Should you use AI to build your own AP automation?
AP & P2P Analyst
April 22, 2026
Should you use AI to build your own AP automation? It sounds increasingly achievable. But getting a demo to work is very different from running a secure, auditable, enterprise-grade AP process in the real world.
We will break down what it really takes to build and maintain AI-powered AP automation beyond the proof of concept stage. You will leave with a clearer view of the real challenges, what organisations often underestimate, and how to judge whether building in-house is a realistic option or whether buying is the smarter route.
What we’ll cover:
- What it really takes to build AP automation beyond a working demo
- Where AI helps, and where complexity still remains
- What building means for control, risk, and compliance
- The hidden cost of running and maintaining it over time
- How to tell whether building or buying makes more sense
Speakers
Garret Pearse
Finance Technology Consultant · SoftCo
Garret is a senior finance consultant at SoftCo with over 20 years’ experience. Garret specializes in introducing best practice automated P2P processes to global organizations. He has been instrumental in transforming P2P in hundreds of global organizations across all industries.
Ben Fitzgerald
Head of Engineering · SoftCo
Ben is Head of Engineering at SoftCo with 18+ years of experience leading engineering teams across startups and global enterprises. He specializes in scaling teams, delivering cloud-native products and platforms, and driving infrastructure modernization with a focus on reliability, security, and cost optimization. He is also passionate about applying AI to improve developer productivity and system intelligence.