AP automation software for manufacturing companies: A complete guide

Manufacturing companies often deal with a high volume of vendor invoices, complex approval hierarchies, and tight alignment between financial systems and production timelines. Manual AP processes can slow down procurement, introduce errors, and strain supplier relationships.

That’s why many manufacturing finance teams turn to AP automation software to streamline invoice ingestion, approvals, and payments. With the right tools, companies can centralize vendor data, match payments to production cycles, and reduce manual effort across the payables workflow.

This guide outlines how to pick the best AP automation software for manufacturers—and how Ramp’s AP automation solution can help streamline the full, end-to-end AP process.

Why AP automation matters for manufacturing companies

In manufacturing, efficiency isn’t just about production lines—it extends to back-office operations like accounts payable. Finance teams often manage a high volume of invoices from parts suppliers, freight carriers, equipment vendors, and contractors. Manual AP processes introduce delays, increase error rates, and limit visibility into cash flow—all of which can disrupt production schedules or damage supplier relationships.

That’s why many manufacturers are turning to AP automation software to streamline approvals, reduce administrative overhead, and improve financial control.

Benefits of implementing AP automation software include:

• Faster invoice processing: By automating data capture, routing, and matching, manufacturers can significantly reduce invoice cycle times and free up finance teams to focus on forecasting and planning
• Improved accuracy and fraud prevention: Automation eliminates duplicate payments, flags inconsistencies, and enforces approval policies—helping protect against both human error and internal fraud
• Stronger supplier relationships: On-time payments and accurate processing improve trust with key suppliers, reduce disputes, and help avoid shipment holds or production delays
• Optimized cash flow management: With better visibility into outstanding liabilities and due dates, finance leaders can manage disbursements strategically and capture early payment discounts
• Compliance and audit readiness: Automated audit trails, permission-based approvals, and digital recordkeeping help maintain internal controls and prepare for external audits or tax reporting
• Lower operational costs: By replacing paper-based processes and reducing the need for manual intervention, manufacturers can lower processing costs and scale without adding headcount

Features manufacturing teams should prioritize in AP software

When evaluating AP automation platforms, manufacturing companies should look for tools that can support complex operational structures, multi-entity finance teams, and ERP-driven workflows.

Here are key capabilities to prioritize:

• Automated invoice capture: The platform should extract data from PDF, email, or scanned invoices using OCR and AI—eliminating the need for manual data entry
• Two- or three-way matching: To prevent errors and overpayments, look for systems that can match invoices against purchase orders and receiving records
• Customizable approval routing: Approvals should be tailored by department, location, or invoice amount, and support parallel or multi-level routing where needed
• Real-time ERP integrations: Native or API-based integrations with systems like NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks, or Sage Intacct ensure data stays in sync and reporting remains accurate
• Global payment support: For manufacturers with international suppliers, the ability to pay in multiple currencies and formats (ACH, check, card, wire) is essential
• Vendor management tools: Centralized vendor profiles, W-9 tracking, and payment terms visibility help maintain healthy supplier relationships and streamline compliance
• Spend analytics and cash visibility: Dashboards and custom reports should offer a clear view of liabilities, spend by vendor or category, and month-end obligations
• Security and controls: Role-based access, approval logs, and detailed audit trails help protect against fraud and maintain control over distributed AP processes

How to choose the right AP automation solution

Not all AP software is built for the demands of manufacturing. When evaluating options, ask:

• Does it integrate cleanly with our ERP?
• Can it handle the volume and complexity of our workflows?
• Does it support multi-location or multi-entity structures?
• Can it manage international payments and currencies?
• Are reporting and controls robust enough for audits and compliance?
• Does the vendor offer implementation and long-term support tailored to finance teams?

Making the right choice means aligning your AP software with both your operational needs and growth trajectory. For manufacturers looking to improve accuracy, accelerate payments, and maintain ERP-driven workflows, Ramp’s AP automation software, Ramp Bill Pay, offers a modern AP automation solution designed to support finance teams without adding complexity.

Ramp AP automation software: What it is and how it can improve AP efficiency for manufacturing companies

Ramp Bill Pay is Ramp’s accounts payable automation solution, built to help businesses manage the full AP cycle—from receiving invoices to processing payments and syncing data with accounting systems. While Ramp is often associated with spend management and corporate cards, Ramp Bill Pay expands its capabilities into AP automation by offering tools such as OCR-powered invoice capture, two-way matching, customizable approval flows, payment scheduling via ACH, checks, or cards, and direct integration with ERP platforms.

It handles the end-to-end AP process through:

• Invoice capture: Pulls data from emailed, uploaded, or scanned invoices—including detailed line items for proper allocation
• Approval routing: Uses business logic to direct invoices to the right approvers based on category, department, or urgency
• Payment execution: Processes payments by ACH, check, card, or wire, with real-time status tracking

The platform consolidates all AP data into a single source of truth. This is especially useful when managing multiple facilities with their own procurement teams and suppliers.
Here’s a deeper dive of each Ramp Bill Pay feature and why it’s important for manufacturing companies to consider when looking for an AP solution.

Intelligent invoice capture

Invoices are rarely straightforward for manufacturing companies. Ramp Bill Pay’s invoice capture uses OCR and AI to accurately extract structured data from a variety of invoice types. Ramp’s platform also suggests general ledger (GL) codes and matches invoices to purchase orders. This reduces reconciliation errors, shortens processing times, and ensures cost data is accurately attributed to the correct facility or production line.

Configurable approval workflows

Ramp’s AP automation software lets you configure approval logic to match your org structure. Invoices are routed based on parameters like vendor, department, amount, or location. For time-sensitive requests—like critical replacement parts—Ramp Bill Pay supports exception routing with proper documentation and sign-off.

Procurement system integrations

Ramp provides a direct integration with Ironclad which enables businesses to connect their Ramp account to their Ironclad account. After connection, add Ironclad workflows to approval policies and automatically launch Ironclad workflows as a part of the purchase request review process. Ramp will store contracts and documents from completed Ironclad workflows with approved requests.

Integrations with leading accounting platforms

Ramp integrates with whichever accounting system your business uses—so you can reconcile your books without friction. We offer direct integrations with leading ERPs and accounting platforms like NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, and Acumatica, enabling real-time sync of vendor bills, reimbursements, payments, and accounting fields. Select systems also support bi-directional sync for vendor bills and imported item receipts.

For platforms without native integrations, Ramp also provides Universal CSV (uCSV) exports that match your chart of accounts, tracking categories, and project codes for seamless reconciliation. Ramp also offers a robust API and trusted implementation partners to support custom integrations when needed.

Payment scheduling

Ramp Bill Pay lets you align vendor payments with your operational and financial rhythms—whether that’s the end of a production run, the receipt of a customer payment, or monthly cash flow cycles. The platform supports flexible payment scheduling, including bulk payments.

Managing vendors across multiple facilities

For manufacturers with complex supply chains, vendor oversight is often fragmented. Ramp’s AP automation software alleviates this by consolidating vendor records—including W2s and 1099 vendor tax documents—into a centralized system. This prevents duplicate entries and ensures standardized terms across sites.

Low processing fees and subscription pricing

Ramp offers a free plan that lets you manage spend, automate vendor payments, and speed up your month-end close. For organizations with more advanced needs, Ramp Plus is available at $15 per user per month, and custom Enterprise plans are also available upon request. Plus, you can handle all domestic and global vendor payments on a single platform—by check, card, ACH, or international wire with zero fees*.

AP automation success stories from manufacturing companies

From cutting down manual invoice handling to improving cost visibility and control, here’s how one manufacturing company streamlined their AP operations with Ramp’s AP automation software.

How AIRCO unified procurement and AP in one system with Ramp Bill Pay

Before Ramp, AIRCO’s finance and procurement teams were managing spend across disconnected tools for cards, procurement, and AP—with limited visibility and no centralized control. Vendor payments lacked consistency, and purchase orders were only loosely enforced, leading to challenges in spend tracking and financial reporting.

With Ramp Bill Pay, AIRCO now runs all vendor payments and procurement through one platform. Every purchase—whether for raw materials, lab equipment, or services—requires a PO, and Ramp automatically matches those POs to invoices and routes them through pre-set approval flows. Bill Pay now handles 100% of payments, replacing the previous mix of manual processing and fragmented platforms.

In just one week, AIRCO fully onboarded Ramp across its organization. Since then, the finance team has saved hours each week on AP processing and gained real-time visibility into company-wide spend—all from a single, easy-to-use system.

“It’s helped cut down our AP and payments time by hours each week… All of our payments go through Ramp, and that’s been huge for our team.” — Michael Natsch, Procurement Manager at AIRCO

Why manufacturing businesses choose Ramp’s AP automation software

Manual AP processes can slow down operations, delay payments to suppliers, and create gaps in spend visibility. Ramp’s AP automation software helps manufacturing teams centralize invoice intake, approvals, payments, and PO matching—all in one system built to support fast-moving, high-volume purchasing environments.

Looking to streamline your AP workflow and gain better control over spend? Get started with Ramp Bill Pay.

Explore how Ramp Bill Pay supports AP automation across teams, company sizes, and industries

*Same-day ACH payments and International payments may incur a fee unless you are using a Ramp Business Account. Ramp Bill Pay is available on our free plan with no software or transaction fees. Note that certain ERP integrations require a Ramp Plus account, which includes a monthly fee.