Backlogs keep returning
A temporary cleanup does not fix the workflow conditions that created the queue.
Senior review: within one business day Request a Managed AP Review
MANAGED AP OPERATIONS
Managed Accounts Payable Services for Daily AP Operations
ARDEM operates agreed AP workflows day after day, including invoice processing, exception ownership, approval follow-up, vendor support, payment readiness and reporting inside your existing systems.
Use managed AP when you need accountable daily execution, defined service levels and continuous operational ownership rather than temporary staffing or another software platform.
- Defined ownership of daily AP queues and exceptions
- Documented quality controls, escalation paths and reporting
- Flexible capacity as invoice volumes change
Managed executionNot resource-only staffing
Human + automationJudgment where it matters
Defined financial controlsRoles and permissions by scope
NDA Available
Organizations ARDEM has supported
Operating since 2004Long-term managed operations experience
Documented workflow controlsRoles, rules, QA, and escalation
Built for recurring workScalable daily execution and reporting
Defined financial rolesApproval, access, and payment responsibilities by scope
Daily Workflow Ownership
Accounts Payable Management Services With Clear Daily Accountability
ARDEM’s accounts payable management services establish ownership for incoming invoices, pending approvals, unresolved exceptions and vendor requests. Each workflow has documented responsibilities, processing rules and escalation paths so your team can see what is moving, what is blocked and where a decision is needed.
Our managed AP team follows up on missing information, tracks aging items and reports recurring sources of delay. This gives finance leaders a structured way to oversee daily AP work and address issues before they create larger backlogs.
ARDEM can support:
- ✓Invoice intake and validation
- ✓PO matching and non-PO approval support
- ✓Exception handling and routing
- ✓Vendor inquiry management
- ✓Payment readiness activities
- ✓AP workflow reporting
- ✓Quality checks and SLA tracking
MANAGED AP SERVICES BUILT AROUND YOUR EXISTING SYSTEMS
Managed AP Services Within Your Existing ERP
ARDEM’s managed AP services operate within client-approved ERP and AP platforms, following your documented workflows and access permissions. System compatibility, data requirements and any required integrations are reviewed during assessment and transition.
Automation supports defined processing activities, while trained specialists review exceptions and follow up on unresolved items. System access, workflow responsibilities and controls are defined around your operating model.
Works With Your Existing ERP and Finance Technology Stack
Global automotive AP case study
How ARDEM Structured a High-Volume Global AP Workflow
A global automotive company needed consistent invoice processing across regions, languages, PO and non-PO workflows, automation exceptions, approvals, remittance scheduling, and GL recording.
Read the AP case study10,000+Invoices per month
3 regionsAsia, Europe, and the U.S.
MultipleLanguages and supplier formats
PO + non-PORouting, matching, and exceptions
The operating problem
AP Pressure is Rarely Just a
Data-Entry Problem
Invoice volume exposes the gaps around the invoice: handoffs, exceptions, approval ownership,
vendor communication, and reporting.
Approvals and exceptions stall
Missing POs, coding, receipts, and owner responses consume experienced AP time.
Visibility is fragmented
Invoices and vendor requests live across inboxes, portals, ERPs, and spreadsheets.
What ARDEM manages
Accounts Payable Services Across Your Daily Workflow
Choose accounts payable services for selected activities or a broader managed workflow across invoice processing, exceptions, approvals, vendor support and reporting. Scope is defined around your invoice volume, systems, service requirements and internal responsibilities, with clear ownership for each activity and handoff.
Invoice intake and processing
Capture, validation, coding support, duplicate checks, PO and non-PO processing, and updates within approved systems.
- Multi-channel intake
- Data validation
- PO and non-PO workflows
Exceptions and approvals
Track missing information, approval status, discrepancies, aging items, and escalations through a controlled queue.
- Exception ownership
- Approval follow-through
- Documented escalation
Vendor support and reporting
Support approved vendor inquiries, payment readiness, close activities, SLA reporting, and recurring workflow insight.
- Vendor communication
- Payment-ready support
- Operational visibility
For PO invoices, ARDEM supports matching against purchase orders and, where required, receiving records. Non-PO invoices follow client-defined coding and approval routes. Missing information, discrepancies and delayed approvals are tracked for follow-up, with unresolved items escalated to the designated owner before payment readiness.
Financial control and governance
Financial Controls Designed Around your Operating Model
Some clients want ARDEM to prepare payment-ready files. Others authorize ARDEM to perform defined payment-release activities. The right model is established through documented authority, permissions, controls, and governance.
Defined authority
Financial policies, approval tiers, system access, and responsibilities are documented before steady-state operations begin.
Flexible payment responsibility
ARDEM can support payment-ready processing, client-controlled release, or authorized payment-release activities included in scope.
Documented safeguards
Role permissions, separation of duties, quality review, exception handling, and escalation paths are built into the workflow.
Visible governance
Reporting, issue logs, review cadence, and continuous improvement keep responsibilities and risk visible.
Service Levels and Reporting
Managed Accounts Payable With Measurable Performance
A managed accounts payable workflow should make processing performance and unresolved work visible. ARDEM defines service levels, reporting frequency, quality checks and escalation responsibilities around the agreed scope and the information available in your systems.
Performance reporting can cover:
- Processing turnaround and invoice backlog against agreed service levels.
- Exception aging, pending approvals and items requiring client action.
- Quality findings, vendor inquiry status and payment readiness.
Regular reviews help identify recurring delays, clarify ownership and prioritize workflow improvements.
AP Operations ControlIllustrative workflow view
Invoices received2,416On plan
Payment-ready1,98282%
Exceptions in progress164Needs owner
Illustrative workflow dashboard—not an ARDEM software interface.
How it works
A Controlled Path from Discovery to Daily Operation
Assess
Map volume, systems, handoffs, exceptions, controls, and the current operating burden.
Design
Define scope, responsibilities, rules, service levels, quality checks, and reporting.
Transition
Train within approved systems, test the workflow, and stabilize queues through a controlled launch.
Manage and improve
Run the daily operation, report performance, and address recurring sources of delay.
Client perspective
“You have lowered our cost, increased our productivity and given us a significantly faster turnaround. The data quality and consistency is much better than when it was handled in-house.”
Blue Buffalo · ARDEM client testimonial
Questions buyers ask
What to Know Before an AP Workflow Review
Understand the scope, control model, transition approach, and responsibilities before deciding whether managed AP outsourcing fits your organization.
What is included in managed accounts payable services?
Managed accounts payable services can include invoice intake, validation, PO and non-PO processing, exception handling, approval follow-through, vendor inquiries, payment readiness and reporting. ARDEM also establishes documented procedures, quality checks, service levels and escalation responsibilities for the agreed workflow.
The scope can support selected activities or a broader AP operation, depending on your volume, systems and internal responsibilities.
How are financial controls and payment-release responsibilities handled?
Financial policies, approval authority, system access, and payment-release responsibilities are defined for each client. ARDEM can prepare payment-ready files, support client-controlled approvals, or perform authorized payment-release activities within documented roles, permissions, and governance.
Can managed AP services work within our existing ERP?
Yes. ARDEM’s managed AP services operate within client-approved ERP and AP platforms, following documented workflows and access permissions. During assessment and transition, we review system compatibility, data requirements, approval routes and any required integrations. Your organization retains ownership of its systems and financial policies.
How is ARDEM different from a traditional accounts payable BPO company or staffing provider?
ARDEM does not simply supply additional people. ARDEM creates a managed operating lane with defined ownership, documented workflow controls, quality review, exception handling, reporting, escalation, and continuous improvement.
Can we outsource our AP department or only selected activities?
Both. You can begin with invoice processing, exceptions, vendor inquiries, or payment readiness, or transition most of your AP department to ARDEM through a phased, documented workflow. Scope, system access, approvals, controls, service levels, and cutover responsibilities are agreed before launch.
How does ARDEM transition AP work without disrupting daily operations?
ARDEM maps the current workflow, defines responsibilities and controls, documents procedures, trains within approved systems, tests the process, and stabilizes the queue before moving into steady-state management.
What should finance teams compare when evaluating accounts payable management services?
Compare responsibility for daily queues, exception follow-up, approval tracking, quality review and reporting. Accounts payable management services should define processing targets, escalation owners, system access and the responsibilities your internal team retains.
ARDEM documents these responsibilities within the agreed scope so finance leaders can evaluate how the service will operate and how performance will be reviewed.
How are managed AP services priced?
Pricing reflects monthly invoice volume, PO and non-PO mix, exception workload, systems, service coverage and reporting requirements. ARDEM reviews these factors during the complimentary AP assessment and provides a proposed scope, transition approach, service levels and pricing.
The assessment also identifies responsibilities that remain with your internal team so you can evaluate the full operating model.
Take the next step
Get a Clearer Plan for your AP Operation
Review your invoice volume, operating burden, exception patterns, financial controls, and activities that fit a managed model.