Beyond ERP: How A/R Automation Transforms Invoice-to-Cash

This article is sponsored by Invoiced by Flywire. 

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems help organizations handle core duties such as managing general ledgers, purchasing, sales orders, and keeping company data consistent across processes and transactions. But when it comes to optimizing accounts receivable (A/R), they often fall short. ERPs are not built to support the speed, flexibility, or customer focus that A/R teams need today. That’s why many companies are turning to A/R automation software to bridge the gap while still working in harmony with their existing ERP.

Two Real-World Stories

Investments in specialized AR automation are often driven by a mix of challenges—including employee productivity, financial management, and customer experience. Below are two real-world examples our team has documented that illustrate these common pain points.

WebPT: Achieving Round-the-Clock Collections

WebPT, a Phoenix-based provider of physical therapy practice management software, struggled with the same issue many companies face: manual, time-consuming accounts receivable work that made it hard to manage cash flow. Their finance team needed a way to keep collections moving without constant manual intervention.

After rolling out Invoiced by Flywire, an accounts receivable automation software, the company cut outstanding receivables by 11% in 60 days, giving their working capital a noticeable boost. And they reduced average time to pay by two full days—in just the first month. 

WebPT experienced one of the key benefits of A/R automation: it keeps collections running smoothly and efficiently around the clock.

iWave: Transforming Nonprofit Financial Operations

iWave, a provider of fundraising intelligence software for nonprofits, integrated Invoiced by Flywire with their existing ERP system to optimize their billing and collections processes while maintaining essential customer relationships.

The results spoke for themselves. They cut 20 days off the time it usually took to collect payments, which made cash flow much easier to predict. On top of that, team efficiency jumped 23%, giving staff more time to focus on big-picture projects instead of routine collections.

The customer experience transformation proved equally valuable through branded, self-service payment portals. "Our clients now can pay online, and it's all branded," says Karen Wight, VP of Finance at iWave. "It looks like our portal and clients love it. They get the emails and reminders they need, they know how to pay us, and we're saving time."

Enterprise-scale scenarios

Broader market trends point to the value of A/R automation in large, complex organizations, too. Companies are using these systems to unify data and processes to give the whole business more flexibility. For example, Covetrus, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations customer, used Invoiced by Flywire to bring together operations from three separate ERP systems into one streamlined invoice-to-cash process.

Simplifying A/R Operations

In a recent podcast, we discussed how A/R automation simplifies the receivables team’s work while maintaining the ERP as the single source of truth. Organizations running Dynamics 365 Business Central or D365 Finance consistently tell us that, while the products are robust and flexible, they don’t address the complexities of everyday A/R work at many organizations. 

A/R teams want their own pane of glass where they can see relevant data, set up priorities and tasks, track invoice delivery, and manage customer status. They are also tasked with handling complex billing and payments scenarios. With the right tools, they can see if a customer opened an invoice, track any questions, and set up automatic reminders when payments are late. 

Five Key Benefits of AR Automation

The business case for A/R automation comes down to five key benefits that directly address the challenges most organizations face.

1. Accelerated cash flow: Invoices are sent automatically once a transaction is ready, reminders adjust to customer behavior, and follow-ups happen on their own, streamlining collections and boosting cash flow.
2. Enhanced accuracy and compliance: Automation cuts down on risk by keeping data entry consistent, syncing directly with ERP records, and ensuring every approval follows the same process
3. Real-time visibility to make decisions quickly: Instead of waiting on batch ERP reports, A/R automation gives you real-time dashboards that show exactly where your cash is in the collection cycle
4. Scalability without headcount: A/R automation can manage thousands of invoices and payments at once, letting your business grow without having to hire more people.
5. Improved customer experience and retention: Digital invoices, intuitive self-service portals, and flexible payment options make B2B payments simple and user-friendly.

Real results

WebPT. iWave, and Covetrus show how AR automation delivers real results: better cash flow, smoother operations, and happier customers. For finance teams looking to improve efficiency and results without replacing core systems, AR automation extends ERP tools and tackles today’s receivables challenges head-on.

For organizations still handling A/R manually, automation can transform invoice-to-cash processes while keeping existing ERP systems in place.