Internal Controls in Accounts Payable

This session is designed to help you recognize these risks and take action.

You'll learn how to build and evaluate an effective AP control framework that includes segregation of duties, approval workflows, vendor verification, invoice matching, and payment authorization. You'll gain insight into best practices and red flags, as well as how to assess your current processes for gaps.

Whether you're in finance, accounting, audit, or operations, understanding how to design, implement, and monitor internal controls in AP is critical. The cost of weak controls can be high-but with the right knowledge, you can protect your organization and ensure accountability at every step of the payment process.

Why should you Attend:
Do you know who has access to your company's accounts payable process-and what they're authorized to do? Are you confident that vendor payments are always accurate, legitimate, and timely? If you're unsure, you're not alone-and that uncertainty can leave your organization vulnerable to fraud, errors, and financial loss.

Accounts payable is one of the most targeted areas for internal fraud, including fake vendors, duplicate payments, and kickbacks. Even well-meaning employees can unintentionally process payments incorrectly without clear procedures and oversight. A single breakdown in AP controls can result in reputational damage, audit findings, and financial penalties.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Overview of the AP process and common control risks
• Key internal controls in AP: what, where, and why
• Segregation of duties and workflow approvals
• Invoice processing and three-way matching
• Vendor setup and change controls
• System controls, audit trails, and user access
• Monitoring duplicate or suspicious payments
• Red flags for fraud and errors in AP
• Reconciling AP accounts and aging reports
• Control documentation and audit readiness

• Anyone