SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Kefron has published research showing that most finance teams still rely on manual intervention in accounts payable, with only 15% of surveyed companies saying the process is fully automated.

The study highlights a gap between the demands on finance departments and the systems many still use to manage invoices, approvals and reporting. Based on a survey of 200 UK finance leaders and accounts payable managers, it found that 85% of finance teams depend on manual input at some stage of the accounts payable process.

That reliance appears to shape how finance leaders view growth. Eight in 10 chief financial officers surveyed said manual accounts payable makes it harder to scale finance operations efficiently, while 84% said artificial intelligence will free finance teams to focus on more strategic work.

Kefron, which sells accounts payable automation software, said the findings suggest manual processes built up over time are creating operational strain as invoice volumes rise and compliance demands increase. The research also linked pressure on accounts payable teams to changes in enterprise resource planning systems, which can add complexity in approval and reporting workflows.

Pressure points

The most common problem was delays in invoice approval workflows, cited by 35% of respondents. Rising invoice processing costs followed at 31%, while 28% pointed to excessive manual data entry.

A lack of real-time visibility into invoice status was named by 27% of respondents, and 26% said duplicate or erroneous payments were a key issue.

The report also highlighted broader concerns around month-end close and audit or compliance demands. Together, the findings suggest accounts payable remains a weak point for many organisations despite wider investment in finance technology.

Supplier relationships also featured in the responses. The research found that 90% of chief financial officers believe efficient accounts payable processes strengthen supplier relationships, while 77% of finance professionals said automation reduces compliance risk.

Executive view

Paul Kearns commented on the findings.

“The research shows that finance teams and CFOs do not have the real-time insights needed to run a business at full efficiency. More than half of finance professionals agree that they’re more likely to crack time travel than crack real-time AP control, demonstrating a real lack of confidence in automation procedures. As organisations grow, these manual and partially automated AP processes become a barrier to scalability, resilience and agility,” said Paul Kearns, Chief Executive Officer of Kefron.

The results add to a wider debate in finance over how quickly back-office processes are adapting to digital tools. While invoice capture has been automated in parts of many organisations, the data suggests end-to-end processing remains incomplete in most cases.

That matters because accounts payable affects areas beyond the finance function. Delayed approvals can slow supplier payments, poor visibility can weaken cashflow planning, and manual intervention can increase the risk of errors that later require correction or create audit issues.

Kefron said organisations are looking for systems that can support business expansion, adapt to changes in core finance software and provide stronger visibility over invoices and approvals. It argued that businesses are no longer focused only on digitising invoice capture, but on improving control and reporting across the process.

The survey covered heads of finance, chief financial officers, finance managers and accounts payable managers across sectors including manufacturing, retail, health, hospitality, construction, financial services, energy and telecommunications. It was conducted in the UK.

The findings suggest many finance teams are still working between older manual practices and newer automation tools, creating gaps in control and speed. For companies trying to manage growth, those gaps are being felt most clearly in approvals, cost, visibility and payment accuracy.

‘The Training Floor’ is a new gym moving into 328 – 330 Abingdon Road after lying empty for two years.

The company promises to provide a ‘coaching-led training environment where everyday people can build strength, confidence and long-term health, with structure, support and expert guidance’.

The new gym encourages people ‘who want to feel stronger, people who have struggled with consistency, people who feel unsure what do in a gym, and people who want coaching and structure’.

READ MORE: Burger van told ‘improvement necessary’ by food hygiene inspectors

The building sits opposite Longbridges Nature Park, and boasts a nearby convenience store and Tesco Express.

Labour city councillor Anna Railton spotted the new owners painting the building at the weekend.

The building was formerly the site of ‘Floor Street’, a flooring company now based in Birmingham.

The building has also been a Nisa convenience store, Post Office and a Londis.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Calculus has led a £3 million investment round in hospitality software company Edify, contributing £2.5 million.

Edify was founded in 2024 by Ed Barry, who previously built and sold the Over Under coffee chain to Blank Street Coffee. The company develops an operations platform for hospitality groups and quick-service restaurant chains, bringing inventory management, demand forecasting and back-of-house workflows into one system.

The investment comes as restaurant and hospitality operators face pressure on costs, staffing and margins. Many general managers still rely on a patchwork of spreadsheets, manual ordering and separate software tools to manage stock, labour and day-to-day store performance.

Barry launched Edify after encountering those problems while expanding his own café business. Its software is designed around the decisions managers make in stores, with tools that automate ordering, flag discrepancies and create preparation plans for each shift.

Another part of the system, Ask Edify, pulls operational data into live dashboards so operators can query information without searching through multiple files or reports. The platform is already used by brands including Pret A Manger, Dunkin’ Donuts, WatchHouse and Yolk Brands.

Edify cited early results from Pret A Manger as an example of the platform’s impact. Pret estimates the software could save each store manager two hours a day, amounting to about USD $4 million a year across its UK stores.

Calculus is one of the UK’s longer-established managers of Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust funds. It has more than 25 years of experience backing growth companies and around £170 million under management across sectors including technology, healthcare and the creative industries.

The firm has also been building exposure to hospitality technology. Its portfolio includes Grateful, a software platform focused on hospitality tronc and gratuity management, and the Edify deal adds to that focus.

Alexander Crawford, Co-Head of Investments at Calculus, said the firm was attracted by both Barry’s operating background and the company’s customer base.

“Ed built Edify because he’d lived the problem himself, and that shows in how the product is designed. Edify’s suite of products is a system built around how operators work. The customer traction at this stage, with brands like Pret and Dunkin’ Donuts already on the platform, is exceptional. We believe Edify has the potential to become the defining platform for how QSRs operate, and we’re proud to back them at this stage of the journey,” Crawford said.

The round included existing investors, though no further details were disclosed. The new capital will support Edify’s expansion as it seeks to win more restaurant and hospitality groups.

Operator roots

Barry’s background gives the business a founder with direct experience of the daily issues facing store managers and head office teams. That operational perspective has become a recurring theme among newer software companies selling into hospitality, where adoption often depends on whether tools fit the pace and routines of frontline teams.

Edify argues that fragmented systems remain a central problem. Managers often have to reconcile stock levels, supplier orders, staffing needs and sales forecasts while also dealing with customer service and team supervision, leaving less time to run stores.

The issue has become more visible as chains look for tighter control over waste, labour costs and procurement. Software that ties those functions together may reduce manual work while giving central management a clearer view of store-level performance.

Edify is positioning itself in that part of the market, where hospitality groups want fewer disconnected systems and more direct visibility into operations. Its customer list suggests it has already found an audience among established chains as well as newer café and food brands.

Barry said the business was created in response to a problem that extends across the sector.

“After scaling and selling my own coffee shop chain, I saw that the admin burden isn’t just a small business problem, it’s an industry problem. Operators are making critical decisions every day with fragmented systems, unclear data, and too much noise. Edify exists to change that. We’re not bolting AI onto old software. We’re building a live intelligence system around the way hospitality actually works, connecting the floor and HQ so GMs can lead better, stores can perform stronger, and businesses can grow smarter. Having Calculus alongside us, with their track record of backing ambitious UK technology businesses, gives us the platform to put Edify into the hands of many more operators,” Barry said.