Insights with Nimbello's Damien Howley
Most conversations about AP automation focus on the obvious wins: less manual entry, fewer errors, faster processing. But in a recent episode of Dopamine Digital, Nimbello Chief Customer Officer Damien Howley went a layer deeper – into what really makes or breaks automation at scale: complex, high-volume invoices and the reality of modernizing finance operations inside manufacturers and higher education.
In this recap, we’ll pull out a few key themes from the conversation and link to the full episode if you’d like to listen.
Watch the full conversation with Damien Howley here.
Automation Hits Hardest When the Invoices Get Messy
Manufacturers and higher education have different kinds of AP problems. Some receive 30,000 invoices a year, others deal with over a million. Damien points out that many are still:
· Printing invoices
· Passing paper around for approvals
· Re-keying everything into the ERP
· Losing visibility, the moment something leaves someone’s desk
When that entire process becomes digital—and then automated—the impact is far bigger than just “saving time.” You get clean data flowing into the ERP, approvals that don’t get stuck, and month-end that stops turning into a scramble.
The Hardest Invoices Are Where the Value Is (And Why Most Vendors Avoid Them)
Damien makes a simple point: “Anyone can automate easy invoices. The value is in automating the hard ones.”
These are the invoices with:
· Dozens of PO lines
· Freight, tax, tariffs
· Quantity mismatches
· Unit price exceptions
Nimbello was built around handling those invoices first, not last. For a lot of customers that means 70–80% touchless processing while AP only looks at true exceptions.
That’s the difference between “automation” and actual change.
Customers Already Know They’re Behind — The Blockers Are Elsewhere
One misconception is that manufacturers don’t want automation. According to Damien, they absolutely do. The hesitation usually comes from:
· Running older ERP systems
· Thinking modernization requires a full ERP upgrade
· Underestimating how much time manual approval workflows waste
Most finance leaders already know their process is slow. They just need a path forward that doesn’t require a massive IT overhaul.
Where AI Is Really Going in AP (and SaaS)
When the conversation turns to AI, Damien’s view is practical. He talks about it the way AP teams actually experience it.
· Routine data entry is already moving to AI.
· Over the next few years, more structured roles and workflows will follow.
· Smaller companies may eventually replace certain tools with AI-driven, tailor-made solutions.
He also points to a potential shake-up in the SaaS world. Some lower-priced, down-market tools may feel pressure as AI development tools improve, and more businesses consider homegrown solutions again – something many software veterans have historically warned against.
His take is basically: AI won’t replace people, but it will replace repetitive processes — and that shift is happening faster than most teams realize. AP automation and AI aren’t
buzzwords anymore. They’re quietly changing what finance teams expect from their tools and vendors.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look: Nimbello’s Own Transformation
Damien also shares Nimbello’s own modernization story. When he joined, Nimbello was primarily a managed services business. The market, however, was clearly moving toward technology-led, productized solutions. The market shifted quickly, and the company had to shift with it.
Over the past few years the team:
· Turned their internal tools into a SaaS platform
· Rolled out AI across the product
· Shifted from selling services to selling technology first
· Onboarded customers into a technology-only deployment
· Streamlined how they go to market
It was a fast, demanding transformation – but it positioned the company exactly where the AP automation market is heading. Most companies talk about modernization but Nimbello actually did it ---fast.
Culture Still Matters More Than Technology
This part of the conversation is easy to miss but important. Damien talks openly about:
· Keeping the business connected to real customer conversations
· Avoiding “internal bubble thinking”
· Moving fast once the right path is clear
· Leading without burning out the team
· Staying open to being wrong
It’s a reminder that you can have AI, automation, and great technology — and still fail if you lose sight of what customers actually need.
Key Takeaways for Finance and AP Leaders
If you’re responsible for AP, finance, or ERP modernization, a few threads from the discussion stand out:
· Your hardest invoices generate the biggest ROI when automated.
· You don’t need a new ERP to modernize AP.
· AI is already changing expectations around structured work – AP included.
· Trust and understanding matter more than flashy tech or cold outbound tactics.
Watch or listen to the full conversation with Damien on YouTube:
If you’d like to talk about how this applies to your AP process – especially if you’re dealing with complex, high-volume invoices – we’re always open to a conversation.
Get Started today - Watch the full demonstration here