GTD for AP

Mastering Time Management in Accounts Payable: A GTD-Inspired Guide to Boosting Efficiency and Accuracy

Introduction:
If you’ve ever felt buried under a mountain of invoices, endless approvals, and reconciliations, you’re not alone. Managing time and tasks in Accounts Payable requires more than just working harder, it requires working smarter. Drawing on the proven Getting Things Done methodology by David Allen, this guide helps AP professionals regain control, reduce stress, and increase productivity.

1. Capture Everything to Clear Your Mind

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” - David Allen

The first step to managing time well is capturing every task, invoice, or follow-up in a trusted system. Don’t rely on memory (write it down or log it in your AP workflow tool). This frees mental space and helps avoid forgetting important items.

In practice:

• Use your AP software or a digital to-do list to capture every incoming invoice, payment approval, or vendor query immediately.
• Set reminders for deadlines and approvals.

2. Clarify and Organize Tasks Clearly

“Decide what your next action is.” - David Allen

Each item you capture should have a clear, actionable next step. For example, instead of “Review invoice,” decide “Verify invoice against purchase order by noon.” Organize these tasks by context: invoices to approve, payments to schedule, reconciliations to perform.

In practice:

• Break down large projects (like monthly closing) into concrete steps.
• Group similar tasks for batch processing (for example, all vendor payments).

3. Reflect Regularly to Stay on Track

“Review and update your lists frequently.” - David Allen

Set regular intervals (daily or weekly) to review your AP tasks and prioritize them. This keeps you aware of deadlines, pending approvals, and bottlenecks, allowing proactive adjustments before things pile up.

In practice:

• Schedule a weekly AP review meeting or personal planning session.
• Use dashboards or reports to monitor overdue invoices or exceptions.

4. Engage with Focus and Context

“Work from your trusted system, not your head.” - David Allen

Choose tasks based on your current context, energy, and priority. Avoid multitasking, and instead focus fully on the job at hand (whether it’s data entry, vendor calls, or auditing).

In practice:

• Use time-blocking techniques to allocate focused slots for different AP activities.
• Minimize distractions by silencing notifications during deep work sessions.

5. Use Time Budgets to Measure and Improve

Incorporate GTD’s emphasis on defined next actions with the power of setting time budgets. Track how long each type of AP task takes, then adjust workflows and resources to optimize.

In practice:

• Set target times for invoice processing, approvals, and reconciliations.
• Analyze time tracking data to spot inefficiencies and train your team accordingly.

Conclusion

Accounts Payable is complex, but with the right system inspired by GTD, you can reclaim control and work with confidence. Start by capturing everything, clarifying your next steps, reviewing regularly, and focusing on what matters most. Your AP process (and your sanity) will thank you.

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Want to dive deeper? Read Getting Things Done by David Allen

Discover the full GTD methodology that has helped millions increase productivity and reduce stress.

Buy Getting Things Done on Amazon

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Robert Ruhno
Moderator, Accounts Payable Professionals Group
ap-professionals.com