From Frustrated Supplier to Advocate for Better Accounts Payable Practices
For over 20 years, I’ve navigated the challenges of being a supplier to larger companies. My first business was a TV and radio production company, complete with recording studios in central London. Our clients included advertising agencies, record companies, and brands such as the BBC, Sky TV, and Virgin. At one point, I even found myself at Richard Branson’s house, tuning Virgin Radio into his under-stairs sound system.
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As a small business with 12 employees, we trusted large companies to honour 30-day credit terms without running financial checks. Unfortunately, this trust was broken time and time again.
Every Friday afternoon, as the managing director, I would call the accounts payable (AP) teams of companies with outstanding debts. Over time, I built relationships with the AP teams. I learned who was sincere and willing to help and who would make excuses. Despite offering 30-day terms, payments often took 60, 90, or even 120 days.
The most common excuse? “We haven’t received payment from our client yet.” My response was always the same: “My contract is with you, not your client.” Yet, this reasoning rarely worked.
As a small business owner, these delays caused sleepless nights worrying about cash flow and whether we could meet our obligations. The breaking point came when we extended over £250,000 of credit to produce a major retailer’s Christmas TV advertising campaign. We agreed to 14-day payment terms, with the final balance to be settled by the end of January. By the following June, we were still chasing the last £25,000. The retailer’s excuse? “The invoice hasn’t been approved yet.”
Ultimately, we had to involve a solicitor to recover the money. Although we were paid in full, the retailer’s inability to honor their agreement damaged the relationship beyond repair. Just three years later, they went into administration.
Bridging the Gap with Automation
In the 1990s and 2000s, managing purchase orders and invoice approvals meant relying on paper documents or Excel sheets sent via email. Today, businesses have access to powerful tools like Zahara’s Accounts Payable Automation software. With Zahara, there’s complete transparency in the approval process. No more excuses about lost invoices or delayed approvals.
Our platform empowers accounts payable teams to:
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Track invoices and approvals in real-time.
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Identify bottlenecks in the process, holding colleagues accountable.
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Build stronger, more reliable relationships with suppliers.
Imagine annual awards for the most efficient approvers, or simply enjoying the loyalty of happy suppliers who trust you to pay on time.
Zahara: Features That Strengthen Supplier Relationships
Zahara goes beyond basic AP automation to offer features that directly enhance supplier relationships:
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Multi-Step Approvals: Customize workflows to ensure every invoice is reviewed by the right people at the right time.
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Invoice Matching: Match invoices to purchase orders and receipts automatically, reducing disputes.
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Real-Time Insights: Gain visibility into outstanding approvals and payments.
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Supplier Portals: Allow suppliers to check the status of their invoices, fostering transparency.
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International Payments: Streamline payments to suppliers across the globe.
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Fraud Prevention: Protect your business with tools to detect and prevent fraudulent invoices.
A Call to Action for Accounts Payable Teams
If your business is still struggling with slow approvals or supplier dissatisfaction, Zahara can help. By implementing our software, you can eliminate the friction that damages supplier relationships and ensure your team is efficient, transparent, and reliable.
Let’s build a world where suppliers are loyal and happy—and where accounts payable teams can take pride in their processes.
Suppliers: If you know companies that blame invoice approvals for slow payment, encourage them to contact Zahara Software. We’re here to help.
