AP, AR & Finance Automation for Professional Services Firms
End-to-end finance automation built for client-driven businesses.
Smart Invoice Capture for Professional Services
Automate vendor and subcontractor invoice entry without manual data entry. Centime's AI extracts header and line-level details from any invoice — whether it's outside counsel fees, IT subcontractor charges, or travel expenses — and codes them instantly to the right client or engagement. This eliminates errors, accelerates approvals, and ensures billable costs flow quickly into client invoices.
Adaptive GL & Cost Coding by Client or Engagement
Tie spend directly to your project and client structure. Our AI learns your chart of accounts and allocates invoices to the right client, engagement, or practice area automatically. Finance teams gain accurate, real-time visibility into margins and utilization without needing to reconcile spreadsheets after month-end.
PO & Expense Match for Subcontractor Accuracy
Catch discrepancies before they impact client billing. Centime automatically matches subcontractor invoices and expense reports against engagement POs or client contracts. Any mismatch in rates, hours, or deliverables is flagged early, ensuring clients are billed correctly and vendors are paid promptly.
Automated Approvals to Keep Client Work Moving
Speed up invoice routing without losing oversight. Invoices can be routed by client, matter, practice group, or spend threshold with real-time notifications and mobile-friendly approvals. Approvers can review and approve securely from anywhere, so payments and client billing aren't delayed when partners or project leads are traveling.
Multi-Tier Vendor & Subcontractor Payments
Centralize and control payments across your partner network. From IT contractors to outsourced research firms, Centime streamlines payments with role-based permissions, audit trails, and consolidated workflows. Firms can manage complex vendor relationships in one place, ensure compliance, and keep trusted partners paid on time.
Embedded Banking to Earn on Payables
Turn your AP cycle into a financial advantage. With Centime Banking, AP balances can earn competitive yield until payment deadlines — without changing payment terms or disrupting client/vendor relationships. Professional services firms can optimize working capital while continuing to deliver reliable service.
AR Automation for Faster Client Payments
Accelerate collections without damaging client relationships. Centime automates invoice delivery as soon as billable hours or expenses are approved, schedules tailored reminders, and provides a self-service payment portal. Firms reduce DSO, improve cash predictability, and free up teams from repetitive collections work.
Live Cash Flow Forecasting by Client and Engagement
Get reliable visibility into future cash positions. Centime consolidates AP, AR, and banking data into rolling forecasts that factor in client payment patterns, vendor terms, and engagement timelines. Finance leaders can model "what-if" scenarios to plan staffing, investments, and distributions with confidence.
Why professional services firms choose Centime finance automation
Bill Accurately, Bill Faster
Invoices for client matters often get delayed when vendor costs and expenses aren't coded promptly. Centime's AI-powered capture and adaptive GL coding automatically tie every invoice to the right client or engagement.
Cut DSO Without Burning Bridges
Chasing late payments puts pressure on client relationships. With Centime, firms automate reminders and offer clients a secure payment portal, making it simple to settle invoices quickly.
Engagement-Level Profitability
Profitability shouldn't be a mystery until after month-end. Centime tags every payable and receivable by client or project inside your ERP, giving CFOs and practice leaders real-time insight into margins, utilization, and cash flow across engagements.
Cash Flow You Can Count On
Forecasting in spreadsheets falls apart when client payments slip or projects shift. Centime delivers live forecasts that combine AP, AR, and banking data, with scenario modeling to test "what if" situations.
Compliance & Audit Readiness
From client contracts to trust accounting, professional services firms can't afford gaps in documentation. Centime's approval workflows, vendor compliance tools, and built-in audit trails keep every transaction transparent.
Quick Wins, Minimal Lift
With lean IT teams, firms need results without disruption. Centime goes live in weeks, embedding directly into your ERP and backed by white-glove support — so your team sees immediate impact without heavy lifting.
Centime vs. Other AP Tools: What Sets Us Apart in Professional Services
| Features | | Other AP Tools |
|---|---|---|
| ERP Integration | Fully embedded in NetSuite, Sage Intacct, and QuickBooks. Real-time sync across clients and engagements. | Basic plug-ins or manual sync. Often breaks with project-level detail. |
| Contract / PO & Expense Matching | AI-powered 2- and 3-way matching for subcontractor invoices, client contracts, and expense reports. Alerts flag rate or hour mismatches. | Usually limited to basic PO match; no support for engagement-level contracts or expenses. |
| Engagement-Level Tagging | Native client, project, and matter coding across AP and AR, giving real-time profitability insight. | Rarely supports engagement-level coding. Requires workarounds or custom ERP fields. |
| Client & Vendor Portals | Secure, real-time self-service portals for vendor payments and client invoice tracking. | Vendor portals common, but client portals for AR are typically missing. |
| AR Automation | Built-in invoicing, reminders, collections workflows, and online payment options. | Almost never included — AP tools stop at payables. |
| Cash Flow Forecasting | Live, rolling forecasts tied to AP, AR, and banking with scenario modeling (e.g., "client pays 30 days late"). | Spreadsheet-only. No dynamic forecasting. |
| Compliance & Audit Trails | Automated approvals, audit-ready logs, and vendor compliance tools built in. | Basic approval routing. Weak audit support, little focus on professional services compliance. |
| Embedded Banking & Yield | Earn APY on AP balances until due dates. Optimize working capital with no disruption. | No banking features. |
| Multi-Entity / Multi-Practice Support | Seamlessly manages AP/AR across multiple practice groups, offices, or legal entities. | Often requires manual consolidation or extra headcount. |
What Centime customers say
We saved 40+ hours a month on AP processing. Beyond that, Centime’s Customer Support is always super responsive. Anytime I send something, they’ll email me back within an hour.
We went from a manual AR/AP process to fully automated through Centime in very little time. We’ve cut the time of outstanding invoices down dramatically. The support team has also been very attentive to our needs.
I’ve felt exceptionally supported throughout this journey. Unlike other SaaS implementations where follow-up meetings felt unnecessary, these sessions with our Customer Success Manager are invaluable.
Built for Modern Finance Teams
Centime isn't just automating AP — it's part of a fully unified finance platform. From accounts payable and receivable to treasury, forecasting, and expense management, Centime centralizes your workflows inside your ERP, so your team can shift from operational busywork to strategic finance leadership.
Frequently asked questions
What is finance automation for professional services?
It's automation that replaces manual AP, AR, and forecasting tasks with AI-driven workflows. For service firms, that means faster invoicing, fewer billing disputes, and better cash flow visibility.
Do I need to change my bank to use Centime?
No. Keep your current banking relationships. Centime works with check payments through any bank and ACH via your bank or Centime Banking.
Does Centime integrate with my ERP?
Centime offers native integrations with NetSuite and Sage Intacct, plus support for QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC (coming soon), and others. We connect directly to your GL and subledger for real-time visibility and control.
How does Centime support client- and project-level tracking?
Centime mirrors the dimensions in your ERP so every invoice and payment can be tied to the right engagement. This provides real-time profitability and utilization insights without spreadsheets.
How quickly can we go live?
Most professional services firms go live in 2–3 weeks with expert onboarding and minimal IT involvement.
Can clients and vendors check payment status?
Yes. Clients can pay and track invoices online, while vendors get secure access to view payment status in real time.
What AR tools are included?
Centime includes invoice delivery, automated reminders, online payment portals, and collections workflows — everything you need to reduce DSO and protect client relationships.
How does Centime improve cash flow forecasting?
Centime provides a live, rolling forecast using real-time AP, AR, and bank data. You can model delays, client disputes, or engagement changes and see the impact before it happens.
Does Centime work for professional services firms?
Yes. Centime is purpose-built for mid-market finance teams, including consulting, IT services, legal, and other professional services firms. Features like engagement-level GL coding, client payment portals, project-linked AP approvals, and AR collection automation are all designed for the billing complexity that characterizes services businesses.
How does AP automation help consulting and professional services companies?
AP automation eliminates manual expense coding, speeds up subcontractor invoice approvals, and ensures billable vendor costs are captured and coded to the right client or engagement instantly. For professional services firms, this means fewer billing disputes, faster invoice turnaround for clients, and more accurate month-end close without manual reconciliation.
Can Centime handle project-based billing and AP?
Yes. Centime mirrors your ERP's project and client dimensions so every AP invoice and AR payment is linked to the correct engagement, practice area, or client matter. This gives finance leaders real-time visibility into true project profitability and utilization without additional spreadsheet work.
See Centime in Action
Our innovative AR, AP, and business banking solutions are powerful alone, and even better together. Schedule a tailored demo with a Centime expert.