Closing the Cash Visibility Gap: How UK Finance Teams Can See Their True Cash Position
Insights from Quadient's webinar on unifying accounts payable and accounts receivable to improve cash visibility, liquidity and decision-making
Most finance leaders know what is going out and what is coming in. Far fewer can see the full cash picture at any given moment without hours of manual effort. During Quadient's recent webinar, Randy Nzita, Finance Automation Solutions Consultant, explained why this "cash visibility gap" persists in UK finance teams, even those that have invested heavily in ERP and reporting tools. He also showed how connecting payables and receivables data can help close it. Here's a summary of the key themes and practical takeaways from the session.
The hidden cost of the cash visibility gap
Manual processes are expensive, and they add up quickly. Benchmark data shows the average UK organisation spends around £4.37 to process a single invoice manually. For less efficient businesses, that figure can rise to £7.50 per invoice. Late payments make the problem worse. Around £26 billion is tied up in overdue invoices across the UK, and late payment is linked to an estimated 14,000 business closures every year. Randy argued that these numbers are symptoms of a deeper issue. When finance teams lack clear visibility across accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR), cash flow problems build slowly and then escalate as overdue payments mount. The result is a finance function that spends its time fighting fires rather than managing liquidity strategically.
Why fragmented systems are the real culprit
In most organisations, AP and AR operate separately, often in different systems with different owners. Each team has a clear view of its own side of the ledger, but combining them into one reliable cash position still depends on spreadsheets, exports and manual reconciliation.
"You know what's going out, you know what's coming in, but understanding the full cash picture requires manual effort." – Randy Nzita, Accounts Receivable Solutions Consultant, Quadient
That manual effort takes time, introduces errors and means that by the time the numbers are ready, they are already out of date. To address this, Randy introduced Quadient's Cash Dashboard, which brings AP and AR data together in a single interface. "The goal is simple: help finance leaders understand the true cash position faster, with greater confidence."
He highlighted four capabilities in particular:
Unified cash insights: Payables and receivables are shown side by side, so teams can assess working capital, liquidity and overdue invoices without reconciling data by hand.
Customisable KPIs: Users pin the metrics that matter most to them, such as overdue invoices, cash flow trends or Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), to their homepage.
A built-in AI assistant: The assistant reviews selected KPIs, summarises activity, answers questions about trends and performance, and suggests actions to improve outcomes. It interprets the data rather than simply displaying it.
Historical trends and forecasting: Real-time historical analysis sits alongside forward-looking projections, helping teams spot potential cash shortfalls before they become problems.
What the dashboard looks like in practice
In a live demo, Randy walked through how finance teams use the dashboard day to day. Users access Quadient's AP automation and AR automation solutions from a single login. The top navigation breaks working capital down into receivables and payables, giving a clear view of money expected in and money going out. Multiple entities and currencies can be managed in the same place, which is particularly valuable for groups with complex structures. The practical benefit is less coordination. Instead of chasing colleagues for updates or stitching reports together, AP and AR teams work from the same numbers.
What customers are saying
Early feedback from Quadient customers has focused on two areas. eClinicalWorks highlighted how the AI assistant streamlines account analysis and supports collections activity. Alliendo pointed to the value of the visualisations for explaining cash flow to non-financial stakeholders; "A clear visual can often tell a story much more efficiently than pages of reports and explanations."
Automate AP or AR first? One of the most common questions from attendees was where to start. Randy's answer: it depends on where the biggest pain sits.
If high DSO and slow collections are your main challenge, start with accounts receivable automation to accelerate cash inflow.
If manual invoice processing costs are the bigger issue, accounts payable automation is likely to deliver the fastest return.
Attendees also asked whether both could be implemented together. Randy confirmed that integrating Quadient AP and AR is straightforward, and that connecting the two creates the most value. "The seamless collaboration between both AP and AR teams is definitely a net positive." – Randy Nzita
What you can do now
Benchmark your invoice processing costs: Work out what it currently costs to process a supplier invoice. If you're closer to £7.50 than £4.37, AP automation is a strong starting point. Our ROI calculators can help.
Review your DSO and overdue balances: Understand how long customers take to pay and where collections stall. Persistent late payment is a clear signal to prioritise AR.
Map how your cash position is produced today: Identify every manual step, export and spreadsheet involved in building your cash view. Each one is a potential source of delay and error.
Bring AP and AR together: Agree on shared KPIs so both teams work from the same picture of working capital.
See it in action: Request a personalised demo to see how unified visibility could work for your organisation.
Key takeaways
Manual invoice processing costs UK organisations around £4.37 per invoice on average, rising to £7.50 for less efficient businesses.
Around £26 billion is tied up in overdue invoices in the UK, contributing to roughly 14,000 business closures a year.
The cash visibility gap is caused mainly by AP and AR operating in separate, disconnected systems.
A unified dashboard gives finance leaders a real-time view of working capital, with AI-driven insights and forecasting.
Choose AR automation first for DSO problems and AP automation first for processing costs. Connecting both delivers the greatest benefit.
As Randy put it: "The outcome isn't simply greater efficiency. It's better financial decision-making."
Want to explore further? Discover how Quadient helps teams automate finance operations, or browse upcoming webinars and events.