What should we automate first?
Four finance workflows, in the order most teams tackle them. Each one has a typical starting point and a clear change in outcome.
Not sure which applies to you?
The assessment ranks these workflows against your data, team and risk exposure.
Forecast from drivers, not from last year's spreadsheet
Forecasts are rebuilt by hand each quarter. Scenario requests from the board take days to answer.
What we typically implement
Rolling driver-based forecast
Automated variance analysis
Scenario planning models
Management dashboards
What changes
Faster forecast cycles
Scenarios answered in hours
More time for analysis
Board-ready reporting without the spreadsheet rebuild
Data sits in several systems. Someone consolidates it by hand, writes the commentary and checks it twice.
What we typically implement
KPI dashboards
Automated commentary drafts for review
Data consolidation across systems
What changes
Board packs produced without manual rebuilds
One version of the numbers
Pay suppliers faster with fewer manual approvals
Invoices arrive by email and PDF, are keyed in by hand and wait in inboxes for approval. Late payments and duplicate checks consume hours each week.
What we typically implement
Invoice capture from email and PDF
Line-level matching to purchase orders
Approval routing by value and entity
Exception queues for unmatched items
What changes
Lower cost per invoice
Fewer manual approvals
Faster vendor payments
Close in days, not weeks
The close runs on spreadsheets, email chasers and manual reconciliations. Errors surface late, and senior staff fix them under deadline.
What we typically implement
Journal entry automation
Account reconciliation
Anomaly detection on balances
A close calendar with clear owners
What changes
A shorter close cycle
Fewer reconciliation errors
Less reliance on late-night review

