Accounts Payable: Accounting and Management Best Practices |Smart

Overview

Why Attend

Accounts Payable (AP) is not just processing checks, mailing them, and filing backup paperwork. To effectively manage accounts payable, one must understand the AP department's building blocks, including, but not limited to, customer service, vendor management, check requests, and Purchase Orders (POs).

This course will discuss handling invoices, processing checks, preventing errors, conducting annual audits, and using technology in the department. You will also learn the best practices to adopt in your AP department and how to develop your department into an effective business partner.

Course Methodology

This course demonstrates theoretical and practical core topics and introduces Excel for managing accounts payable. The course also features role-playing and presentations by participants.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Explain the function of Accounts Payable (AP) and its role in organizations
Create efficient Accounts Payable process
Utilize best practices to improve the AP function
Take a successful lead in the management of Accounts Payable
Evaluate main issues affecting AP staff to increase their efficiency and productivity
Play a real business partner role in your organization
Apply tools and techniques in Microsoft Excel to effectively manage and monitor AP performance

Target Audience

Managers of accounts payable, AP staff and professionals, clerks, and specialists who wish to advance their careers. The course is also beneficial to professionals in accounting, finance, purchasing, and procurement who work closely with accounts payable.

Target Competencies

Examining the role of accounts payable
Performing month-end accruals
Realizing the added value of three-way matching
Preparing and analyzing accounts payable aging
Preventing accounts payable fraud
Applying accounts payable best practices
Implementing early payment discount
Utilizing Excel functions

Course Outline

The Important Role of AP
- The meaning of managing Accounts Payable
- The functions of management
- The big picture: Accounts Payable and the financial health of organizations
- The functions of the Accounts Payable department and the role of AP staff
- Impact of Accounts Payable on working capital and cash management
Accounting Essentials for Accounts Payable
- Accounts Payable terminologies
- General ledger and sub-ledger
- Preparing for month-end close and accruals
- Assessing the AP department
- Accounts Payable controls
Accounts Payable Processes and Best Practices
- Invoice handling and routing
- The three-way matching
- Methods of payment processing
- Maintaining the vendor master file
- Travel and Entertainment (T&E)
- Procurement Cards (P-Cards)
- Electronic payment options
Key Topics in Accounts Payable Management
- Continuous process improvement
- Applying best practices in your organization
- Identifying proper internal controls
- The annual audit as an added-value
- Impact of AP outsourcing
- Detecting fraud in Accounts Payable
- Disaster recovery planning
The Behavioral Side of Managing Accounts Payable Department
- Improving the image of the AP department
- Ways to motivate AP staff
- Organizing the AP department
- Closing the communication gap
- Dealing with internal and external disputes
- Importance of internal customer service
- Providing customer service to vendors
Accounts Payable department as a real business partner
- When should we pay our suppliers?
- Understanding the cost of funds
- Evaluating early payment discounts
- Pros and cons of early or late payments
- Relationship with the treasury department
Using Microsoft Excel to manage Accounts Payable
- Interface between the Accounts Payable system and Excel
- Using pivot tables to extract valuable information
- Preparing and analyzing Accounts Payable aging
- Role of Accounts Payable in improving suppliers' commercial terms
- Using Excel to Perform Accounts Payable Reconciliations

Schedule & Fees

2026 Schedule & Fees

27 Sep - 1 Oct, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

27 Sep - 1 Oct, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

1 - 5 Nov, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

1 - 5 Nov, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

27 - 31 Dec, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

27 - 31 Dec, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

2027 Schedule & Fees

31 Jan - 4 Feb, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

31 Jan - 4 Feb, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

28 Mar - 1 Apr, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

28 Mar - 1 Apr, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

2 - 6 May, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

2 - 6 May, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

27 Jun - 1 Jul, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

27 Jun - 1 Jul, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

1 - 5 Aug, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

1 - 5 Aug, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

26 - 30 Sep, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

26 - 30 Sep, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

31 Oct - 4 Nov, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

31 Oct - 4 Nov, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

26 - 30 Dec, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

26 - 30 Dec, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

Accounts Payable: Accounting and Management Best Practices

Overview

Why Attend

Course Methodology

Course Objectives

Target Audience

Target Competencies

Course Outline

Schedule & Fees

2026 Schedule & Fees

2027 Schedule & Fees

Related Courses