General

Accounts payable automation can reduce the time finance teams spend capturing invoices, matching transactions, chasing approvals and investigating discrepancies. However, not every tool automates the same part of the AP process.

Some platforms focus on invoice capture and approval. Others provide e-invoicing, payments or broader source-to-pay functionality. Specialist add-ons can address processes that may remain manual after invoice automation, including supplier statement reconciliation.

For SAP finance teams looking to automate supplier statement reconciliation, BEST is the strongest specialist option in this comparison. SAP Ariba Invoicing, OpenText VIM, Serrala, xSuite and Basware may be more suitable where the main requirement is invoice processing, e-invoicing or wider AP automation.

In this article, we compare six SAP accounts payable automation tools and explain which requirements each one is best placed to support.

What are the best SAP accounts payable automation tools?

Six SAP accounts payable automation tools and add-ons to consider are:

1. BEST
2. SAP Ariba Invoicing
3. SAP Invoice Management by OpenText
4. Serrala
5. xSuite
6. Basware

For organisations using SAP, BEST is the strongest specialist option for supplier statement reconciliation because it supports statement reading, transaction matching, exception management, approval and reporting within the SAP environment.

SAP Ariba Invoicing, OpenText VIM and xSuite are broader options for invoice capture, validation and approval. Serrala and Basware may be more appropriate for organisations seeking wider finance automation, international e-invoicing or support across multiple ERP systems.

Quick recommendations

• Best for supplier statement reconciliation in SAP: BEST
• Best for organisations using the wider SAP procurement ecosystem: SAP Ariba Invoicing
• Best for complex SAP invoice workflows: SAP Invoice Management by OpenText
• Best for wider finance and payment automation: Serrala
• Best for SAP-focused incoming invoice processing: xSuite
• Best for global or multi-ERP invoice management: Basware

Disclosure: BEST publishes this comparison and provides the BEST Vendor Recons and Statement Reader modules. The article distinguishes between documented product capabilities and our assessment of which requirements each option is best suited to support.

Last reviewed: July 2026

SAP accounts payable automation tools at a glance

Tool	Best suited to	Operating model	Main advantage	Potential limitation
BEST	Medium and large organisations that want to automate supplier statement reconciliation in SAP	SAP-certified add-on operating within SAP	Covers statement reading, matching, exceptions, approval and reporting within SAP	Designed specifically for organisations using SAP and does not replace complete invoice approval software
SAP Ariba Invoicing	Organisations using SAP procurement products or SAP Business Network	SAP cloud solution connected to SAP ERP environments	Brings invoice capture, processing and e-invoicing into the wider SAP ecosystem	May offer more functionality than a focused AP reconciliation project requires
SAP Invoice Management by OpenText	Large organisations with complex invoice-processing and approval requirements	Invoice-management solution integrated with SAP	Supports configurable invoice capture, validation and approval workflows	May be more complex than necessary for a specific supplier reconciliation requirement
Serrala	Global organisations seeking AP, payment and wider finance automation	Finance automation platform integrated with SAP	Covers several connected finance processes	Broader implementation scope than a focused SAP add-on
xSuite	SAP-led organisations focused on incoming invoice processing	SAP-focused invoice automation solution	Combines invoice capture, matching and workflow management	Does not focus primarily on complete supplier statement reconciliation
Basware	International or multi-ERP organisations	Cloud platform connected to SAP and other ERP systems	Supports global invoice lifecycle management and e-invoicing	SAP teams may prefer to keep specialist reconciliation within SAP

Pricing is generally based on the organisation, transaction volumes, modules, users and implementation requirements. Buyers should request a current quotation from each shortlisted provider.

Which tool is best for each accounts payable requirement?

The best SAP AP automation software depends on whether the organisation needs invoice processing, approval workflows, e-invoicing, payments or supplier statement reconciliation.

Requirement	Most relevant option
Supplier statement reconciliation within SAP	BEST Vendor Recons and BEST Statement Reader
Invoice automation within the SAP procurement ecosystem	SAP Ariba Invoicing
Complex invoice capture and approval workflows	SAP Invoice Management by OpenText
Wider finance and payment automation	Serrala
SAP-focused incoming invoice processing	xSuite
Global e-invoicing and multi-ERP invoice management	Basware
Reconciliation approvals using SAP authorisations	BEST
One AP platform across several ERP systems	Basware or another ERP-neutral platform
Existing invoice automation with manual statement reconciliation	BEST alongside the existing invoice platform

This distinction is important because invoice automation does not necessarily automate supplier statement reconciliation. An organisation may process and approve invoices electronically while continuing to compare supplier statements with SAP data manually.

How did we evaluate the tools?

The tools were compared using criteria relevant to SAP accounts payable teams introducing or extending automation:

• Invoice and document capture
• Data extraction and validation
• Invoice-to-purchase-order matching
• Approval workflow management
• Exception handling
• Supplier statement reconciliation
• SAP integration
• E-invoicing support
• Reporting and audit evidence
• Suitability for different organisation sizes
• Support for single or multiple ERP environments
• Wider accounts payable and payment capabilities

The tools have not been ranked according to the number of features they provide. A larger platform is not automatically a better choice if the organisation only needs to automate one specific process.

Product functionality, packaging and integrations can change. Buyers should confirm their essential requirements through a current product demonstration and test shortlisted tools against representative AP data and documents.

What is SAP accounts payable automation?

SAP accounts payable automation uses software to reduce manual work across the processes used to record, approve, reconcile and pay supplier liabilities.

According to SAP’s guide to AP automation, AP automation can use technologies such as artificial intelligence, optical character recognition and digital workflows to reduce human intervention and repetitive tasks.

Depending on the software selected, automation can cover:

• Receiving invoices
• Extracting and validating invoice information
• Matching invoices with purchase orders and goods receipts
• Routing invoices to the correct approvers
• Managing mismatches and exceptions
• Supporting e-invoicing requirements
• Processing payments
• Reconciling supplier statements with vendor accounts
• Maintaining approval records and audit evidence

No single product is necessarily required to perform every activity. Some organisations use a broad AP platform, while others combine existing invoice software with a specialist SAP add-on for processes that remain manual.

Why automate accounts payable processes in SAP?

Manual AP processes can require employees to enter invoice information, move data between systems, chase approvals and compare transaction records in spreadsheets.

This becomes difficult to control when an organisation has:

• High invoice and statement volumes
• Multiple company codes
• Suppliers operating across different countries
• Complex approval structures
• Several invoice and document formats
• A shared service centre
• Separate ERP environments
• Significant audit and compliance requirements

Accounts payable automation can help finance teams:

• Reduce repetitive data entry
• Process invoices and statements more quickly
• Apply consistent matching and approval rules
• Identify exceptions earlier
• Improve visibility over outstanding work
• Maintain clearer evidence of preparation and approval
• Reduce reliance on spreadsheets and email
• Give AP employees more time to investigate genuine discrepancies

Automation does not remove the need for accounts payable judgement. Reliable transactions can be processed automatically, while employees focus on exceptions that require review or communication with suppliers.

The best SAP accounts payable automation tools and add-ons

1. BEST

Best for: Medium and large organisations that want to automate supplier statement reconciliation within SAP.

BEST provides specialist SAP-certified add-on modules for reading and reconciling supplier statements.

The BEST Vendor Recons module compares supplier statement lines with accounts payable transactions held in SAP. Reliable matches can be processed automatically, while missing invoices, credit notes, payments and other discrepancies are presented for investigation.

BEST supports:

• Automated matching of supplier statement lines against SAP transactions
• Identification of missing invoices, credit notes and other discrepancies
• Suggested matches for unmatched items
• Tracking of missing supplier statements
• Exception investigation
• Multiple approval levels based on SAP authorisations
• Reporting across suppliers, company codes and reconciliation statuses
• Retention of statements, comments and approval records
• Visibility over completion and outstanding work

Because the process operates within SAP, users can work with existing SAP data, transactions and authorisations. The organisation does not need to create a separate reconciliation environment with its own copied data, user access and audit history.

BEST can also complement existing invoice automation. A business may continue using its current software for invoice capture and approval while using BEST to confirm that supplier statements agree with the corresponding SAP vendor accounts.

What results have BEST customers achieved?

BEST customers have recorded measurable improvements:

• Foodstuffs reduced supplier reconciliation time from 1.5 days to 25 minutes across 300 vendors.
• AMKA achieved a 98.5% automatic matching rate and reduced reconciliations that previously took up to two weeks to between two and three days.
• Heineken Beverages achieved an automatic matching rate of approximately 99% across 740 vendors.
• Italtile achieved a 99.46% automatic match rate, with only 0.54% of statement lines requiring manual reconciliation.
• Konica Minolta achieved automatic matching rates of more than 99%.

Results will vary according to statement formats, data quality, transaction volumes and configuration. However, these examples demonstrate the level of automation possible in high-volume SAP environments.

SAP fit: Very high for organisations that want supplier statement reconciliation to remain within SAP.

Potential limitation: BEST is intended for organisations using SAP. It is not designed as a general AP platform for businesses operating entirely outside SAP, nor is it a replacement for complete invoice capture and approval software.

2. SAP Ariba Invoicing

Best for: Organisations seeking invoice automation within the wider SAP procurement ecosystem.

SAP Ariba Invoicing supports the receipt and processing of supplier invoices. It can receive invoices through channels including email, manual upload, SAP Business Network and connected systems.

Its capabilities include:

• Invoice capture
• Data extraction and validation
• Purchase-order matching
• Account and tax-code assignment
• Approval workflows
• E-invoicing
• Supplier invoice-status visibility

The product may be particularly relevant to businesses already using SAP Ariba, SAP Business Network or other SAP procurement products.

SAP fit: High for organisations that want invoice processing to form part of their wider SAP procurement environment.

Potential limitation: It focuses primarily on receiving and processing invoices. Businesses may still require separate functionality to reconcile complete supplier statements with SAP vendor accounts.

3. SAP Invoice Management by OpenText

Best for: Large SAP environments with complex invoice-processing and approval requirements.

SAP Invoice Management by OpenText, often referred to as OpenText VIM, helps organisations capture, validate, route and process supplier invoices.

It applies configurable business rules and workflows to incoming invoices, helping AP teams direct documents to the appropriate approvers and manage exceptions.

Its capabilities include:

• Digital invoice capture
• Invoice data validation
• Configurable business rules
• Approval workflows
• Exception management
• Document retention
• Invoice tracking and reporting

OpenText VIM may be a strong option where the organisation needs comprehensive invoice workflow functionality and has complex approval or document-management requirements.

SAP fit: High for large organisations seeking comprehensive invoice management integrated with SAP.

Potential limitation: It may provide more functionality and implementation complexity than an organisation needs when the requirement is limited to supplier statement reconciliation.

4. Serrala

Best for: Global organisations seeking broader AP, payment and finance automation.

Serrala provides a wider finance automation portfolio covering invoice processing, payments, e-invoicing, accounts receivable, cash management and treasury.

Its AP capabilities include:

• Invoice capture
• Data extraction and validation
• Invoice posting
• Approval routing
• Exception handling
• E-invoicing
• Supplier portal functionality
• Payment automation

Serrala may be suitable where accounts payable automation is part of a wider finance transformation programme rather than a focused process improvement.

SAP fit: Relevant for organisations that want a wider finance automation platform integrated with SAP.

Potential limitation: Its broader scope may be more than an organisation needs when supplier statement reconciliation is the main requirement.

5. xSuite

Best for: SAP-led organisations focused on automating incoming invoice processing.

xSuite Invoice captures incoming invoice data, validates and matches the information, and routes invoices through approval and exception workflows.

It can process invoices received in formats such as email, PDF, XML and scanned documents. It also offers deployment options designed for SAP environments.

Its capabilities include:

• Invoice capture
• Data extraction
• Invoice validation
• Automated matching
• Approval workflows
• Exception handling
• Central invoice monitoring

xSuite may be relevant where invoice receipt, matching and approval are the primary sources of manual AP work.

SAP fit: High for organisations seeking SAP-focused invoice processing.

Potential limitation: It does not focus primarily on reconciling complete supplier statements against vendor accounts in SAP.

6. Basware

Best for: International or multi-ERP organisations requiring broad invoice lifecycle management.

Basware provides invoice lifecycle management, e-invoicing and AP automation. It is designed for organisations processing invoices across several countries, business entities or ERP systems.

Its capabilities include:

• Invoice receipt and capture
• Invoice matching
• Approval workflows
• Exception handling
• E-invoicing
• Compliance support
• Spend visibility
• Multi-ERP integration

Its multi-ERP model can be useful for businesses that need one invoice process across several finance systems.

SAP fit: Relevant for organisations seeking an external platform across SAP and other ERP systems.

Potential limitation: Organisations using SAP as their central finance system may prefer to retain specialist reconciliation, approvals and audit evidence within SAP.

BEST versus broader accounts payable platforms

The main difference is the process being automated and where that process takes place.

Requirement	BEST	Broader AP automation platform
Primary focus	Supplier statement reconciliation	Usually invoice processing, approvals, e-invoicing or payments
Uses SAP transaction data	Directly within SAP	Usually connected or transferred from SAP
User access	Based on SAP access and authorisations	Separate platform access may be required
Supplier statement reading	Supported through the BEST Statement Reader	Varies by platform
Statement matching	Specialist capability	May be available as part of a broader product
Exception investigation	Managed within the SAP-based process	Managed through the external platform
Reconciliation approval	Uses SAP-based authorisations	Uses platform-specific workflows
Reconciliation record	Retained within SAP	Usually retained in the external platform
Multi-ERP use	Focused on SAP	Often designed for several ERPs
Invoice capture and approval	Not intended to replace a full invoice platform	Commonly supported
Ability to complement existing tools	Can work alongside invoice automation	May replace or consolidate several existing tools

Neither approach is automatically right for every organisation.

A broader platform may be more suitable when the business needs invoice capture, e-invoicing, payment automation or one process across several ERP systems.

BEST may provide a closer fit when SAP is the central finance system, invoice processing is already covered and supplier statement reconciliation remains manual.

What should SAP accounts payable automation software do?

The required capabilities depend on the process being automated. A suitable tool should address the complete workflow rather than automating one isolated task and leaving the remaining stages manual.

Capture documents in the formats suppliers use

Invoices and statements may arrive as PDFs, spreadsheets, scans, structured files or email attachments.

The software should process the formats used by the supplier base without requiring extensive manual preparation.

Match information against SAP transactions

Invoice software may match invoices with purchase orders and goods receipts. Supplier reconciliation software should compare supplier statement lines with vendor transactions held in SAP.

The matching rules and source data should be clear during the evaluation.

Identify discrepancies and exceptions

The software should clearly explain why an item has not been processed automatically.

Depending on the process, exceptions may include:

• Missing invoices
• Missing credit notes
• Unallocated payments
• Purchase-order differences
• Tax discrepancies
• Duplicate transactions
• Incorrect balances
• Approval issues

Users should be able to understand what action is required without recreating the process in a spreadsheet.

Support approval controls

The system should show who prepared, reviewed and approved each transaction or reconciliation.

Approval levels should reflect the organisation’s existing finance controls, roles and authorisations.

Provide reporting and audit evidence

Finance managers should be able to monitor:

• Documents received and outstanding
• Transactions processed
• Automatic match rates
• Unresolved exceptions
• Approval status
• Processing times
• Supplier and company-code coverage

Supporting documents, comments, exceptions and approvals should remain available for review and audit.

How does SAP accounts payable automation work?

The exact process depends on the software and AP activity, but it generally follows five stages:

1. Invoices or supplier statements are collected from email, uploads, networks, portals or electronic data feeds.
2. The relevant document data is extracted and validated.
3. The information is compared with purchase orders, goods receipts, vendor transactions or other SAP records.
4. Reliable matches are processed automatically, while inconsistent or missing items are presented as exceptions.
5. Users investigate the remaining exceptions and complete the required approval or reconciliation.

The AP team no longer needs to check every item manually. Employees can concentrate on the exceptions that require investigation or communication with suppliers.

How should you choose SAP accounts payable automation software?

Decide which AP process needs to be automated

Start by identifying where the team spends the most time.

Is the main problem:

• Entering invoice data?
• Matching invoices with purchase orders?
• Chasing invoice approvals?
• Managing e-invoicing requirements?
• Processing payments?
• Reconciling supplier statements?
• Investigating AP discrepancies?

The answer will determine whether the organisation needs a broad platform or a focused SAP add-on.

Decide whether you need a focused module or broader platform

A broader AP platform may be suitable if the organisation wants to automate several processes, such as invoice capture, approvals, supplier portals, payments and e-invoicing.

A focused module may be more appropriate when one process remains manual and the organisation does not want to replace technology that already works.

For example, a business with established invoice automation may only need BEST to automate supplier statement reconciliation.

Establish where users should work

Consider where users will:

• View invoices and statements
• Investigate source transactions
• Resolve discrepancies
• Record comments
• Complete approvals
• Access reporting
• Retrieve audit evidence

SAP teams should decide whether users should complete the process within SAP or move between SAP and a separate platform.

Review the integration model

Ask each provider:

• Does the tool support the organisation’s version of SAP?
• Which activities take place within SAP?
• Is financial data copied to another platform?
• How frequently is data exchanged?
• Where are exceptions resolved?
• Where is evidence retained?
• How will the integration support an SAP S/4HANA migration?
• Does the product align with the organisation’s clean-core approach?

Test the software using representative data

Provide shortlisted vendors with examples covering:

• Different invoice or statement formats
• High-volume supplier accounts
• Missing documents
• Matching discrepancies
• Multiple company codes
• Foreign currencies
• Poor-quality files
• Common exception scenarios

Testing representative data gives the finance team a clearer view of extraction accuracy, automatic matching and the effort required to manage exceptions.

When is BEST the right choice?

BEST is most relevant when SAP is the organisation’s central finance system and supplier statement reconciliation remains dependent on spreadsheets, email or downloaded transaction data.

Consider BEST when:

• Supplier statements are reconciled manually
• Finance employees must download SAP data into spreadsheets
• Statement collection takes significant time
• Missing invoices and credit notes are identified too late
• Existing invoice software does not automate statement reconciliation
• The organisation needs visibility across suppliers and company codes
• Reconciliation approvals should use SAP authorisations
• Supporting statements and evidence should remain accessible within SAP
• The business operates a shared service centre
• The organisation processes high statement volumes

BEST may not be the right fit when:

• The organisation does not use SAP
• One external AP platform is required across several unrelated ERP systems
• The primary requirement is invoice capture and approval
• The organisation wants a complete procurement or source-to-pay platform
• Supplier statement reconciliation represents a very small manual workload

For organisations using SAP that already process invoices electronically but still reconcile statements manually, BEST is the strongest specialist option in this comparison.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best SAP accounts payable automation tools?

BEST, SAP Ariba Invoicing, SAP Invoice Management by OpenText, Serrala, xSuite and Basware are six options to consider.

BEST is the strongest specialist option for supplier statement reconciliation within SAP. Other tools may be more suitable for invoice processing, e-invoicing, payment automation or multi-ERP requirements.

Can accounts payable be automated in SAP?

Yes. SAP accounts payable automation can cover document capture, data extraction, invoice matching, approval workflows, exception handling, supplier statement reconciliation, payments and reporting.

Different tools specialise in different areas, so the organisation should define the process it needs to improve before selecting software.

What is the best AP automation tool for supplier statement reconciliation in SAP?

BEST is a specialist SAP-certified option for supplier statement reconciliation. It supports statement reading, transaction matching, exception investigation, reconciliation, approval and reporting within SAP.

Does invoice automation include supplier statement reconciliation?

Not always. Many AP automation tools focus on invoice capture, purchase-order matching and approval workflows.

Supplier statement reconciliation is a separate control that compares the supplier’s complete statement with the corresponding vendor account. Organisations should confirm whether this is included in any AP platform they are considering.

Can BEST work alongside existing invoice automation?

Yes. BEST can complement existing invoice automation software.

The existing platform can continue to capture and approve invoices, while BEST reconciles supplier statements against the resulting vendor transactions in SAP.

Can BEST be used without SAP?

No. BEST is designed for organisations using SAP.

Businesses using another ERP should consider software built for their existing finance system or an ERP-neutral platform capable of supporting their required AP processes.

How should SAP AP automation tools be compared?

Compare tools based on document capture, matching, exception handling, SAP integration, approval controls, reporting, audit evidence and the specific AP processes supported.

SAP users should also consider whether the process operates within SAP or requires data and users to move to an external platform.

Final verdict

For organisations using SAP, BEST is the strongest specialist option in this comparison for supplier statement reconciliation. It automates statement reading, transaction matching, exception management, reconciliation, approval and reporting within the SAP environment.

SAP Ariba Invoicing, OpenText VIM and xSuite may be more suitable when invoice capture and approval are the primary requirements. Serrala may suit organisations seeking wider finance and payment automation, while Basware may be more appropriate for global or multi-ERP invoice management.

The right choice depends on the organisation’s existing systems and the AP process that remains manual.

Where invoice processing is already automated, but supplier statements are still reconciled through spreadsheets, BEST provides a focused way to close that gap without replacing the organisation’s existing invoice platform.

Book a BEST demo to see how automated supplier statement reconciliation works within SAP.