Follow These 6 Vital Steps To Automate Your Accounting Process

Gone are the days when traditional methods such as data entry by hand, manual bookkeeping, and invoice processing through paper trails were adequate to keep up with the variety and volume of financial data. Not only are these methods labor-intensive, they’re also prone to errors. Manual processes negatively impact the ability to generate timely financial reports and quickly respond to business challenges and opportunities.  

Manual workflows also tend to create bottlenecks that can delay payment processing and strain relationships with vendors and customers. This inefficiency is further compounded by the time and resources required to correct errors, often leading to increased operational costs and reduced profit margins.

In a business environment where speed, precision, and agility reign supreme, accurate and efficient accounting practices are worthy weapons to have in your arsenal — and that’s where accounting process automation, or APA, comes into play.

This blog will explore how companies are turning to modern software to transform manual and error-prone processes into streamlined and automated workflows. We will go over what the term APA means, its benefits, the challenges in putting it into practice, as well as some crucial steps business leaders shouldn’t miss. 

What Is Accounting Process Automation?

APA refers to the use of specialized software that can handle routine accounting tasks such as bookkeeping, financial reporting, and compliance management. The goal is to quickly and accurately execute these without manual intervention. APA’s true value lies in its ability to seamlessly integrate with existing financial systems, creating a unified platform where data is able to move smoothly across diverse accounting functions. 

For instance, say a business wants to automate its accounts payable process. APA can help establish a system that can automatically capture invoice data, match it with purchase orders, and even initiate payments without the need for manual inputs. By eliminating redundant efforts and the means for someone to commit fraud or mistakes, the payment cycle becomes faster and safer.

APA allows for real-time data processing, meaning financial information is continuously updated and accessible to stakeholders at any time. This capability is particularly valuable for businesses that operate in fast-paced industries where timely financial insights are crucial for decision making. Automating these processes ensures that the company’s accounting operations are more efficient and aligned with its strategic goals.

The Benefits of Automating Your Accounting Systems

The advantages of accounting process automation extend far beyond mere time savings. As you will see in the following benefits, APA allows you to create a more robust financial management system that can support the long-term growth and sustainability of your business. 

• APA allows for faster transaction processing and report generation than manual methods. The bank reconciliation process, for example, involves painstaking cross-checking of records. Automating this would not only help quickly identify discrepancies and resolve them, but also save time and reduce the risk of sharing financial misstatements, all of which can have serious compliance and audit-readiness implications.  
• Reduced operating costs is another benefit of APA, as costs in areas of frequent manual intervention (say, payroll processing, where automated systems can calculate salaries, deduct taxes, and issue payments) can be instead reinvested elsewhere.

• APA also helps improve data quality and integrity. Since it’s not prone to manual errors, any issue can be promptly escalated instead of mistakes going unnoticed until later. Automating processes helps keep financial records up to date and accurate. It also maintains a clear audit trail of all transactions, simplifying verification of financial activities. 
• Enhanced accessibility to financial data is a big advantage, as employees across departments would no longer need to sift through piles of paperwork or spreadsheets to get the information they need. Streamlined operations, better collaboration, and improved communication are all positive results of having a centralized approach to data management. 
• APA streamlines document approval processes by automating the flow of documents like purchase orders and contracts. Faster approval processes help ensure timely payments and properly honored contracts, facilitating more positive and productive relationships with vendors and customers.
• APA serves as a regulatory safety net, given that automated systems for financial transactions can be programmed to comply with relevant standards and regulations. This benefit is compounded by the increased availability of the accounting team’s bandwidth, which can be used to focus on more strategic tasks. 

Challenges in Automating Your Accounting Processes

While the benefits of APA are many, the journey to full automation can be challenging. Implementing APA requires careful planning and attention to detail, particularly in organizations that have relied on manual processes for many years. Here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind:

• Change management: Transitioning to an automated system will require the accounting staff to understand new software, learn how to use it, and adapt to different workflows. Training programs to upskill employees and ongoing support for change management will be crucial for staff to become comfortable with new systems and use them with utmost efficacy and trust.  
• Updating existing workflows: Poorly adapted workflows can lead to inefficiencies and errors. To adapt existing ways of working to a new automated framework, it’s vital to rethink how previous tasks were performed and identify areas where automation can prove effective. 

How To Automate Your Accounting Processes: Six Key Steps

There are some fundamental steps that businesses must follow to enjoy a smooth transition to automated systems and realize the maximum benefits of APA: 

1. Analyze current processes

The first step in automating your accounting processes is thoroughly analyzing your current workflows. Map out each step of your accounting process and identify tasks that are repetitive, time consuming, or prone to errors. Without understanding how these tasks are currently performed, you cannot pinpoint areas where automation would have the greatest impact.

2. Evaluate existing technologies

Once the tasks that can be automated are identified, the next step would be to evaluate the technologies that currently exist for the same purpose. If your business uses a dated accounting software that requires accounting teams to constantly refer to spreadsheets, it might be time to invest in a new software that has built-in automation features for data entry, invoice processing, reporting, and more. Or, if your business is in a rapid growth stage, you may benefit from a cloud-based APA solution, which can provide real-time financial data access and scale alongside your business’s growth. 

3. Assign project accountability and ownership

Assigning a project owner is vital for the success of any automation initiative. This individual will be responsible for three main tasks: overseeing the implementation process, gaining a deep understanding of the company’s accounting processes, and managing the transition to automation. As part of the role, they will need to coordinate with software vendors, manage the implementation timeline, troubleshoot any arising issues, and make sure that automated workflows run smoothly. 

4. Create and document workflows

Once the project owner is in place, the next step would be to create and document the new automated workflows. Defining the steps in the automated process by going over what actions need to happen from the initial trigger to the final outcome. For instance, in an automated accounts payable workflow, the trigger could be an invoice receipt, which would then initiate a series of actions. These actions could include data extraction, routing approval to the relevant person, and processing payments upon approval. Documenting these workflows is important because it helps maintain workflow consistency and can be useful for future troubleshooting. It also keeps the roles and responsibilities clear for each team member involved in the process, avoiding any potential confusion or effort duplication. 

5. Test and iterate

To ensure that you get the intended results from the system, it must be put through thorough testing and iteration. This includes running workflows in a controlled environment and checking for potential integration issues that might pop up. Iterating workflows based on feedback and test results also allows you to refine processes until you attain the desired level of accuracy and efficiency before going live. 

6. Train and communicate

The final step in the implementation process is to train the team that would be using the automation software. They must be comfortable with it and understand how to use it effectively, so that the new processes can deliver better results than the ones that came before. Communicating regular updates on the implementation's progress, as well as clear explanations of the benefits of automation, can help build support among employees and reduce resistance to change. Encouraging feedback and addressing any concerns promptly will further enhance the initiative's success.

Important Accounting Tasks You Should Automate

To quickly realize the benefits of accounting process automation, it is important to prioritize the tasks that will have the most significant impact on your operations. Here are some key accounting tasks that should be automated:

1. Accounts Payable 

Automating tasks in the accounts payable process (invoice data capture, approval routing, payment processing, etc.) can transform your business’s relationships with vendors by reducing errors and ensuring that they are paid on time. 

2. Accounts Receivable 

The accounts receivable process is vital in managing cash flow and receiving timely payments. Automation can streamline tasks like invoice generation, payment reminders, and collections, making managing outstanding invoices easier and reducing the time it takes to get paid.  

3. Payroll

Payroll is one of the most time-consuming and complex accounting tasks, particularly for businesses with large workforces. Automation of payroll enables reliable and prompt employee payments while reducing the administrative burden on HR and accounting departments.

4. Financial closure

Closing financial books at the end of the month is an essential task that requires balancing accounts, producing reports, and verifying every transaction is correctly documented. Automating this process can drastically cut down the time required to complete these tasks. It can also improve financial reporting accuracy, streamline the reconciliation process, identify discrepancies, check for regulatory compliance, and more.  

5. Expense management

Managing employee expenses can be cumbersome and time intensive, particularly when it involves collecting and processing paper receipts. Automating expense management can simplify this process by allowing employees to submit expenses electronically, with automated approval workflows and integration with accounting systems. 

6. Procurement

The procurement process entails overseeing the acquisition of goods and services from outside vendors, which can often be intricate and time intensive. Automating procurement tasks like purchase order creation, supplier management, and payment processing can streamline the process, reduce costs, and improve supplier relationships. 

Evolve Your Accounting Operations With Savant 

Accounting process automation is more than just a step toward modernizing your financial operations; it is an essential evolution that enables you to unlock greater efficiency, savings, and strategic insight. As you consider the next steps in automating your accounting processes, you must have the right tools and partners to guide you through the transition. In this regard, Savant is dedicated to meeting the unique and diverse needs of businesses of all sizes.

Our cutting-edge analytics automation platform offers a cloud-native, low-/no-code solution that seamlessly integrates with over 200 data sources, allowing you to create customized workflows and automate data collection, processing, and reporting across all critical accounting functions. From automating asset and liability reconciliation to streamlining payroll processing, enhancing financial close processes and more, we provide pre-built solution templates that make it easy to get started quickly and see immediate results.

Millions of hours are wasted every week, with nearly 78 million data workers who rely on advanced SQL and spreadsheets spending 37% of their weekly time on coding complex analytics workflows. Savant’s Copilot feature addresses this decades-old problem by utilizing the power of GPT AI to enable data preparation, transformation, and analytics logic creation with just conversational language — no coding expertise needed! Copilot’s built-in bots and embedded AI help businesses access data and publish insights at lightning speed.

With real-time collaboration capabilities and unlimited users and workflow executions, Savant is a scalable solution that grows with your business. We help keep your accounting operations efficient and compliant, no matter how complex your needs become.

Ready to take the next step? 

Visit Savant to learn more and get started.