A record high CPI rate combined with an unprecedented labor shortage, supply chain disruption and high borrowing rates will impact all business types during a forewarned business cycle of turmoil. In today’s economic uncertainty, the singular core imperative all businesses must focus on is preservation and protection of cash-flow.
Most CFO’s hate spreadsheets and manual tasks that waste time and money, but love cutting costs and mitigating risk.
Mitigating risk and cyber threats are becoming exceedingly difficult. Expanding technologies like AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) combined with trends like work-from-home, IoT, and cloud initiatives, have expanded attack opportunities to distribute malware and zero in on high-end targets. Cyber criminals are no longer the kid in the dark basement but high end operations from state-sponsored attackers.
Within the payables department, labor shortages or work-from-home scenarios are redefining what it means to “do more with less.” Automation and technology are paramount to success. Automation can save businesses time, create operational efficiencies, and even generate a new revenue stream.
When managed properly, payables are one area that can impact the bottom line and decrease the risk of theft and fraud; however, inefficient processes and methodology, unclear reporting, and increased risk of cyber fraud can lead to decreased cash flow and missed payments.
How can businesses build a firewall to protect cash and promote a “cash culture” within the constraints of a work-from-home office environment or a hybrid office model?
Many top companies are moving away from traditional methods of payment such as "card in hand" credit card transactions and checks because of cost and financial risk. Virtual cards have become the preeminent choice of CFO’s because it combines the purpose of checks, the efficiencies of ACH, and the benefits of P-Cards to reduce fraud, capture operational efficiencies, and improve cash flow by generating a new revenue stream. Virtual cards control how much is spent and when a vendor gets paid.
The Benefits Of Virtual Cards:
Virtual cards are a win-win for both supplier and buyer because v-cards enable buyers to pay suppliers faster compared to check or ACH payments. With the ability to pay on order, buyers can extend DPO and at the same time suppliers reduce their DSO and increase their cash flow.
Virtual cards are transaction-specific without the data that can be used fraudulently if stolen. Spending controls can be enacted with unique parameters for each supplier like amount, to the penny authorization, date range and merchant type and can also deliver easy reconciliation for the supplier when the invoice is paid.
Operational efficiencies are enhanced because virtual cards are cloud-based and work-from-home employees can use this program to reduce the time needed and the costs spent on writing checks, onboarding suppliers, and working from spreadsheets. Virtual cards automate tasks and lower costs for both the buyer and supplier.
Virtual cards enable the payables department to become a revenue generator by leveraging card rebates. Accounts Payable Departments cam now become a revenue center and not just a cost center.
The bottom line is that virtual cards optimize cash, increase efficiency and mitigate the risk of fraud. AP teams love virtual cards because they reduce the time and resources needed to process an invoice. They no longer need to write and mail a check or process ACH payments, and payments are fraud secure, easily reconciled and traceable.\
To learn more, contact Singe Payables here, your virtual card experts.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska
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