Choosing an accounts payable (AP) automation provider is an important decision for any organization. While it’s valuable to consider features like invoice processing, payment capabilities, and accounting system integrations, customer service and onboarding support often play key roles in determining the long-term success of your automation efforts.
Tips for Evaluating AP Automation Customer Service
Even the most advanced AP automation tool is only as effective as the support and training that comes with it. Consider these tips for selecting an AP automation provider that offers an effective product and top-notch customer support.
Dedicated Onboarding Services
A successful onboarding experience can make or break the adoption of your AP automation solution. When evaluating providers, ask about the level of support each offers for onboarding.
Personalized onboarding configures the system to your business’s unique processes and requirements, minimizing the learning curve and maximizing efficiency from day one.
Implementation Support
When selecting an AP automation solution, check whether the provider offers a dedicated team for implementation and setup. This team should assist with data migration, system configuration, and integrating existing tools to ensure a smooth transition and optimized performance.
Ongoing Training
The onboarding process is just the beginning of your relationship with an AP automation provider. After implementation, your business will continue to need support and educational resources as your team becomes more familiar with the system or as new employees join your organization.
The best AP software providers will offer ongoing resources, such as documentation, tutorials, and video guides that cater to your team’s needs.
Customer Support Availability
Timely customer support during business hours is important. Whether there’s a technical glitch, a question about a feature, or a problem with a transaction, having access to prompt support can save your business time and prevent operational delays.
Choose an AP automation provider that offers reliable customer service during your peak work hours via multiple channels, such as phone, email, and live chat.
Supplier Enrollment
Businesses should assess the level of supplier enrollment support offered by their AP automation provider. Since supplier enrollment can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, providers that offer full-service, ongoing enrollment and support throughout the partnership can significantly reduce administrative burdens and streamline the onboarding process, providing long-term value.
Scalability and Future Outlook
As your business grows, your AP automation needs will evolve, so you’ll want to choose a provider that can scale with you. This includes the software’s ability to handle increased volumes of invoices and payments and the provider’s customer support and onboarding services.
Ensure that your AP automation provider has experience supporting businesses of varying sizes and industries. You’ll also want to check that they have a roadmap for future updates and enhancements to help your business stay ahead of the curve.
Onboarding and Customer Support with AvidXchange
We believe our customers’ success is our success, so we deliver the help they need every step of the way – from onboarding to vendor relationship management.
During implementation, our customers have a dedicated project team to help with rollout and training. A team of supplier specialists handles vendor enrollment and takes care of all vendor inquiries and issues along the way. And our customer success team continues to work with our customers throughout our relationship to ensure engagement and adoption across the organization.
Our AvidXchange Academy provides educational resources and learning opportunities for every member of your team no matter their learning style. Whether they prefer live webinars or quick video tutorials, we have options to help guarantee they’re using our tools effectively.
“We have a project team that’s assigned to each customer that helps them not only load their information in the beginning and get them all set up and ready to go, but also we train them so that they’re empowered to be able to make changes themselves going forward. If they need to change a workflow or add a new one or whatever, then they can do it because we’ve trained them or they can contact our customer care team and get the support that they need. We do a good job of making sure that they understand that there’s a whole network there to support them.”
Learn more about automating your AP processes by connecting with one of our experts today.