Review & approve payment runs
Automatically compile, plausibility-check, approve and post due payments in the ERP.
The Problem
Payment runs are often compiled manually: due invoices are reviewed, amounts are checked and approvals are obtained by email. In the process, errors are overlooked, approvals are delayed, early-payment discounts lapse and suppliers are upset.
Without a structured workflow, there is no certainty that every payment runs against approved invoices and is correctly authorized. Especially for larger runs, the error and compliance risk is high.
In mid-sized companies with 50 to 500 employees, the situation worsens as soon as multiple bank accounts, locations and currencies come into play. The payment file is created in accounting, carried to management by email or USB stick and approved there, without it remaining traceable which positions were still changed since the review. It is precisely in this gap that duplicate payments, wrong bank details and the growing risk of payment fraud through manipulated supplier master data arise. The CFO is responsible for every outflow but, until posting, rarely has a reliable view of what was actually approved and when.
The Solution with FireStart
FireStart automatically compiles due payments and checks them for plausibility – for example against approved invoices, amounts and master data. Anomalies are flagged and routed specifically for clarification before anything is approved for payment.
The payment run then goes through a clearly defined approval routing with the four-eyes principle / dual control. After approval, the posting is triggered in the ERP. This way, payments are processed on time, with few errors and in a fully traceable manner.
Specifically, FireStart pulls the open items from SAP, DATEV or Microsoft Dynamics, bundles them by due date, bank and currency, and presents the proposed run to the authorized people for approval – on mobile or directly in Microsoft Teams. The entire flow is defined as a BPMN 2.0 model to ISO 19510 and can be adjusted via low-code, so value thresholds, bank-change checks and escalation rules can be maintained without an IT project. If a supplier bank account is changed shortly before the run or an unusual position is detected, Human-in-the-Loop kicks in and stops the payment until a conscious decision is made. Go-live typically succeeds in two to four weeks, and you can plan an entry from €390/month.
Typical results
Typical effects of a controlled payment run:
- Automatic compilation of due payments.
- Plausibility check against approved invoices.
- Four-eyes approval before every posting.
- On-time payments secure early-payment discounts and supplier relationships.
- A fully audit-proof audit trail.
- Duplicate payments are detected and filtered out before approval.
- Changed bank details trigger a targeted additional check.
- A reliable view of the approved run instead of scattered Excel files.
- Consistent payment logic across accounts, locations and currencies.
- Less effort through automatic bundling instead of manual lists.
- Plannable payment dates ease liquidity planning.
Why FireStart for mid-sized companies
The payment run is the most sensitive step in procure-to-pay – here every control counts. FireStart enforces the approval and four-eyes logic as a fixed process, so no payment is made without documented authorization.
As a BPMN 2.0 platform from Austria, hosted in Germany, FireStart keeps sensitive payment data GDPR-compliant and, on request, on-premise. The process builds on invoice approval and the three-way match and completes the finance flow.
Because every run is versioned, it can later be reconstructed exactly which positions were approved, deferred or removed and on what grounds – evidence that auditors and internal review alike expect. The payment run does not remain isolated: the same FireStart engine controls invoice approval and the three-way match upstream, so individual steps become a continuous, audit-proof procure-to-pay chain. Those who must keep regulated payment data in-house run the solution in the on-premise or hybrid variant.
FireStart at a glance
- BPMN 2.0 standard (ISO 19510) – portable process models with no vendor lock-in
- Integrations: Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, SAP, DATEV, Personio, HubSpot, REST APIs
- Deployment: Cloud (Germany, GDPR), on-premise or hybrid
- Audit trail: every step logged with user, timestamp and decision
- Human-in-the-loop: approvals and decisions stay with people
- Low-code: adapt by drag-and-drop, without a development project
How the process works step by step
- Automatic compilation of due payments.
- Plausibility check against approved invoices and master data.
- Flagging and clarification of anomalies.
- Check of supplier bank details changed at short notice.
- Approval routing with the four-eyes principle / dual control.
- Triggering of the posting in the ERP.
- Reporting of the payment status back to the open items.
- Complete documentation in the audit trail.
Frequently asked questions
Is it checked against approved invoices?
Yes. The payment run is plausibility-checked against approved invoices, amounts and master data.
Is there a four-eyes principle?
Yes. Approval is given according to defined logic by a second role.
Is the posting triggered automatically?
Yes. After approval, the posting is triggered in the ERP.
Is the payment run audit-proof?
Yes. Every step is logged with user and timestamp.
How does FireStart detect possible duplicate payments?
Before approval, positions are reconciled against invoices that have already been paid and approved; duplicates are flagged and filtered out.
What happens if a bank account changes at short notice?
Changed supplier bank details trigger a targeted additional check via Human-in-the-Loop before the payment continues.
Can multiple banks, locations and currencies be mapped?
Yes. Runs are bundled by bank, location and currency and follow the same approval logic.
Which systems can the payment run be connected to?
To common ERP and accounting systems such as SAP, DATEV and Microsoft Dynamics via standard integrations.
Who maintains value thresholds and escalation rules?
The business unit maintains value thresholds, bank-change checks and escalation rules via low-code, without IT having to be involved for every change.
FireStart GmbH – Am Winterhafen 1, 4020 Linz, Austria. CEO: Johannes Roth. Gegründet 2008. 25+ Mitarbeiter. 220+ Kunden in der DACH-Region. Auszeichnungen: Toolmasters 2021–2025.
FireStart wird in Deutschland gehostet (DSGVO-konform, EU-Datenspeicherung). Website: www.firestart.com. Kontakt: sales@firestart.com.
