I’ve used artificial intelligence (AI) in accounts payable for two years. And it has taught me that people are more important than ever.
It seems like every week there’s another headline about how AI and automation are going to put humans out of work. Driverless trucks! Robot doctors! Algorithmic lawyers!
I’ll admit that as a controller in construction, I used to wonder if my team and I would all be replaced by spreadsheet-flipping cyber accountants. But now that we’ve spent more than two years with AI-assisted accounts payable, I see a very different reality: AI is making my people exponentially more productive. But far from replacing us, AI is making skilled workers more valuable than ever.
I am going to explain how I arrived at my conclusions. But first, I want to share two key lessons for chief financial officers (CFOs) in construction:
- AI is a tool. And just like a tool used on a jobsite, it is a multiplier of your people. But the same flip side to physical tools applies to digital tools: If your people don’t know how to use the tool properly, they are going to make a mess.
- You hire workers and subcontractors for their specialized skills and expertise in the tools and techniques of the job. You need to hire back-office workers with the exact same mindset.
- Cork-Howard Construction is a versatile general contractor that works in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. My firm specializes in large multi-floor tenant constructions, tenant build-outs and renovations, small to midsize ground-up structures and projects in occupied spaces.
- I recently had a project manager in my office saying how happy the client was with us. I told him, “It’s you; you’re the one they’re happy with.” He looked at me and said, “No, it’s all of us — it took all of us.” That’s the secret of our success: a flat, cooperative style where each of us contributes far beyond the tasks that we are expected to perform. It was with that spirit that we embraced AI.
AI for Accounts Payable
When you think of AI, you may picture HAL from “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Our AI is Billy the Bot, which is the avatar of Stampli, an accounts payable automation company. Billy is visualized as a little blue robot, and it performs invoice processing tasks: transcribing the invoice details, coding the general ledger (GL), routing for approval and checking for duplicates or fraud.
- Billy replaces much of the work previously performed by Jen, our accounts payable coordinator. But if Jen walked out the door tomorrow, I would be lost. So how is it that Billy the Bot has made Jen even more valuable and integral to company success?
- Billy automated repetitive tasks like data entry, freeing up Jen to take on more strategic, value-added responsibilities like vendor management and financial strategy. Rather than replacing her job, AI enabled Jen to upskill into a role that is now even more critical to smooth and efficientmoperations.
- With fast access to digitized documents and details via Billy, Jen can now instantly answer supplier and contract questions from project managers on the jobsite, accelerating decision-making. Her process knowledge and analytical skills make Jen the perfect complement to Billy’s AI capabilities.
- Billy’s coding is more accurate than even the most capable human, as Jen will readily admit. In the past, when GL errors prevented us from balancing the books, I’d have to spend my time essentially acting as a forensic accountant. But Billy is highly accurate to begin with, and Jen always spots any errors it makes, which means I can preserve my time for more strategic financial planning and analysis.
The Connection Between AP & Growth
Back when we relied on paper invoices and manual data entry in accounts payable (we were using 10 cases of paper a month) project managers (PMs) out on the construction site faced major productivity gaps. Whenever questions came up about vendor contracts or payment details — which was daily — they were forced to put issues on hold for a full day or more while waiting for answers. Calling the office and asking Jen to dig through filing cabinets was their only recourse. That, or driving into the office themselves. In the meantime, the task was on hold, which could have a spillover effect into job progress, and from there into client satisfaction.
Today, it’s a different story. Recently, a plumbing subcontractor invoice had the wrong jobsite code, which would have delayed their payment. Our PM looked up the vendor profile on his phone, saw the error, worked with the plumber to correct it and resubmitted the invoice — all within an hour. Keeping subs paid promptly prevents delays, makes our PMs heroes and gets projects done faster.
The Bottom Line on AI
The key realization I had is that AI adoption isn’t a tech issue — it’s a leadership issue. Any CFO can implement basic automation. But to leverage it to truly boost productivity, you need to make it a team tool. Upgrade skills where needed. Connect workflows. And align around shared goals, not departmental turf.
AI will continue to advance. Software will keep getting smarter. But from where I sit, there’s only so much technology can do alone; you need humans in the driver’s seat. So I say bring on the robots. Because when real people use AI the right way, that’s when the magic happens. I predict more AI to come in construction finance — perhaps analyzing cash flow trends, predicting materials cost volatility and more. But that just means CFOs will value strategic thinking and emotional IQ along with digital fluency. Understanding complementary skills will be as crucial for me as knowing which worker to pair with which backhoe is for our project managers. At the end of the day, the right technology won’t replace people. It will make them more valuable. But leadership requires knowing your people as well as your tech.
