Our Latest Articles
Insights, guides, and explainers from our AP experts — covering everything from processes and best practice to automation and controls.
Faster invoice processing with automation
Reduce manual invoice handling, improve approvals, and gain real-time visibility with automated invoice processing software.
What is a purchase order?
Purchase orders help businesses manage spending before money leaves the business by creating a clear record of what is being purchased, who approved it.
Dummy's Guide to Documents
A list of definition's for popular business documents. Includes Invoice, Purchase Order, Purchase Requisition etc... Hope this is Useful!
How Zahara Simplifies Spend Management
Companies wanting to control costs and gain a visibility of expected spend are using Zahara. We are strong in construction and leisure
Audit trail & transparency
Do you answer to a higher authority like investors, shareholders or trustees? Add an audit trail of approval behind every purchase with Zahara
Accounts Payables an Opportunity for Accounting Teams
Is the manual process slowing you down in your finance team? AP is heavy on effort and short on time. What tools can you use today?
Half year check up: Actuals v Budget? What Budget?
Learn how to effectively manage your half year budget and adjust financial strategies for growth and profitability.
The difference between 'budgeting' and 'budget management' – and why it matters
Who holds the purse strings? How are departments managing their spending? Zahara's budget features help control costs and provide visibility
Keeping an Eye on Budgets: Useful Resources
Understand the importance of budgets in business management. Learn how effective budgeting can drive performance and value.
The Controversy Behind Budgets
Budgeting and cost control can be useful business tools when used properly, but if used arbitrarily, you might be wasting your time
How to Help Clients Embrace Their Budget
Budgeting certainly has its place in the business world, but not all businesses understand how to make a budget work for their needs.
Customer Story: How BA Holidays reduced the cost of purchasing
Explore a customer story of how BA Holidays transformed their buying process with Zahara's cloud-based purchasing platform.
10 Things to Consider When Choosing a Purchasing Platform
In this article, we explain the components of a purchase order system and what a potential buyer should look to consider. Find out more
Does your finance team thrive on stress?
What with the month-end surge in every finance team? Get those figures done, key those invoices. How can you prepare for a stress-free month?
Automation - The Ultimate Tool for Efficiency?
Technology is changing before our eyes; every day there is news about AI, machine learning or automation. But, what do we want at work?
The Perfect Time to go Paperless?
With the recent outbreak of Coronavirus, people are being encouraged to work from home. But, how does this impact the Accounts Payables process?
Zahara - Working From Home
Working from home for the Zahara team hasn’t been a stretch so far. We are fortunate to use some great software apps that help us work smart
Business has changed... Forever
We need to be agile. We should be able to lift up the lids of our laptops and work from anywhere. We don’t want paper invoices from anyone.
Bouncing Back
Covid-19 has taught us at Zahara many things. First and foremost, we don’t need an office to work at 100% productivity - we learnt this very quickly
Netflix During Lockdown
When we aren't making incredible AP software, we are watching Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV and all the other streaming services.
5 Benefits of Being Cloud Based
Businesses are having to adapt to a different style of working, with many needing to be operated remotely.
Paperless Staff Expenses – 5 Reasons Why
One area we have seen change is business expenses. This can perhaps be one of the first areas to look at when trying to save money
Stop Approving Supplier Invoices — Fix Your Process Earlier
The finance team need a source of the truth. It's more than likely the finance system and everything else just supports the truth.
Is Your Browser Grinding You Down?
One of Zahara’s strengths is that it is cloud-based, so it can be accessed from any device with a web-browser and internet access.
Bitcoin - 5 Reasons Why
Interest in Bitcoin is at an all-time high right now, as well as the price. Many analysts are predicting that 1 Bitcoin will surpass $100k.
3 Benefits of a hybrid back to work model
Restrictions are lifting and businesses are starting to return to the office. Find out the benefits of adopting a hybrid back-to-work model.
New Mobile App Update!
The new Zahara mobile app update is here with staff expenses and better document viewing. How and why should you track staff expenses?
Introducing... Zahara AutoPilot!
Imagine software that will create an invoice, without you having to press “create"… well we have it! Introducing Zahara AutoPilot.
The Metaverse: What is it and what does it mean for business?
Another digital transformation is on the way with thousands of people working towards creating the Metaverse, a new virtual reality world
The truth about Black Friday
Black Friday is coming up on 26th November and businesses are gearing up, but this year consumers may not be taking part, because...
The updated ultimate work from home survival guide
Find out the newest tips to stay sane while you work from home in 2022. Does it start with painting your office green...?
5 New Year's Resolutions
5 impactful new year's resolutions to improve your business health in 2022. Start building a better business future
Tracking Spend with Spend Approval Workflows
Reports coming out of the UK government show horrific wastage of money with no spend control. Implementing spend approvals is the best way...
How theatres can financially recover from the pandemic
Theatres are formulating a business continuity plan for future pandemics and prioritising financial management.
The 4th Industrial Revolution and how it affects finance
The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) focuses on technologies that merge the biological and digital worlds. How will this impact finance?
Zahara visit Accountex 2022
Zahara's round-up of Accountex London 2022 with Xero, Sage and Comma. Find out what we got up to.
Being a purple cow when job hunting
When it comes to finding your first job, you need to stand out. How does your approach and CV shape up? Compare notes with our CEO
Why understanding costs makes the difference
Gain insight into the visibility of spend with our analysis on gas heating costs. Understand your bills better today.
Purchase Requisitions vs Purchase Orders
How do you compare purchase requisition vs purchase order? What elements should be on a PR and what does a good approval process look like?
Finance Teams Problems
You've got 99 problems but the financial controller aint one. Read this useful article on 2023 finance team challenges
Man Maths and the Science of Buying
Have you heard about Man Maths? Its the science behind the buying decisions that some men use to justify something they want.
Is It Time to Automate Your Manual Invoice Approval Process?
Do you want to reduce manual errors and improve efficiency? We show you why you need to to automate your invoice approval process.
5 Reasons Why You Should Automate Payments
Automation is everywhere right now. But should you be automating your payments? From security to efficiency, here are 5 reasons its a must!
What is a Goods Received Note?
Need a whistle-stop tour of Goods Received Notes? We've got all the basics covered, from what they are to why they matter.
What is ERP Integration?
In this article we present a complete introduction to ERP integration. Choosing AP Software that works seamlessly is your next best move.
Combating AP Fraud
Fraud is on the rise. Figures show that the UK private sector lost up to £157.8 billion to fraud in 2023. Is the solution AP Automation?
What is Sage Intacct? Introducing the benefits AP Automation
Discover the power of Sage Intacct and AP automation with Zahara. Automate manual tasks, reduce errors and enhance efficiency for SMBs.
AP Automation for Seamless Financial Management
Discover the power of AP Automation and how it can revolutionize your invoice processing and financial workflows.
Important Update: Security Incident and Our Response
We have resolved a recent misuse of our trial accounts email feature. We're disclosing everything that has happened and how we are moving forward.
Boost Efficiency with Payroll and Accounting Software
Discover the benefits of payroll and accounting software for efficient business management. Automate processes, reduce errors, and save time.
