Date: 06.11.2025 (2025-11-06)
Paulina Zapotoczna (06.11.2025) • https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulina-zapotoczna100/ • Bio: Finance Systems Specialist | Driving Data-Led Change in AR, AP & Credit | Startup Finance Partner • Now Yoga teacher • Frmly Finance Operations and Process automation • Commented under the post of Andrew Buscombe re. AI native ERPs • UK based (Bristol) • Message: • We are currently working with startups as development partners (between 30 and 150 people) - so far we mainly targeted startups and SMEs - but are now exploring large enterprises as their pain points in AP are large. • Here a bit of context: we are working on agents for Finance, Controlling & Accounting automation. • Our goal is to develop proprietary AI models for Controlling & Accounting that are trained to handle complex cases - such as multiple purchase orders on a single invoice or supplier price variance tolerances. The aim is around 70% automation in AP/AR and a 50% reduction in effort for closing and reporting - all without introducing a new SaaS tool, directly integrated into existing systems (even those without APIs).
Questions: • UK situation: • She works in finance for 7 years -> Scan and capture • 200 companies • AP constantly complained • Then they went to ERP where it was built in • Pre-Covid: automations are not a big thing yet • Post-Covid: more budget for automation • Her last biz: Bristol Airport • Huge mess -> AP person burned out -> there is a risk if you dont pay, business will go bankrupt • Junior people to work on it -> high pressure • They had scan and capture; they had Purchase Orders in place -> matching PO to invoices was the big problem • Purchase order process / approval and good receiving is the biggest pain • Difficult to introduce a new approval process • Engineering department raised most POs -> they had to do a lot of POs for every small stuff • She wants to bring automation to purchasing -> integrate between company and supplier to do order • When a company orders something -> if you order from a supplier -> PO & Approval -> then order -> then automatically get goods received -> then AP flow • How the order process worked according to her memory (not sure) • Thresholds • Large: make a case and present costs • Small stuff: no approval (up to 100 Pounds) • Medium: approval required -> PO to be made -> manager approves -> when they have PO the person orders themselves -> often they just order before waiting for PO (they know manager will approve) -> often PO is missing -> late payment • Goods receipt: majority of late payments is caused by that • She saw companies that are in AP and matching • Services which you partially approve • e.g. freelance company -> ERP functional consultation -> they agree to 50k per year -> after complete hours per month invoices -> many invoices per PO • UK market entry • She has never seen discounts in UK -> no Skonto apparently • Biggest customers: larger companies with POs in place: 200+ employees businesses • Tackle all the airports -> people work there for years -> low automation • Banks, NHS (procurement process), • Best way in: • These time of exploratory calls • People at AP would love to share their horrible experiences -> Finance System managers; • She got a lot of emails when she worked there • She did not reply that nobody in her team is interested in improving their process -> no willingness to change • Talk to Fractional CFO -> check communities • 15min background checks -> but just high level • 15min coffee chats with CFOs • Rora and Enki • Also in person events -> demos are open • Biggest boom is about expenses and company cards • They were scared that people spend more • Right now every company has a lot of different systems -> try to merge expenses, AP etc. in one tool • She is looking for work atm. • Mentorships etc. - she does it for free • She could help us with accounting! • She could help us with Sales • What is she doing as Startup Finance Partner? • • Her experience re. AP and AR in UK: companies to check - general struggles in the market? • General feedback? • She is cool - could probably help me with UK