Most managers of Accounts Payable (AP) wince at the word “Audit” however there is one type of audit that can prove to be very beneficial to AP and the company as a whole; an Accounts Payable Recovery Audit.

An Accounts Payable Recovery Audit could uncover mistakes that were made previously, and then corrections can be made or procedures revised to prevent such errors from occurring again in the future.

Additionally, an Accounts Payable Recovery Audit can reveal vendor credit memos due to the company that were never received by Accounts Payable or uncover cash application errors made by vendors.

In this course, we explore the benefits of an Accounts Payable Recovery Audit.  We also identify the amount of effort required by the company’s Accounts Payable and Information Technology (IT) teams in order to maximize the amount to be recovered.  A successful recovery audit does take time.

As a reminder, Accounts Payable is not just about processing vendor invoices for payment.  We also touch on the benefits of having billed amounts compared to contracts, the accuracy of sales tax billed on invoices and discuss the audit of Purchasing Card transactions.

Finally, we will explore what to look for when selecting an Accounts Payable Recovery Audit company and examine how the services are billed. It should be a relationship that fits in with your organization.  

Learning Objectives
  • Explore what an Accounts Payable (AP) Recovery Audit is and recognize what can be covered.
  • Identify the benefits of having an Accounts Payable Recovery Audit.
  • Explore which teams need to be involved on the side of the company to have a successful audit.
  • Recognize what to consider in selecting an Accounts Payable Recovery Audit company.
  • Explore how such services are billed to the company looking for such an audit.
Last updated/reviewed: March 4, 2024

Included In Certifications

This course is included in the following Certification Programs:

16 CoursesAccounts Payable Management Certification

  1. Accounts Payable - Learn the Terminology
  2. A Deep Dive into the Responsibilities of Accounts Payable Operations
  3. The Vendor Master – Creating A Solid Foundation for Accounts Payable Processing
  4. The Basics of 1099's
  5. Prioritizing Accounts Payable Workload - Divide and Conquer
  6. Strengthening Vendor Relationships - Steps That Can Be Taken by Accounts Payable
  7. The Benefits of Reconciling Purchase Order Goods Receipts Not Yet Invoiced
  8. Reconciling Aged Open Payables and Outstanding Checks
  9. Benefits of An Accounts Payable Recovery Audit
  10. No PO, No Pay – Can It Work for Your Organization?
  11. What to Consider in an Accounts Payable Workflow Solution
  12. Creating an Accounts Payable Documentation Management Policy
  13. Communicating the Role of Accounts Payable to Others
  14. Justifying and Presenting the Needs of Accounts Payable Operations
  15. The Basics of Project Management for Accounts Payable
  16. KPIs and Metrics for Accounts Payable Manual Processes
12 Reviews (59 ratings)

Reviews

5
Anonymous Author
direct to the point, precise, concise, clear. But I don't think this is too relevant for a good AP management. I think the same company could hire an AP expert for X months under temp contract, just to audit and have close communication to AP management to make corrections on the fly and immediately.

5
Anonymous Author
The course is a great overview of the account's payable recovery process. The instructor covers a great amount of informative information on the benefits of a recovery audit and I really enjoyed the information that one should consider after a firm is selected.

3
Anonymous Author
Had a tough time on the final exam, the verbiage in the available option made multiple answers seem correct. Some question are more of a trick question rather than serving more of a purpose of testing your knowledge of the exact issue being posed

5
Anonymous Author
there are many list of elements to be considered before audit performance and after audit done. quite usefule for me.

5
Member's Profile
I like how the audit process what explained and what to look and or expect during the audit process.

4
Anonymous Author
This course was very informative. I learned the benefits of having a recovery audit firm.

4
Member's Profile
The information provided was good and gave additional information to consider.

4
Member's Profile
Great overview of Accounts Payable recovery audits and benefits. Thank you!

5
Anonymous Author
Good course. Thorough. Lots of material to keep for future reference.

4
Anonymous Author
Nice overview of this topic. Good to know we are on the right track.

4
Anonymous Author
this was a good course, plenty of information given

5
Anonymous Author
Good explanation of benefits of an ap audit.

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate

No Advanced Preparation or Prerequisites are needed for this course. However, it is recommended to take the courses "A Deep Dive into the Responsibilities of Accounts Payable Operations" and "Thinking About Centralizing Accounts Payable? – Due Diligence is Critical" prior to completing this one.

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW
  Introduction to "Benefits of An Accounts Payable Recovery Audit"3:02
  What is a Recovery Audit and Why Consider One?5:05
  Benefits of a Recovery Audit2:18
  Selecting a Recovery Audit Firm3:14
  Details to be Supplied for Analysis2:31
  From Data Analysis to Recovery of Funds6:03
  From Data Analysis to Recovery of Funds (Continued)7:32
  Lessons Learned and Conclusion6:53
Continuous Play
  Benefits of an Accounts Payable Recovery Audit 36:38
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Benefits of Accounts Payable Recovery AuditPDF
  Benefits of Accounts Payable Recovery Audit Glossary/IndexPDF
REVIEW and TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam