Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in Philadelphia, PA

Outsourcing Business Solutions, often shortened to OBS, is a multi-service outsourcing provider whose United States office sits in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with an additional listed location in Winnipeg, Canada. The firm handles back-office work for companies that would rather hand off routine administrative and financial tasks than staff them internally.

Finance and accounting is one of its main practice areas, and accounts payable support is offered as a named, standalone service inside that group, which makes OBS relevant to buyers looking for a partner to take over vendor bill handling rather than to buy a software platform.

Accounts payable and related finance work

Within its accounting practice, OBS lists a dedicated accounts payable offering alongside a separate invoice processing service, so organizations can outsource the full payables cycle or only the intake and capture of supplier invoices. Because the same team also covers the rest of the ledger, payables can be bundled with neighboring functions. The finance-related services shown on its site include:

• Accounts payable services
• Invoice processing
• Outsourced bookkeeping
• Accounts receivable services
• Payroll services
• Financial reporting
• Tax preparation
• CFO services

Buyers interested in automation should note that OBS also promotes an AI and intelligent automation practice, along with data entry, document digitizing and database management. For AP teams, these supporting services can help with converting paper invoices into digital records and keeping vendor data organized, although the company presents itself mainly as a people-driven service firm rather than as a seller of its own AP software. It also mentions QuickBooks work in connection with its data entry offering.

How engagements are structured

OBS says it starts each relationship by understanding what the client is trying to achieve and then designs a working approach around those goals, with an emphasis on carefully pairing the right staff with each account.

Engagements are sold in three models: hourly work with a monthly minimum, flexible part-time support, and a full-time dedicated resource working a standard eight-hour day. Each model comes with a free initial consultation, and quotes are offered on request. This range lets a small business with light invoice volume start small, while larger organizations can secure a dedicated AP specialist.

Breadth and background

Beyond finance, the company runs legal process outsourcing and paralegal support, inbound and outbound call center operations, logistics dispatch, administrative support, medical billing and coding, insurance services, digital marketing and web development. For AP buyers, that breadth may be useful when a single vendor is preferred for several outsourced functions.

OBS describes itself as an award-winning firm and reports serving clients in more than 15 countries, with upwards of 350 clients and a workforce of over 1,100 people. It points to third-party feedback on platforms such as Clutch, GoodFirms, Trustpilot, Glassdoor and Google, where its homepage cites an excellent rating based on 52 Google reviews.

Companies comparing payables providers will find OBS best suited to those wanting flexible, staff-based outsourcing of AP and adjacent accounting tasks under one contract.

The Focus Group is a certified public accounting practice based in Center City Philadelphia, with a second location in Dallas, Texas. Its core clientele is small and growing companies that want an outside finance team handling their books rather than building a full internal accounting department. Beyond commercial clients, the firm also serves nonprofit organizations, including churches, charities and membership associations.

Buyers looking specifically for accounts payable support should know that the firm does not market a standalone AP service or an AP automation product. Instead, payables-related work would fall within its broader engagements: outsourced bookkeeping, general small business accounting and part-time controller or CFO support.

In these engagements, firm staff keep transaction records current, help manage cash flow and build budgets. Its payroll practice also prepares year-end information returns, including 1099 forms, which matters to companies that pay independent contractors. Organizations that need a defined invoice approval workflow or a particular payables platform should confirm scope with the firm before engaging.

Services Offered

• Outsourced bookkeeping and full-cycle accounting for small companies
• Part-time controller and CFO support
• Cash flow management, budgeting and forecasting
• QuickBooks implementation, training and ongoing help
• Payroll runs on a weekly, biweekly or monthly cycle, with direct deposit and custom reports
• Payroll tax filings plus W-2, W-3 and 1099 preparation
• Unemployment claim handling and workers' compensation audit support
• Audits, reviews and compilations of financial statements
• Business and individual tax planning, preparation and IRS problem resolution
• Startup incorporation, mergers and acquisitions, and exit planning

The firm describes its working style as personal and hands-on, with owners dealing directly with experienced professionals. It positions itself as a year-round advisor rather than a firm clients only hear from during tax season. Its offerings are designed to scale with a business, so owners can add finance capacity without a significant jump in overhead.

New clients can start with a complimentary initial consultation, and the firm also offers a free guide on setting up a company's accounting books. For QuickBooks users, it handles software setup and shows staff shortcuts that make data entry faster.

Control and accuracy are a recurring theme. The firm performs audits for both publicly and privately held businesses across many industries, as well as for not-for-profit entities. Its reviews follow the AICPA's SSARS standards. Where needed, it also provides due diligence, risk management and recommendations to strengthen internal controls, which can be relevant for companies tightening oversight of disbursements and vendor payments.

The Focus Group states that it is built on integrity, honesty and professionalism, and it combines accounting, tax and advisory work under one roof. For a Philadelphia-area company that wants payables handled as part of a complete outsourced accounting relationship, rather than through a single-purpose AP vendor, it offers a broad mix of bookkeeping, controllership, payroll and assurance capabilities.