Companies should eliminate as many paper checks as possible. The lead to an inefficient and costly accounts payable payment process. In this episode, Mary Schaeffer discusses the 5 biggest drawbacks to using paper checks and why companies everywhere should switch to ACH (electronic payments) and/or credit cards.

Paper checks are still used for approximately half of all B2B payments. With staffs working remotely, it became even more obvious why companies everywhere should work to eliminate paper checks. Best practice organizations are doing just that: working to eliminate as many paper checks as they possibly can.

Although some companies have done an excellent job in minimizing the number of paper checks issued, many still produce far too many and have not worked on eliminating as many paper checks as possible.  At the end of the day, every company should eliminate as many paper checks as possible. The reasons are discussed in this podcast.

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Get the latest accounts payable business intelligence delivered straight to your inbox twice a week. Use box at left on www.ap-now.com

I want to start with my sincere apologies for the liberties I have taken with the title of Eugene O’Neil’s classic play. He’s probably rolling in his grave! In this episode, I’m going to share a situation I found myself in at work some 20+ years ago. I’m going to tell you what happened, how we dealt with it – which, by the way, I don’t believe was the right way, and then share what I think we should have done.

The AP Now podcast is a weekly podcast covering topics impacting the accounts payable and accounting function. Payments and fraud are two frequent topics.

What would you have done? Or would you have foreseen what was about to happen and planned better?

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Get the latest accounts payable business intelligence delivered straight to your inbox twice a week. Use box at left on www.ap-now.com

Business etiquette is something few of us think about. But we should, especially as we head into the great unknown of the digital age. Without realizing it, many are trampling on what should be business etiquette simply because they don’t realize the rules have changed.

Deborah Thomas-Nininger teaches soft skills, because, she says, life is too short to not know what to do. The business etiquette rules you may be breaking might surprise you. Business etiquette is not taught in schools and we rarely talk about it. But getting business etiquette rules wrong could mean you send the wrong impression, give off the wrong vibe or simply send an inaccurate reaction.

Thomas discusses the rules of etiquette in today’s digital world and body language messages you may be sending without realizing it. She also talks about verbal responsibility.

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Guest: Deborah Thomas-Nininger (https://www.dtn-productions.com)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Get the latest accounts payable business intelligence delivered straight to your inbox twice a week. Use box at left on www.ap-now.com

Listen to Hanna’s podcast at podcast is https://BusinessConfidentialRadio.com

The best place to stop people problems is before you hire them, says Hanna Hasl-Kelchner.  Yet, hiring for a cultural fit is often overlooked in the mad dash to fill a position. This is unfortunate because a bad cultural fit creates so many headaches. Hiring can be a frustrating process as you try to find someone who has the skillset you need AND will fit into the existing organization. Unfortunately, too often, managers focus on the skillset and experience rather than addressing the issue of whether the person will fit in with the corporate culture and existing staff.

Hiring for a good cultural fit is not easy. Industry expert shares her considerable expertise giving the audience examples of how to identify those traits you want and those you don’t. As a real bonus, towards the end of the discussion, she shares a few questions potential job seekers can ask to see if their potential new company is what they are looking for for themselves. 

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Guest: Hanna Hasl-Kelchner (BusinessMO.com)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

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Fraud protection is an issue every organization faces. In this episode, Mary Schaeffer addresses the threat of fraud and how every accounts payable, accounting, finance, and treasury group can protect itself. Fraud can cost your organization millions. There is no excuse for not using these fraud protection protocols discussed in this episode.

Fraud protection is critical for any organization that wishes to stay in business. No accounting, accounts payable, finance or treasury manager wants to explain to management how they allowed a fraud to occur on their watch. These five simple fraud protection hacks will help ensure you can detect, deter and prevent fraud.

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Get the latest accounts payable business intelligence delivered straight to your inbox twice a week.

This chat discusses the 5 different tools best-practice organizations use to pay their bills and when to use each tool. Accounting, Finance, and Accounts Payable departments everywhere can cut costs and improve productivity by paying their bills using the perfect tool.

The session begins with a note that best-practice organizations have at their disposal 5 different tools to use to pay bills (invoices). Then each tool is discussed and the type of invoice it should be used for is addressed. The speaker also points out the advantages and disadvantages, if any, of each tool.

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Get the latest accounts payable business intelligence delivered straight to your inbox twice a week.

This chat focuses on how Accounting, Finance, and Accounts Payable departments everywhere can cut costs and improve productivity by reducing the number of paper checks they issue.

This session begins with a very brief discussion of the disadvantages of paper checks. The lion’s share of the podcast is spent focused on seven strategies every organization can use to reduce the number of paper checks issued. As listeners are painfully aware, paper checks do not improve Accounting, Finance, and Accounting department productivity; paper checks simply increase the cost or expense of running the accounting, finance, or accounting department.

The strategies for reducing the number of paper checks focus on getting companies to convert to ACH or electronic payments. This is the primary vehicle for US companies to reduce the number of paper checks.

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Get the latest accounts payable business intelligence delivered straight to your inbox twice a week.

This session begins with Schaeffer discussing the fact that for many their metrics for 2020 for their accounts payable operations will not be as good as those for 2019. But, she cautions, this is not because the staff was slacking off. In fact, just the opposite is likely to be the case.

She then spends the remainder of the broadcast explaining why this is not true. She goes through seven unique circumstances that many experienced that they may not have realized would impact their metrics. She suggests they make sure they explain these issues too management when the metrics are shared.

Host: Mary Schaeffer (https://www.ap-now.com/)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode, we take a brief look back at what the business community experienced in 2020 and then looked forward to the new year. We also explore what the work and hiring environment will look like in 2021.

We start with a look back, and of course, that is the ugly … and the bad, and then look forward to the good. Recognizing that some folks will want to focus primarily on the good (something I can totally understand), we’ve included time markers for where each part starts. To be honest, there are lessons to be learned from reviewing the bad and the ugly, as painful as those issues may be.

The Good Commentary starts at the 15:45-minute mark

How we’ll work and hire in 2021 at the 11-minute 40-second mark

The Bad Commentary starts at the 6-minute mark

The Ugly Commentary starts at the 1-minute 20-second mark

Host: Mary Schaeffer (www.ap-now.com)

Guest: Tom Flynn (www.spendmend.com)

Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

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In this episode of the AP Now podcast, Mary Schaeffer walks the audience through the process five accounts payable/invoice automation surprises and explains what they mean and don’t mean for the future of technology and automation in accounts payable.