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2026 Guide to Evaluating AP Automation Before you Commit

Karo

Karo

January 21, 2026

Learn the readiness checks, metrics, and ERP realities you need to evaluate AP automation confidently—before demos, contracts, and costly missteps.

A practical 2026 framework to assess AP automation readiness, align stakeholders, and pressure-test vendors with the metrics and ERP realities that determine success.

Evaluating AP automation in 2026 starts with readiness — not demos. Knowing when to engage vendors, and how to avoid costly missteps, is what separates successful projects from stalled ones.

In this session, SoftCo experts will share a proven framework for evaluating AP automation before you commit. You’ll learn how to assess readiness, pressure-test vendors with confidence, and align internal stakeholders around metrics, ERP reality, and finance leadership priorities.

What we’ll cover:

  • 3 readiness checks every AP automation project should pass
  • 4 internal questions to answer before engaging vendors
  • 3 metrics vendors should respond to — not introduce
  • 5 ERP realities that quietly determine success or failure
  • How finance leaders define success long after go-live

Speakers

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    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.

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    Adam McDonagh

    AP & P2P Specialist · SoftCo

    Adam is an industry leader in financial process automation and has worked closely with CFO's and finance professionals in Fortune 500, Fortune 1,000 and other industry-leading organizations to automate their Procure-to-Pay and Accounts Payable Processes.