APPG Industry Research
What Does Accounts Payable Really Look Like Heading Into 2027?
APPG has launched the State of Accounts Payable 2027 study to hear directly from the professionals doing the work.
Accounts Payable Professionals Group | October 1, 2026
State of Accounts Payable 2027
Help APPG build a clearer benchmark for the Accounts Payable profession.
The survey takes approximately 6 to 8 minutes and is open to AP professionals, AP leaders, and finance professionals responsible for Accounts Payable.
Accounts Payable is changing quickly.
Automation is handling more invoice processing. Artificial intelligence is beginning to enter AP workflows. Fraud threats continue to evolve. ERP platforms are becoming more connected, and finance leaders are asking AP departments to accomplish more with the technology and staff they already have.
But what does Accounts Payable actually look like inside organizations today?
The Accounts Payable Professionals Group wants to find out.
APPG has launched the State of Accounts Payable 2027 study, an industry survey designed to gather the experiences, challenges, technologies, controls, and priorities of Accounts Payable professionals across industries and organizations.
The goal is straightforward: hear directly from the people doing the work.
Building a Clearer Picture of Accounts Payable
There is no single operating model for Accounts Payable.
Some organizations have highly automated invoice environments with electronic invoicing, automated matching, workflow routing, integrated ERP systems, and electronic payments.
Other organizations still depend heavily on email, spreadsheets, PDFs, manual approvals, and human intervention throughout the invoice lifecycle.
Some AP departments are beginning to experiment with artificial intelligence and autonomous workflows. Others are still working through ERP upgrades, staffing shortages, vendor master controls, payment fraud risks, or basic invoice automation.
Those differences matter.
Discussions about the future of AP can sometimes focus heavily on what technology can do. APPG wants to better understand what organizations are actually doing.
The State of Accounts Payable 2027 study examines:
- AP automation and artificial intelligence
- Invoice processing and operating models
- Fraud prevention and payment controls
- ERP systems and AP technology
- Staffing and investment
- Current Accounts Payable challenges
- Priorities for the year ahead
Why AP Professionals Should Have a Voice
Accounts Payable professionals experience operational change differently depending on their organization, industry, invoice volume, ERP, technology environment, and responsibilities.
An AP specialist processing invoices may see problems that a finance executive never encounters directly.
An AP manager may be dealing with staffing, exception management, internal controls, month-end close, vendor escalations, and payment performance.
A director, controller, or broader finance leader may be deciding where the organization should invest in automation, controls, artificial intelligence, or process improvement.
All of those perspectives are important.
APPG wants the study to reflect the profession as broadly as possible, from professionals working directly with invoices and vendors to the people managing AP departments and broader finance operations.
The more professionals who participate, the more useful the resulting benchmark can become.
“The goal is straightforward: hear directly from the people doing the work.”
From Survey Responses to an APPG Industry Report
The survey is only the first step.
APPG plans to use the responses to develop the State of Accounts Payable 2027 Report, providing AP professionals with a clearer picture of where the profession stands as organizations enter 2027.
The report is intended to identify patterns across the profession.
- Where is AP automation actually being used?
- How much influence is artificial intelligence beginning to have?
- Which AP processes remain highly manual?
- How concerned are professionals about payment and vendor fraud?
- Are organizations investing enough in Accounts Payable technology and staffing?
- What are AP departments prioritizing for 2027?
Answers to questions like these can help professionals compare their own environments with what is happening elsewhere in the profession.
They can also help move the AP conversation beyond assumptions.
The Profession Should Help Define Its Own Future
Accounts Payable has traditionally been measured through invoices processed, payment timeliness, exception rates, discounts captured, duplicate payments, and other operational metrics.
Those measures remain important.
But AP is increasingly connected to working capital, fraud prevention, supplier relationships, data quality, compliance, automation, artificial intelligence, and broader financial transformation.
Understanding where the profession is going requires listening to the people responsible for those processes.
That is what the State of Accounts Payable 2027 study is designed to do.
Your Experience Matters
Take Part in the State of Accounts Payable 2027 Study
Whether you work directly in AP, manage an AP team, or lead a broader finance function, your perspective can help APPG build a better benchmark for the profession.
The survey takes approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
Complete the SurveyPlease share the study with other Accounts Payable professionals in your network. The more voices represented, the more useful the final report can be.
APPG Takeaway
Accounts Payable is entering another period of significant change. The State of Accounts Payable 2027 study is designed to document that change through the experience of the professionals living it every day.
Explore more from APPG:
Accounts Payable
|
AP Automation
|
Controls & Risk
|
AP News
Editorial Note: This article was developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed and approved by Robert Ruhno, Executive Director of the Accounts Payable Professionals Group, and Mariann Ruhno, Chief Education Officer of the Accounts Payable Professionals Group.
APPG Leadership
Robert Ruhno
Executive Director
Robert leads APPG's mission, editorial direction, member community, and efforts to advance the Accounts Payable profession.
Mariann Ruhno
Chief Education Officer
Mariann leads APPG's education strategy, professional-development resources, and initiatives designed to help AP professionals strengthen their skills and careers.
The Accounts Payable Professionals Group provides practical education, industry information, professional development, and community for Accounts Payable professionals.
