10 Things I Hate About Accounts Payable

Ah, accounts payable—the department that keeps the wheels of business turning while simultaneously driving many of us to the edge of sanity. If you’ve ever worked in AP, you know it’s a love-hate relationship. Here are ten things that make me chuckle (and cringe) about accounts payable:

1. The Never-Ending Paper Trail

You’d think we were in the 1800s with the amount of paper we handle. In a world of digital everything, why are we still drowning in invoices, receipts, and forms? I’m starting to believe that “paperless” is just a myth, like Bigfoot or a good hair day.

2. The Mystery of Missing Invoices

You know the drill: an invoice goes missing, and suddenly it’s like a game of hide-and-seek. “Did you check the bottom of the filing cabinet?” “Have you tried asking the cat?” Spoiler alert: the cat doesn’t know either.

3. Approval Bottlenecks

Ah, the approval process—where time stands still. You send an invoice for approval, and it’s like sending a message in a bottle. You might as well be waiting for a carrier pigeon to deliver the news. “Oh, did I forget to mention? Bob’s on vacation until next month!”

4. The “Urgent” Email

Nothing says “I love you” like an email marked “urgent” from a vendor. You can practically hear the panic in their voice. “I need my payment NOW! I am sorry we didn't send the invoice sooner. Sorry, but the only thing urgent around here is my coffee break.

5. The Art of Data Entry

Data entry is like a rite of passage in accounts payable. You can’t help but feel like a human spreadsheet. One wrong keystroke, and suddenly you’ve turned a $1,000 invoice into a $10,000 disaster. Or better yet a $10,000 invoice becomes a $1,000 invoice. Oops!

6. The Vendor Who Calls Every Day

We all have that one vendor who calls daily, asking about their payment status. “Have you checked your inbox?” I want to say, “Have you checked your patience?” I’m starting to think they should just set up camp in the office.

7. The “What’s This Charge?” Game

Every month, we play a thrilling game of “What’s This Charge?” It’s like a scavenger hunt, but instead of treasures, we find mysterious charges that leave us scratching our heads. “Was this for office supplies or a new espresso machine?” And don't get me started talking about trying to figure out the company credit card bill and all the cryptic "vendor names" on it. It makes me want to change careers every month.

8. The Year-End Crunch

Ah, year-end—the time when everything seems to happen at once. It’s like a chaotic symphony of invoices, reconciliations, and audits. If you need me, I’ll be buried under a mountain of paperwork, sipping my third cup of coffee. And then there is the month end which seems to come around every other day.

9. The Joy of Reconciliation

Nothing is more satisfying than reconciling accounts—said no one ever. It’s a tedious process that feels like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while blindfolded. “Wait, how did we end up with a $5.37 discrepancy?” And what about when they want to distribute 1/3 to 3 different GL codes? What do I do with the $.003333333333?

10. The Love-Hate Relationship

Despite all the quirks and challenges, there’s a certain charm to accounts payable. We’re the unsung heroes of the finance world, keeping everything running smoothly (most of the time). So here’s to us—the warriors of the AP battlefield! While accounts payable can be frustrating, it’s also a vital part of any organization. So let’s embrace the chaos, laugh at the absurdities, and remember that we’re all in this together! Cheers to the quirks of AP!

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