June 24, 2026 · 3 min read
Right-Sizing Your AP Platform
Not every Penta customer needs the same AP solution. Here's how to match your invoice volume, team size, and IT resources to the right platform.
It starts with your team
The difference between platforms is what they require to run. Some need dedicated IT, on-prem servers, and ongoing administration. Others don't.
DTI builds directly against Penta's APIs and supports multiple document management platforms for Penta customers, including Penta Vault, EasyFile, and OnBase.
Penta Vault is built directly into Penta. Document storage and retrieval tied to your existing Penta data. A clean, native solution that stays inside the Penta environment without adding another platform to manage.
EasyFile is a full-capability, cloud-hosted document management platform with AI-powered search, configurable workflows, and direct Penta API integration. No servers to manage. No dedicated IT required to run it. Workflow automation and eForms are available as add-ons when you need them.
OnBase is a proven enterprise content management platform for organizations with complex, multi-department needs and a dedicated IT team already in place. If your organization is running OnBase today, DTI has purpose-built AP solutions for your environment.
The right platform depends on your team, your infrastructure, and what you're set up to manage alongside your AP process.
How automation changes AP capacity
Invoices processed per hour, per person
3.8x
More invoices per person per hour
with full automation. Each person on your AP team handles nearly four times the invoice volume.
Source: APQC FTE output calculations (2024-2025); IOFM staffing benchmarks (2025). Rates reflect per-FTE hourly processing capacity. Semi-automated reflects verification-based workflows where staff review pre-extracted data rather than perform manual entry.
Where payments fit in
Invoice processing and payment automation are two separate decisions. Automating one doesn't require automating the other. But they compound.
Construction companies still running manual check processes carry a cost on every payment that goes beyond paper and postage. Virtual card payments generate rebate income back to the company on every transaction. ACH eliminates the overhead entirely. Payment automation can start today, independent of which document management platform you choose.
The difference between payment partners is vendor adoption. Continuous vendor enrollment is what keeps digital payment adoption climbing month over month.
Why DTI
DTI works exclusively inside the Penta ecosystem. We build directly against Penta's APIs, support multiple document management platforms, and help contractors determine which one fits their operation before anything gets implemented.
Whether that means standing up EasyFile, optimizing an existing OnBase environment, or starting with payment automation while you plan the rest, the approach starts in the same place: understanding how your team works, then building around it.
AP automation looks different depending on the size of your team, how your approvals are structured, and whether you have dedicated IT managing your technology stack. Most platforms are built for a general audience. In construction, the variables are more specific.
If you're running Penta, you already have the ERP. The question is what sits on top of it to handle invoice capture, routing, approvals, and payments.
The gap between manual and automated invoice processing is widening
Average cost to process a single invoice by automation level
80%
Average cost reduction
with AP automation, before accounting for error correction, late fees, and lost early-pay discounts.
Source: Ardent Partners, AP Metrics That Matter (2025); APQC benchmarking data (2024-2025 cycle). Manual cost includes labor for data entry, validation, approval routing, and exception handling. Does not include downstream error correction, which adds 25-40% to direct processing cost.