Optimization of the Accounts Payable Process in a Mid-Sized Credit Union

Abstract

Automation alternatives were evaluated to improve the accounts payable process of a mid-sized credit union operating in a regulated financial environment. The existing process relied on manual document handling, informal approval practices, and repetitive data entry, resulting in processing delays and operational risk. A structured methodology was applied, including workflow mapping, bottleneck identification, process metrics analysis, and a weighted evaluation of automation alternatives. The results showed that workflow-based automation offered the most feasible improvement option by enhancing document control, approval routing, and process visibility without requiring direct core system integration. Robotic process automation was identified as a potential future enhancement to further reduce manual data entry. Key Terms ⎯ accounts payable automation, credit unions, process automation, workflow automation.