As I understand it, Conan O’Brien is being asked to move his show back half an hour. In return he gets to continue receiving an annual salary of $15 million, if published reports are accurate. Now I suspect most accounts payable professionals reaction is the same as mine: “So, what’s the problem?”

While I understand that this might be a blow to his ego, he’s still bringing home $15 million. In this current economy, I suspect many professionals are being asked to do things they were not asked to do in easier times. They face a similar, albeit one with fewer dollars on the table, issue. Is what their bosses asking so unreasonable, it warrants quitting? Or, is this the time to be quiet, take on the task and who knows - maybe build your resume?

I suspect that those who have jobs will be given career building opportunities that they would not have been given just a few years ago. If you can recognize those situations and take advantage of them, you may be able to turn what looked like a lemon into some mighty tasty lemonade.

As I start to put together the material on the handling of paper invoices, I realize just how much accounts payable procedures are changing. Just a few short years ago, paying off a faxed invoice was a major league no-no. Paying only from an original invoice was considered a Best Practice.

Today, with the advent of inexpensive technology, you can have many ‘original invoices’ - and they all look good. So, that old chestnut no longer holds water.

Thanks to a question posed by a reader we’re examining the practices related to how invoices are received today and expect to have a White Paper available on this topic shortly.

I can only imagine what AP will look like ten years from now! If you’d like to share your thoughts on that issue, please write me at marys@ap-now.com or post your thoughts here. Registration is required to keep spam off the site.

© 2008 Mary Schaeffer and Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow

The question of whether or not to include accounts payable job listings in our free weekly ezine, e-AP News (sign up at http://ap-now.com/ezinesignup.html) is one that has been hotly debated here. My colleagues point out that most organizations save that content for paid subscribers. And, while I can see the logic in that from a business point of view, I also know that at the very point where someone needs to find a new job - perhaps because they’ve been laid off or are not getting along with management- is the time when funds are not likely to be available.

I won this battle and we will include a few job listings each week in our weekly ezine, along with my analysis of trends observed from reading the help wanted ads. As I think about it, this is the first time I ever got paid to read the help wanted ads … hmmm … is someone trying to tell me something??? Okay, I’m digressing and will get back to the point - or at least try to.

I also feel that in a tight economy we should do everything we can to keep as many of our readers employed as we can - and all we con do is bring them information. Which is why I am to read the ads and try and determine trends and identify skills in demand in the marketplace.

We also welcome readers to send any accounts payable job openings they may have and we’ll include them as we can. Send them to publisher@ap-now.com

Click here to sign up for e-AP New, the free weekly ezine focusing on accounts payable issues.

© 2008 Mary S. Schaeffer, Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow, a CRYSTALLUS, Inc. publication

I was recently asked to give a talk on one of my favorite subjects: The Future of Accounts Payable. The person asking had no idea how much I like talking about this issue.  In fact, I even wrote a small book about it.

For a long time I have wanted to write a book for accounts payable professionals - to help them with their careers. I was adamant that the cost of this book be under $10 because I wanted virtually everyone who wanted it to be able to afford it. When I broached my editor at John Wiley with this suggestion he was not exactly encouraging. In fact, he told me that his organization could not do it at the price I wanted.

So, Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow published it. We conducted a rather extensive survey of both accounts payable professionals and controllers. We asked each about their perception of the status of the accounts payable manager within the organization. Controllers were asked what skills, experience and education they would like in the next accounts payable manager they hired.

We compiled this data into a small 52-page book and managed to publish it at the cost I wanted. Perhaps one of the most interesting results related to the college education issue. While most wanted their new AP managers to have a college degree, it was not rated high on the list of what was important. From this we deduced that the college degree might be necessary to get you in the door (or an interview) but once there, other things were more important.

Perhaps the skill most prized by Controllers was the ability to solve problems.

For more information about this book go to the bottom of http://www.ap-now.com/special.html An order form is available for download for anyone who needs to order it and pay by check.

To purchase this $9.95 gem go to http://www.shop.ap-now.com/product.sc?productId=58&categoryId=4

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