Fix the Process Before You Automate It: Improving Old Finance Workflows

Many finance processes weren't designed; they built up over time. A spreadsheet added here, an approval email there, a workaround for a system that was replaced years ago. Before you apply AI or automation to these workflows, it pays to improve the process itself.

1. Map the process as it really runs

Write down every step of the workflow as it happens today, not as it's supposed to happen. Who does it, which system it's in, how long it takes and where information is copied from one place to another. Timing each step, even roughly, shows where the time actually goes.

2. Remove before you automate

Look for steps that add no value: reports nobody reads, approvals that never reject anything, data keyed into two systems, and spreadsheets that duplicate what the accounting software already does. Removing a step is always faster and cheaper than automating it.

3. Standardise the inputs

Most exceptions come from inconsistent inputs: suppliers sending invoices to different people, expense claims in different formats, customers paying without a reference. Agree one route in for each type of document and one format for each type of data. Clean, consistent inputs are what make automation reliable.

4. Automate the repetitive steps

With a simpler, standardised process, the repetitive steps become obvious: document capture, coding, matching, scheduled journals, reminders and routine reports. Automate these one at a time, starting with the highest volume.

5. Keep controls where the risk is

Every process has points where a mistake would be costly, such as releasing payments, filing returns or posting year-end adjustments. Keep a clear human review at each one, and make sure automated steps leave an audit trail.

6. Measure and keep improving

Track the time each process takes and how often exceptions occur. Review the numbers every quarter. Improvement isn't a one-off project: as the business changes, the process should too.