Who do accounts payable report to within the supply chain?

Accounts payable typically report to the finance manager, as their primary role involves managing a company's obligations to pay off short-term debts to its creditors. Their responsibilities include processing invoices, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring timely payments, all of which fall under the financial operations of the business.

While the supply chain leader plays a critical role in overseeing the entire supply chain, including procurement and inventory management, the accounts payable function is aligned more closely with financial management. The finance manager is responsible for ensuring that financial actions are taken in line with overall financial strategy and reporting, which makes them the appropriate point of contact for accounts payable.

The roles of operations manager and production supervisor are more focused on the execution of production processes and operational efficiency. They deal with day-to-day operational activities and do not typically have direct responsibility for financial transactions like those managed by accounts payable. Thus, the best answer for who accounts payable reports to within the supply chain context is the finance manager, as their work is critical to the financial health and cash flow management of the organization.