The state of ePayables 2025: AP's unfinished journey
Access Ardent Partners' landmark 20th annual report, featuring 3 months of intensive research, 200+ AP leader insights, and your roadmap to 79% faster invoice processing.
For two decades, Ardent Partners has tracked the evolution of accounts payable from back-office function to strategic financial powerhouse.
Now, in this milestone 20th anniversary edition of The State of ePayables, discover why AP’s journey remains unfinished—and how to claim your seat at the strategic table.
This isn’t just another industry report.
It’s your organisation’s guide to completing AP’s unfinished journey—backed by exclusive data from 204 AP and finance leaders, proprietary benchmarks refined over 20 years, and actionable strategies that separate Best-in-Class performers from everyone else.
Access the report
What's inside the state of ePayables 2025
- Groundbreaking performance metrics: See how Best-in-Class AP teams achieve 79% lower processing costs and 79% faster cycle times than their peers.
- AI readiness roadmap: Learn what the 44% of AP teams already using AI are doing differently—and how to join the 75% expected to adopt AI within 12 months.
- Strategic transformation blueprint: Discover how leading AP departments are expanding beyond transactions into cash management, supplier relationships, and business intelligence.
- Global compliance insights: Navigate the exploding world of e-Invoicing mandates with expert guidance on 70+ country requirements
- Future-proofing strategies: Understand the five key drivers shaping AP’s future, from “smarter” systems to the eradication of tactical tasks.
Why this report matters now
In an era of rising interest rates, tightening cash flows, and accelerating digital mandates, AP has never been more critical to enterprise success. Yet only 46% of organisations have deployed comprehensive ePayables solutions, and 29% of AP teams are actively involved in cash management.
The gap between leaders and laggards is widening.
This report shows you exactly how to bridge it.
Access your complimentary copy now and discover
$2.65
processing costs
reduced to vs. the $12.42 average and how to do it
67%
of Best-in-Class teams
prioritise supplier enablement—why they do it and how to get there
2
new metrics
(CAIT and SPOR) that will transform how you measure AP success
AI
specific use cases
delivering immediate ROI for forward-thinking AP teams
Sponsored by Tradeshift, the global leader in AP automation and e-Invoicing compliance.
Meet the author
Andrew Bartolini
Founder & Chief Research Officer
With 26 years in the industry and 16 years leading Ardent Partners, Andrew Bartolini is a globally recognised expert in accounts payable, sourcing, and procurement.
He has benchmarked thousands of enterprises, presented 650+ times across 10 countries, and been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and other leading publications. Andrew’s research forms part of the supply chain curriculum at several U.S. universities.
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