Accounts Payable: A Guide to Running An Efficient Department

Rating:
Summary: Top quality handbook
Review: Gives a solid summary of most important parts of running AP operations. The case studies make the book very clear. For new controllers this would be a really good addition to your bookshelf.

Rating:
Summary: Top quality handbook
Review: Gives a solid summary of most important parts of running AP operations. The case studies make the book very clear. For new controllers this would be a really good addition to your bookshelf.

Rating:
Summary: Greetings + commentary on source of information used in book
Review: Greetings. Thank you for taking the time to read about my book.

Anyone who thinks that all you need to know to work in accounts payable is how to write a check will think differently after reading this book. Nothing could be further from the truth. Today's accounts payable professional needs to have a wide range of knowledge in order to do an adequate job - never mind an outstanding one.

The information contained in this book comes from a wide range of sources. I have spent the last four years covering the accounts payable profession as the editor and writer of a monthly newsletter, IOMA's Report on Managing Accounts Payable. The research I completed for the newsletter lays the groundwork for this book. It comes from listening to lectures, attending conferences and talking to professionals about various topics that affect accounts payable. These include corporate procurement cards (P-cards), imaging, positive pay, EDI, the Internet, VAT, T&E, payment timing, third party audit firms, check fraud, duplicate payments, and much much more.

A very small part of the book is based on the fifteen plus years I spent in corporate America interacting with various accounts payable departments.

But most of all, the information comes from accounts payable professionals toiling every day at companies large and small. As it turns out, this has been my best source of information. For the last four years I've talked to accounts payable managers from many companies, read what they had to say when they responded to our reader surveys and moderated an accounts payable discussion group on the Internet. This under-rated group of professionals has done some pretty amazing things with limited resources. And, they have willingly shared their best ideas asking nothing but perhaps that someone else will have the opportunity to make things work a little better at their company.

For many accounts payable functions, there is great flexibility as to what will work. This is good since many are constrained from implementing the policies and procedures that they believe are best because of factors outside their control. Budget considerations, limited IS resources, software limitations and corporate policy sometimes keep a professional from implementing the best strategies.

Given the positive response the book has received so far, I am confident that there will be a second edition in a few years. As you read this book, you may not agree with everything that is written or you may have a great idea that I have not included. In either case I would love to hear from you. I can be reached at [e-mail]

Thank you for your time and good luck in all your accounts payable endeavors.

Good luck, Mary Ludwig Schaeffer

Rating:
Summary: All you could ever need to know about A/P
Review: Really interesting way to organize and understand accounts payable. I'm going to suggest that my company use this book as a tool for our employees. Every detail is covered with simple to implement instructions. Also great as a reference tool. And the best thing is that it is easy to read!

Rating:
Summary: A Valuable Resource
Review: This book puts forth a valuable resource for responsibilities that fall under the accounts payable umbrella. The book, through good outlined topics and case studies, shows how a company can save money, maintain internal control, upgrade its systems, as well as retail professionalism of the department. The book includes an excellent division of topics within, which are pertinent to those who are involved with the day to day running of the accounting manager and accountants.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent coverage of the main issues in A/P
Review: This is probably the best (and only?) book available that gives a detailed overview of A/P procedures. It is especially helpful for those who need to design new policies to address difficult problems. For example, the book gives a very good explanation of procurement cards (p-cards), how to reduce T&E costs, and how to choose and hire new A/P personnel. In other words, it covers just about all of the bases. The only area the book doesn't cover is specific software packages, but I think that is beyond the scope of the book's title, and there are many other resources that have information accounting software. Potential buyers should note that there are annual supplements that update this book, and it may be worthwhile taking a look at them as well. Technology causes so many changes, that some business ideas are out of date within a few months, so you might want to make sure you have the most current information.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent coverage of the main issues in A/P
Review: This is probably the best (and only?) book available that gives a detailed overview of A/P procedures. It is especially helpful for those who need to design new policies to address difficult problems. For example, the book gives a very good explanation of procurement cards (p-cards), how to reduce T&E costs, and how to choose and hire new A/P personnel. In other words, it covers just about all of the bases. The only area the book doesn't cover is specific software packages, but I think that is beyond the scope of the book's title, and there are many other resources that have information accounting software. Potential buyers should note that there are annual supplements that update this book, and it may be worthwhile taking a look at them as well. Technology causes so many changes, that some business ideas are out of date within a few months, so you might want to make sure you have the most current information.