Ruh-Roh! What Scooby-Doo Can Teach Us About Choosing the Right Invoice-to-Pay Solution

When it came to solving mysteries, Scooby-Doo and the gang had a knack for uncovering the truth. Believe it or not, the same strategies they used to unmask villains can help accounts payable (AP)The amount a company owes to suppliers for goods and services received but not yet paid. and finance leaders uncover the best invoice-to-pay solution for their organizations.

Let’s take a trip in the Mystery Machine and see what lessons we can apply.

Always Start with the Right Team

Fred, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby each brought unique skills to the table. Together, they cracked every case. The same is true when evaluating invoice-to-pay solutions – make sure you bring the right stakeholders into the process: frontline AP staff, procurement, IT, compliance, and finance executives. A solution that works for everyone is the one that will stand the test of time.

• Pro tip:  Hold regular check-ins with this “mystery-solving team” so all voices are heard and potential roadblocks are revealed early.

Unmask the Villains (a.k.a. Hidden Costs)

Just like every ghost turned out to be “Old Man Jenkins” in disguise, many invoice-to-pay platforms can look good on the surface but hide fees, add-on costs, or complicated contracts underneath the mask. Don’t get spooked – dig into pricing transparency and look for a provider that offers predictable, straightforward pricing.

• Pro tip:  Always ask invoice-to-pay providers for a total cost of ownership breakdown, including implementation, training, and long-term support.

Follow the Clues (Data!)

Velma always found the clues that others missed (“Jinkies!”). In your search for the right invoice-to-pay solution, follow the data. Which provider offers the best visibility into your invoices, payments, cash flow, and corporate spending? Which system ensures accurate reporting to help you solve the bigger mystery – how to reduce costs, unlock working capital, and mitigate risk?

• Pro tip:  Look for invoice-to-pay solutions with graphical dashboards that surface trends and anomalies quickly, so your team can act before small issues become big ones.

Don’t Get Trapped by Legacy Systems

Daphne had a way of finding traps. In today’s finance departments, those traps are manual processes, outdated technology, and systems that don’t integrate. Look for an AP solution that breaks free of these pitfalls with automation, real-time insights, and seamless integration with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) or accounting softwareA system for recording and managing a company’s financial transactions, often integrated with ERP and AP solutions..

• Pro tip:  During evaluation, ask for proof of integrations with your ERP and request references from other users in your industry.

Zoinks! Stay Ahead of the Villains with Technology

Shaggy and Scooby may have been scared, but they were usually the first to stumble on the villain’s plot. Today’s villains are cybercriminals and fraudsters. Your invoice-to-pay solution should include built-in fraud prevention, secure payment methods such as virtual cards, and bank account verification – so you don’t get surprised by a “ruh-roh” moment.

• Pro tip:  Prioritize providers with built-in controls such as multifactor authentication, access permissions, segregation of duties, systematic workflows, and advanced data encryption.

The Big Reveal: Automation is No Mystery

At the end of every episode, the mask came off and the truth was revealed. For AP leaders, the big reveal is that automation is the key to solving your department’s biggest challenges. From eliminating manual data entry to improving supplier relationships, the right invoice-to-pay solution helps your team work smarter, faster, and more securely.

• Pro tip:  Map out your current AP workflow and then compare it with how automation could streamline each step – this helps make the return on investment (ROI) crystal clear.

Final Thought

Like the Mystery Inc. gang, you don’t need supernatural powers to solve the puzzle of invoice-to-pay inefficiencies – you just need teamwork, good detective work, and the right technology. And if you choose wisely, you’ll be able to say what the villain always did at the end of every episode: “I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those pesky manual processes!”