accurately a scanner reads supplier documents.
For example, a missing purchase-order match should create a visible review item with a responsible owner. It should not cause the workflow to invent a reference or treat an unresolved match as approval to pay. Keep the proposed decision separate from any authorised financial action.
Decide what would block a pilot
Check that the team can reconcile source documents to review records, recover from a failed handoff and identify repeated submissions. Record the evidence required before an exception can close. Confirm who can pause the workflow if those controls fail.
Use a limited, representative pilot only after the owners agree on these requirements. This readiness pack does not approve payments or supplier bank-detail changes. If document intake is also unclear, start with the document requirements and test pack before comparing automation tools.