See how ARDEM created a managed concur ap workflow for a global marketing services firm managing U.S. and international invoices, PO and currency validation, expense coding, approver routing, and recurring processing deadlines.
MANAGED ACCOUNTS PAYABLE OPERATIONS CASE STUDY
Strengthening Concur AP Controls Across 800 Vendors Each Month
800/month
Recurring vendor volume
5 countries
Global invoice coverage
Concur AP
Existing-system execution
Weekly to quarterly
Deadline governance
Overview
A large marketing services firm managed accounts payable activity across approximately 800 vendors each month, including suppliers in the United States, Singapore, Australia, Ireland, and Germany. The workflow supported invoice approval readiness, accurate expense treatment, PO control, and the finance team’s ability to keep recurring vendor obligations moving across multiple processing cycles.
The Challenge
The operating burden came from the number of business rules that had to be applied before an invoice was ready for approval. Vendor information, PO references, currency, department, expense type, dates, total cost, and remit-to details all affected how the invoice should be processed in Concur.
The global vendor base added another control point. Invoice currency had to be consistent with the purchase order, and PO spend had to be monitored so likely overspend could be flagged before payment. Capital assets and ordinary expenses followed different rule sets, while invoice dates and total cost helped determine whether an expense was prepaid or previously incurred.
The ARDEM Solution
ARDEM created a managed AP operating lane inside the client’s Concur environment. The team owned invoice review, verification, coding, PO spend monitoring, exception follow-up, and approver routing while working to weekly, monthly, and quarterly service-level deadlines. This placed recurring execution under one operating model without changing the client’s finance system or approval authority.
ARDEM managed the recurring invoice workflow from initial review through approver routing inside the client’s Concur environment. The model combined client-rule execution, field verification, accounting classification, PO spend control, exception resolution, and deadline governance.
Download the Full
Concur AP Case Study
Concur AP Case Study
For CFOs, Controllers, VP Finance leaders, AP leaders, and shared-services teams, this case study shows why global invoice processing should be managed as a finance operations workflow, not only as an entry task.
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Why ARDEM
Reviewed incoming invoices for completeness and accuracy before processing. Confirmed vendor data and the remit-to address in Concur.
Confirmed the PO, cross-referenced currency, tracked spend, and flagged potential overspend.
Applied department lookup tables and assigned expense accounts based on goods or services received.
Applied separate rules for capital, ordinary, prepaid, and previously incurred expenses.
Identified inconsistencies and contacted the appropriate business approver for direction.
Assigned confirmed invoices to the correct approver and managed weekly, monthly, and quarterly deadlines.Managed Workflow Diagram
The Results
ARDEM helped the client convert a complex global AP workflow into a governed operating model with clearer ownership, stronger follow-through, more consistent validation, and improved visibility into invoice readiness, PO exposure, expense treatment, and approver routing. The managed workflow covered approximately 800 separate vendors each month. Invoices from vendors in five countries were reviewed against the currency specified on the relevant purchase order. The value extended beyond processing 800 vendors each month. ARDEM managed the operating discipline required to apply client rules consistently, surface decisions before approval, and keep recurring invoice work moving across weekly, monthly, and quarterly cycles.
The 800 Monthly Vendors Were Only the Visible Problem
The Larger Risk Was Losing Control Across PO, Currency, Coding, and Approver Rules
The operating burden came from the number of business rules that had to be applied before an invoice was ready for approval. Vendor information, PO references, currency, department, expense type, dates, total cost, and remit-to details all affected how the invoice should be processed in Concur.
The global vendor base added another control point. Invoice currency had to be consistent with the purchase order, and PO spend had to be monitored so likely overspend could be flagged before payment.
A basic invoice processor could enter available fields while leaving the client responsible for validation, exception follow-up, coding decisions, and deadline management. The better approach was a managed Concur AP operating model.
ARDEM managed the recurring invoice workflow from initial review through approver routing inside the client’s Concur environment. The model combined client-rule execution, field verification, accounting classification, PO spend control, exception resolution, and deadline governance. ARDEM helped the client convert a complex global AP workflow into a governed operating model with clearer ownership, stronger follow-through, more consistent validation, and improved visibility into invoice readiness, PO exposure, expense treatment, and approver routing.
1
Invoice and Vendor Review
Reviewed incoming invoices for completeness and accuracy before processing. Confirmed vendor data and the remit-to.
2
PO, currency, and spend control
Confirmed the PO, cross-referenced currency, tracked spend, and flagged potential overspend.
3
Department and expense coding
Applied department lookup tables and assigned expense accounts based on goods or services received.
4
Accounting treatment review
Applied separate rules for capital, ordinary, prepaid, and previously incurred expenses.
5
Exception resolution
Identified inconsistencies and contacted the appropriate business approver for direction.
6
Approver routing and deadline governance
Assigned confirmed invoices to the correct approver and managed weekly, monthly, and quarterly deadlines.
What You’ll See in the Full PDF
The full case study explains:
- How ARDEM managed invoice and Vendor Review: Reviewed incoming invoices for completeness and accuracy before processing. Confirmed vendor data and the remit-to address in Concur.
- How ARDEM managed pO, currency, and spend control: Confirmed the PO, cross-referenced currency, tracked spend, and flagged potential overspend.
- How ARDEM managed department and expense coding: Applied department lookup tables and assigned expense accounts based on goods or services received.
- How ARDEM managed accounting treatment review: Applied separate rules for capital, ordinary, prepaid, and previously incurred expenses.
- How ARDEM managed exception resolution: Identified inconsistencies and contacted the appropriate business approver for direction.
- How ARDEM managed approver routing and deadline governance: Assigned confirmed invoices to the correct approver and managed weekly, monthly, and quarterly deadlines.
Managing Complex AP Rules Across Global Vendors?
Download the case study to see how a managed Concur AP workflow can strengthen validation, coding, exception ownership, approver routing, and recurring deadline control.