AP Controls and Working Capital Copy Pack

A plug-and-play implementation kit you can set up in 60–90 minutes to establish:

• minimum AP controls (what must be true before paying)
• vendor master hygiene + bank change verification (anti-fraud)
• duplicate payment detection and recovery
• payment terms capture + enforcement (working capital discipline)
• dispute + credit recovery system (stop "we never got the credit")
• service acceptance records (control services spend)
• accrual/close-out tracker (fewer surprises at close)
• a lightweight monthly cadence + KPIs

Complete value chain intelligence:

• Cost reduction: prevent duplicate payments, pricing drift, undocumented charges, missed credits, late fees
• Risk mitigation: reduce fraud risk, compliance gaps, dispute chaos, and close surprises
• Carbon impact (secondary): stronger vendor/process discipline improves data consistency later, but this pack is finance-first

Use this pack if any of these are true:

• You've paid duplicates (or you're not sure if you have)
• Vendor bank changes arrive via email and get updated without verification
• Payment terms are negotiated but not enforced
• Disputes are informal and credits don't get applied
• AP close is painful (late invoices, missing accruals)
• Services invoices get approved without proof of delivery
• Leadership wants working capital improvement, but the process doesn't support it

Step 1 — Decide your "non-negotiables" (10 minutes)

Pick the controls you will enforce consistently.

Recommended minimum enforcement (start here):

• No bank changes without out-of-band verification (call-back)
• Duplicate check before every payment run
• Disputes tracked until credit/refund applied
• Service acceptance required for services invoices above a threshold (e.g., $5k)

Beginner rule: enforce fewer controls consistently rather than many controls inconsistently.

Step 2 — Create your AP Controls folder (5 minutes)

Create a stable place for policies, trackers, and evidence:

• AP_Controls/
  • 01_Policies_and_Checklists/
  • 02_Invoice_Intake_and_Status/
  • 03_Duplicates_and_Recovery/
  • 04_Terms_and_Working_Capital/
  • 05_Disputes_and_Credits/
  • 06_Service_Acceptance/
  • 07_Close_and_Accruals/
  • 08_Payment_Run_Reviews/

Step 3 — Create your Google Sheets (20 minutes)

Copy these templates into Google Sheets (each as its own tab):

• Invoice Intake + Status Log
• Duplicate Payment Review Log
• Payment Terms Capture Template
• Terms Enforcement Exceptions Log
• Dispute and Credit Memo Tracker
• Hold / Release Log
• Accruals and Close-Out Tracker
• AP KPI Scoreboard

Step 4 — Implement bank change verification (10 minutes)

• Copy the Bank Detail Change Verification Checklist into a doc
• Make it policy: no bank changes without verification
• Limit who can update bank details (permissions)

This single control prevents a large class of payment fraud.

Step 5 — Pilot on top vendors (15–20 minutes)

Start with:

• your top 20 vendors by spend OR
• any vendor category with recurring problems

For each, you'll:

• ensure terms are captured (or flagged missing)
• ensure disputes/credits are tracked
• ensure services spend has acceptance evidence when appropriate

Step 6 — Start the monthly cadence (10 minutes)

Schedule: "Monthly AP Operating Review" (30–45 minutes) Use the agenda at the end of this pack.