Major US University Goes From Accounts Payable Backlog to Breakthrough

Before Auditoria 

The university’s accounts payable team processes approximately 80,000 invoices every year – an impressive effort that has historically relied on manual steps and procedures. Serving tens of thousands of students and thousands of faculty and staff, the university embodies a model of continuous improvement in its operations.

The Director of Finance Service Delivery, who leads a team of nearly 100 finance professionals supporting financial operations across the university, identified the need to improve efficiency and workflow within the Accounts Payable team. In searching for opportunities, she reviewed several options and ultimately went searching for an automated solution that could not only improve processing time but also provide a reliable way to track progress and ensure consistency.

“We are a small team that is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service,” the director said. “However, with a growing workload, maintaining that level of service was becoming a challenge. To improve efficiencies and reduce backlogs in processing invoices, we needed a solution that would fit our unique needs.”

With the university’s broad base of suppliers, it was important to select an automated solution that worked across many supplier processes and technical capabilities. Finding a system capable of handling the complexities within higher education – grants, subawards, and non-standard invoice formats – and basic operational realities, such as processing multiple invoices within a single submission, was critical.

Finding a better way forward 

In evaluating solutions, the Director of Finance Service Delivery identified an artificial intelligence (AI) solution, Auditoria, that checked the boxes of improved efficiency and effectiveness and could adapt to the university’s operational needs for accounts payable.

Equally important was the partnership approach. The Auditoria team was transparent about what the platform could do immediately and where it was evolving, offering a clear path forward.

“It was important to find the right fit for our institution. There was no single vendor that could meet all our needs, but Auditoria was willing to work with us on future solutions. That was different from other vendors and gave me confidence that we were moving in the right direction”

Director of Finance Service Delivery, BIG 12 University

After Auditoria

Immediate improvements 

The impact was immediately visible upon going live with the Auditoria platform. Within months, the invoice backlog dropped by 75% and processing times improved significantly. What had previously taken up to 10 days was reduced to approximately three days on average.

Implementation had the added benefit of improving financial control. There were fewer duplicate payments, leading to a 75% drop in credit memos, an 80% decline in outstanding aged credits, and fewer corrective actions.

These improvements translated into more consistent supplier experiences, faster response times, and created confidence in the adoption of the new AI solution.

Shifting the role of the team  

Beyond the operational gains, the nature of the work itself began to change. Previously, much of the team’s time was spent on manual data entry. With automation in place, those repetitive tasks were reduced, allowing staff to focus on reviewing transactions, handling exceptions, and strategic operations.

This shift was not without its challenges. As with many organizations, there was initial concern about the role of AI and its impact on jobs. However, those concerns eased as the system proved its value, and the focus moved from whether the technology worked to how it could be used more effectively. “My team can now take a breath, not get mired in manual tasks, and use their skills to increasingly add more value and continue to improve vendor experiences.”

A partnership built for progress  

For the university, the relationship with Auditoria has extended beyond implementation. The platform continues to evolve, and the university remains actively engaged in shaping how it is used. From ongoing enhancements to new capabilities, the focus has remained on continuous improvement.

According to the director, this responsiveness has been a key differentiator. She added, “You can submit a question, and within minutes, they are working on it, trying to build it, to tailor it to us. That level of responsiveness has been incredible.”

Looking ahead  

With improved efficiency in accounts payable operations, attention is turning to what comes next. There is a clear opportunity to expand automation into other areas of finance. For the director, the priority is to stay ahead of the curve.

“As our needs evolve, it is important to have a partner who is responsive to those needs and willing to work with us on a solution.”

Advice to others  

For other universities facing similar challenges, the director believes they need to act early and focus on solving the root problem rather than just scaling existing processes. Equally important, she said, is selecting a partner that understands the realities of the environment, from complex workflows to diverse supplier ecosystems.

For the university, that combination has enabled not just incremental improvement, but a meaningful shift in how finance operations are managed.