A bookkeeper is frustrated with managing weekly accounts payable for a difficult client who drops off unstructured invoice and sales tape packets irregularly, causing manual check printing, paper-clipping checks to invoices, and repeated status inquiries about whether invoices were paid or checks cleared, leading to over-billable hours and client friction.

Workarounds Described

• Prints checks for each invoice manually and paper-clips each check to its corresponding invoice
• Writes date and 'paid' on each invoice by hand
• Creates a separate spreadsheet of outstanding checks to include with each AP packet
• Deals with paper tapes and paper invoices dropped off irregularly

Implied Software Gaps

• Client portal for digital invoice submission and tracking of AP packet drop-offs
• Automated check-invoice pairing without physical paper-clipping
• Shared real-time payment status dashboard synced with bank for check clearing visibility
• Automated generation of outstanding checks list

APacket Tracker

APacket Tracker is a client-facing accounts payable portal that streamlines weekly AP processing for bookkeepers and their clients. It lets clients upload invoices and sales tapes digitally or via mobile app, automatically generates checks and cash flow summaries, and provides a real-time dashboard showing which invoices are paid, check numbers, and clearing status. This eliminates the paper chase and reduces status emails.