How ABL Corp Improved AP Visibility and Control Across Its Client Portfolio
ABL Corp is a financial services firm helping small to medium-sized Australian businesses manage their finances end-to-end. Through a combination of expert bookkeeping, outsourced CFO services, and asset-based lending, the firm offers both operational control and strategic financial support under one roof.
As ABL Corp’s client base grew, managing accounts payable (AP) across multiple businesses became increasingly complex. Each client had their own ad hoc process for approving and paying invoices, often relying on email chains or manual approvals. This lack of standardisation made it difficult for the team to maintain oversight and consistency across clients. To solve this, ABL Corp adopted Lightyear as their AP automation platform across their client portfolio.
Multiple Clients, Multiple Disjointed Processes
Kelly Evans, Operations Manager at ABL Corp, explained the challenges they faced in managing the AP process manually across a growing client base.
“Accounts payable was managed very ad hoc. Each client had their own way of seeking approvals and getting invoices paid, which meant there was little oversight.”
The approval process added another layer of complexity.
“Invoices would often sit in Project Managers’ or Executives’ email inboxes, making it difficult to see where they were in the approval chain or accurately gauge what the AP listing looked like.”
After evaluating several platforms, ABL Corp chose Lightyear.
“We’ve tried many automation solutions, but the additional capabilities Lightyear offers, like PO-invoice matching, automatic statement reconciliations, and supplier bank details checker, make it a far superior product in our experience.”
Accounts payable was managed very ad hoc. Each client had their own way of seeking approvals.
Bookkeeping, Upgraded: Lightyear Simplifying Operations
With Lightyear integrated directly into their Xero environment, ABL Corp saw an immediate impact on how efficiently they could manage AP across their client portfolio. For Kelly, the benefits went beyond efficiency into improved control and risk mitigation.
“Bringing in Lightyear has certainly streamlined that and put in some risk mitigation for us as well.”
When asked about processing time, Kelly confirmed that each document took around 10 minutes to process before Lightyear, totalling approximately 300 hours a month across their client base. With Lightyear, that has been cut by 50%, bringing the monthly processing time down to around 150 hours. This has reduced time spent on manual processing and allowed the team to redirect effort toward higher-value tasks.
“Each document took around 10 minutes to process historically”
For an outsourced provider managing AP across dozens of clients, consistency matters, including when team members are unavailable.
“The system is designed so that anyone can be successful in the AP role. It means there’s virtually zero downtime. If someone is away for a week, another team member can easily pick up Lightyear and continue processing. As an outsourced provider managing multiple clients, it’s a real advantage.”
Duplicate invoice detection has added a further layer of financial protection across ABL Corp's client base.
“What it saves us in duplicated or fraudulent invoices is significant. The system captures all the right information at the point of entry, giving us confidence in the accuracy of our data.”
AP Automation That Works for Every Client
The benefits of Lightyear extend beyond ABL Corp's internal operations, particularly in improving visibility and control for clients. Kelly was clear that value compounds the more clients are brought onto the platform, particularly around approval workflows.
“Having approvals outside of people’s inboxes means anyone can log into Lightyear and see what’s coming up. It allows for better cash flow planning, and from a CFO perspective, all of this happens seamlessly.”
Keeping AP current also directly elevates the quality of advice ABL Corp's CFOs can deliver.
“Up-to-date AP for our clients mean it allows their CFOs to focus on areas where costs need to be reviewed or revised. This enables more informed decision-making and better cost oversight.”
For clients operating at scale, that visibility becomes critical.
Kelly said, “Particularly for our construction clients, who can have multiple multimillion-dollar jobs running at once, it supports more timely and accurate decision-making.”
Being able to check bank account details of suppliers and perform automatic statement reconciliations is incredibly valuable.
Improving Efficiency and Reducing Manual Workload
50% savings in AP processing time have enabled the ABL Corp team to redirect their focus towards strategic work.
“Because AP is now up to date and accurate, the team can focus on working with the internal finance team to ensure invoices are properly considered in cash flow. Their role has effectively shifted to include more reporting and more timely insights, rather than just data entry.”
Along with significant time savings, ABL Corp has also reduced the manual workload required to manage accounts payable across its client base.
“Operationally, Lightyear saves us roughly $45,000 per year.”
Kelly also sees the opportunity to leverage more of Lightyear’s features as the company scales.
“When we're bringing on new clients, we certainly try to incorporate Lightyear into their software stack. There are clear benefits for us as a business, but also certainly for our clients.”
When asked if Kelly would recommend Lightyear's business partner model to other similar firms, she said:
“I'd say go for it. For a business that manages multiple clients, it provides real visibility over those clients. There’s also a level of comfort in knowing the software gives clients what they need in terms of appropriate internal controls.”
ABL Corp emphasises that the decision to implement Lightyear is driven by the efficiencies, visibility, and risk mitigation it provides, rather than any commercial incentive.
See how partnering with Lightyear can help your business scale with success.
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