MHC AP Automation: Following an Invoice From Capture to Payment

MHC NorthStar’s accounts payable tools automate the workflow between receiving an invoice and paying the vendor. Current MHC functionality includes invoice-data extraction, configurable routing, ERP-validated GL coding, approval visibility, ACH, checks, positive-pay output and payment tracking.

This represents the vendor-facing side of MHC.

The employee products automate pay statements and HR documents.

The AP products automate invoices and vendor payments.

Both live inside the broader NorthStar platform.

Step 1: Invoice Capture

Invoices arrive in different formats.

Some are emailed PDFs.

Some begin as paper.

Others are generated electronically.

MHC’s current AP solution uses intelligent capture to extract header and line-item information instead of requiring accounts payable staff to manually type every field.

That is the first automation layer.

Step 2: Validation

An invoice has to correspond with valid enterprise information.

MHC’s workflow can interact with ERP data and enforce accounting logic before the invoice reaches final payment.

For non-PO invoices, MHC specifically documents ERP-validated GL coding.

That helps reduce later accounting corrections.

Step 3: Routing

Not every invoice needs approval from the same person.

MHC supports configurable business rules that route invoices according to the organization’s process.

The objective is to remove the manual question:

“Who should I email this invoice to?”

The workflow already knows.

Step 4: Approval

Authorized approvers can review invoices and associated information.

MHC currently promotes device-independent approval access and detailed workflow history for audit purposes.

An invoice remains visible as it moves through the approval cycle rather than disappearing into an employee inbox.

Step 5: Outstanding Liabilities

Visibility is another major component.

MHC’s AP product provides views into outstanding payables and bottlenecks.

That gives finance teams a clearer answer to:

  • what has arrived;
  • what is waiting for approval;
  • what is approaching its due date;
  • what remains unpaid.

Step 6: Payment

Once approved, invoices move toward payment according to company rules and vendor preferences.

MHC currently supports payment approaches including:

  • ACH;
  • paper checks;
  • electronic remittance;
  • positive-pay files.

The payment method is therefore integrated with the same broader AP process.

Payment Automation

MHC also maintains a dedicated Payment Automation product.

The current offering is designed to manage approval, execution and tracking inside NorthStar and reduce the need for separate payment portals.

This is the stage where NorthStar goes beyond document automation into financial execution.

Positive Pay

For organizations continuing to issue checks, MHC supports positive-pay output.

That allows check information to be sent according to bank requirements for fraud-control processes.

MHC also supports secure check printing and remote printing where required.

Vendor Remittance

Payment is not complete from the vendor’s perspective until the vendor can understand what the money was for.

MHC’s payment product automates delivery of remittance information through methods including email or self-service.

That can reduce vendor inquiries asking which invoices a payment settled.

Payments Plus

MHC launched NorthStar Payments Plus in July 2025 with Paymode technology embedded into the AP platform.

MHC’s announcement says the offering adds access to rebate-eligible Premium ACH and virtual-card transactions alongside additional payment-security functionality.

Current MHC Payment Automation materials continue to promote Payments Plus as part of the platform.

Payment Rebates

The rebate concept needs to be understood correctly.

MHC says eligible Premium ACH and virtual-card transactions can generate monthly rebates.

That does not mean every invoice automatically generates a rebate.

Eligibility depends on the payment method and commercial arrangement.

Payment Security

MHC’s current Payments Plus documentation describes controls including multi-factor verification, OFAC screening and continuous monitoring around supported transactions.

Payment security is particularly important because a compromised AP workflow can expose much more than a document.

It can move actual company funds.

Infor Integration

MHC’s Infor offering demonstrates how the AP layer can complement an ERP.

MHC says it supports invoice capture, AP payments and related procure-to-pay workflows around Lawson and CloudSuite.

Infor remains the enterprise system.

MHC adds specialized automation.

AP and Payroll Share Infrastructure but Not Intent

MHC’s platform supports both payroll and AP.

That does not mean an employee looking for a pay stub should land on an AP article.

Payroll moves money to employees.

AP moves money to vendors and suppliers.

The shared technology theme is document and payment automation; the operational audiences are different.

The AP Workflow in One Model

Vendor sends invoice

MHC captures data

invoice is validated

approval routing occurs

ERP/accounting information is applied

invoice becomes payable

payment method is selected

ACH/check/other transaction occurs

remittance is distributed

status remains visible

That end-to-end chain explains why AP automation is one of the major pillars of NorthStar rather than simply another document template.

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