The COVID-19 pandemic is influencing individuals and businesses in many ways. However, one of the greatest impacts of the pandemic has been on ensuring payments and maintaining cash flows more effectively. Although maintaining the flow of money has always been critical, in a time of financial uncertainty, it becomes even more important.According to IDC, businesses lose approximately 20% to 30% revenue every year  just because of inefficiencies. Although the majority of finance professionals cite manual processes and inefficiencies as their greatest pain points, businesses continue to use inefficient AP systems to this day.However, under the financial strain of COVID-19, these businesses are turning to new solutions to improve their situation. In this article, we will discuss 5 Key AP automation trends you can expect post-COVID-19.Increased Digitization and Automation With the absence of staff amid COVID-19 restrictions, making processes automated has become essential for businesses worldwide. As much as 36% of firms still depend on paper invoicing, with 47% sticking to manual processes for approval and the rest of them making 49% of payments by check. Manual processes in AP processing are costly, prone to errors, and time-consuming, leading to late payments and consequent penalties.In the coming years, businesses will focus on digitizing invoice processing through technologies like Intelligent Data Capture. Doing so will enable companies to make strategic payments, acquire payment discounts, and maximize their liquidity. The process of digitization has already been a priority in some companies as recent surveys show. Gartner reports that as much as 91% of companies are focusing on digital initiatives to make their workflows more efficient, so after the turn of COVID-19, we can expect it to increase.