In How to Survive—and Thrive—in Accounts Payable, you'll learn...
- Hundreds of field-tested techniques and shortcuts that will instantly improve your productivity
- How to get a handle on the mass of paperwork, files and forms that crosses your desk every day
- Easy steps you can take to deal with demanding and difficult people that make your job less enjoyable than it could be
- Techniques to reduce the possibility of costly errors—so you can sleep soundly at night!
- And much more!
This powerful training is a must for every accounts payable professional who wants to reduce stress, minimize problems in dealing with people and fly through paperwork faster than ever before. We’ve done exhaustive research, gathered important real-world feedback and tested our techniques in offices throughout the country to bring you the most effective tips on processing invoices faster, eliminating errors, setting up foolproof controls, reducing paperwork and more—all guaranteed to help dissolve your most frustrating problems and push your performance to the top.
WORKSHOP AGENDA
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Know your importance in the big picture+
- Understand the important role accounts payable plays in your company
- Break through the misconceptions others in your organization may have about “numbers” people
- An eye-opening overview of the fundamental AP reports and how each fits into the big picture
- How accounts payable, receiving and purchasing are natural partners … and ways to keep the relationship healthy
- How to process-map the information flow between accounts payable and other departments to root out weak spots
Get and stay organized+
- How to get papers off your desk and in their proper place so you know where any document is … at any given moment
- 5 organizational skills the “best of the best” have mastered and practice every day
- The 3 most useful shortcuts in accounts payable—these will free up hours of extra time!
- How to set up easy-to-understand procedures and put them in writing so others can “keep the train moving” when you are away
- How to stop the unnecessary stress of last-minute manual check requests … even if higher-ups are the offenders
- A no-fuss way to keep track of fluctuating payment due dates
- Would more categories of payables help your efficiency?
- Set up foolproof controls and feel confident all your bills are getting paid correctly … and on time
Assert yourself to get the job done+
- How to ask for what you need—and get it—from managers, other higher-ups and vendors
- How to set a processing cutoff time and train people to stick with it
- How to get invoices approved and off the desk of that senior manager … without overstepping your authority or causing friction
- How to handle employees who repeatedly fail to complete paperwork the way you require and then expect you to bail them out
Gain cooperation from others+
- Clever tips for getting authorizations and sign-offs quickly … without having to chase people down or bug them
- How to stop petty cash abuse … even when those above you in rank are the guilty parties
- Coping with the top 5 most difficult personalities in your work life … stop being victimized by them!
- How to get others in your organization to follow your policies and procedures without getting branded as a “dictator”
- How to stop the irritation of having to track down invoices that never reached you
Streamline the payment process+
- How to tighten internal controls so the payment process runs like clockwork
- Easy secrets to processing invoices faster … these will increase your efficiency tenfold!
- How to head off getting bombarded with stacks of invoices the day before the cutoff date
- How to make sure you attribute the right expense to the right account … every time
- If you dread matching invoices with purchase orders and other paperwork … this shortcut will change your life!
- How to pay invoices that slip in after the deadline without throwing your department into an uproar
- A strategic technique for mailing payments at just the right time … so they arrive exactly when you want them to
- How to break through the most common bottlenecks in the payment process
Avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes+
- How to guard against damaging errors … especially during high-stress times when you’re extra vulnerable
- LOOK OUT! If these functions are handled by the same person, you’re asking for trouble
- Know the “red flags” on invoices that alert you to overcharges and discrepancies
- A sure-fire technique that makes duplicate payments almost impossible
- Identify and close all loopholes that result in embarrassing overpayments
- ACCURACY CHECKLIST: Determine your rate of accuracy and how to improve it in this confidential exercise
- How to scrutinize bank reconciliation statements so inaccurate charges never slip through
- Be on the lookout for computer-related accounting mistakes that can blow up and consume all your attention
Keep audit-proof records+
- CHECKLIST: Evaluate the internal controls in your department and how to tighten weak links
- Great records maintenance techniques that would get any auditor’s stamp of approval
- How to keep immaculate files that you’d be proud to show your boss, the government—anybody!
- How to perform your own internal audit to detect and stop any wrongdoing
- What to do—and how to tactfully do it—when someone in your company violates a policy
- Expense reports: How to stay out of the middle of spats between employees and their managers
Forge solid relationships with vendors+
- BEWARE: Follow these steps to make sure a fictitious vendor never slips through the cracks
- When a vendor slaps you with late fees … how to negotiate your way out of them
- Early payment discounts: Will they cost you in the long run?
- A quick, painless method for setting up vendor files
- Stop! Before you make that payment … are you absolutely sure you received the goods or services?
- When an invoice is higher or lower than expected … how to quickly get to the root of the problem
- Brace yourself for the 3 harsh responses from vendors when you must tell them their payments will be late
Improve your personal productivity+
- How to deal with the constant pressure you’re under to be “perfect”
- Here’s what to tell yourself during those periods when you’re feeling underappreciated
- How to establish flawless controls, processes and procedures so you can sleep at night without worry
- Basic customer service principles that will give you a new, fresh perspective on your often frustrating job
- How to keep a good attitude when the job requires you to work overtime and everyone else in the company is long gone
- How to rebuild your reputation for accuracy when an error tarnishes it
- How to stop taking responsibility for things—and people—you can’t control
Stay on top of government requirements+
- How to head off year-end and month-end reporting hassles that add extra stress to an already stressful time
- An up-to-the-minute report on changing regulatory and legal issues that affect how you do your job
- How to make sure confidential records are kept confidential … and what could happen if they aren’t
- The danger in mishandling independent contractors—ignore this and you’ll pay for it later
- What the government has to say about how and when you must pay certain bills
Keep ahead of technology+
- What you need to know about the risks and benefits of electronic payment plans
- A quick look at the latest accounting software packages and how they could ease your workload
