Experts from a leading provider of audit recovery services and software for performance management, error prevention and fraud detection in accounts payable, APEX Analytix, will showcase, during an upcoming meeting of International Accounts Payable Professionals, best practices and new technology that can help companies improve their bottom line. They will focus on ways to improve accounts payable processes, combat vendor fraud and benchmark performance. The latest versions of its industry-leading FirstStrike™ software for the detection and prevention of accounts payable errors will also be showcased .

There is increasing pressure to drive down costs and uncover new operating efficiencies that can benefit the bottom line, as companies strive to weather a struggling economy.

Committed to the professional advancement in the accounts payable discipline, IAPP is a nonprofit educational organization. The 18th annual IAPP forum is scheduled for April 20-24 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, Calif.

The following sessions will be conducted by the APEX Analytix experts attending the forum:

    * Achieving Best-in-Class: Benchmarking as the Foundation for Continuous Improvement. APEX Analytix President Jim Arnold will team with APEX Analytix marketing and research specialist, Nickolanne Duncan-Poag, to discuss the role of benchmarking in performance measurement.
    * Advanced Project Management. APEX Analytix vice president of account management, Chris Doxey, will conduct a preconference workshop on skills that can take project management to a higher level.
    * Engage and Excite Your Team to Achieve Your Goals: Brainstorming Techniques for Accounts Payable Organizations. APEX Analytix director of client solutions, Joseph Collins, will share techniques for engaging the support of team members in tackling shared objectives.
    * Five Steps to Deterring Fraud. APEX Analytix lead vendor risk analyst and project manager, Jim Arnold and Tasha Bailey, will discuss how to stop fraudulent vendors in their tracks.
    * Internal Controls and SOX 404: Year Five. Chris Doxey, SOX expert, will explain how auditing requirements and internal controls have changed since Sarbanes-Oxley was enacted.
    * New Directions in Teambuilding. Chris Doxey, drawing on two decades of industry experience, will share tips for building high-performing teams and managing conflict.
    * Outsourcing/Offshoring and Change Management. In a shared services environment, can be significant differences between outsourcing and offshoring.
    * Perfecting the End-to-End Process. In a discussion of how to achieve a more efficient, effective and unified accounts payable process that supports a company's strategic objectives, Jim Arnold will join Ronda Mills of Delta Airlines.
    * Tone at the Top and Ethics. Chris Doxey will discuss how a company's leadership team sets the stage for ethical standards and internal controls.
    * Warning! This Could Happen to You! (And Your Boss Will Love It). Jim Arnold will be joined by Andy Crago, industry consultant, for a presentation on how to evolve from a fragmented accounts payable organization to a streamlined, single, shared-services team.