“Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”
—Jim Rohn, Business Philosopher
We’ve been talking a lot lately about how to upskill your finance workforce through automation, but here’s something you should think about first: Don’t lift and shift a bad process.
If what you’re looking to get your automation solution to do is mimic the way you’ve always done things, you’re probably not going to get the greatest benefit from it, assuming this is even possible. Solution providers tend to be pretty savvy about optimal processes and build those in. Manual processes are usually not optimal and are often burdened by inefficiencies developed over time. Thus, it’s unlikely you’ll find automation that supports an awkward workflow in the first place.
What to do? If you’re considering implementing new software or upgrading your existing tool, now is the right time to take a look at streamlining your processes before you even get started. Let’s first examine why this is, and then explore the technique for how.
The Problem With Inconsistent Processes
Before introducing or upgrading automation, you first need to fully understand how your team actually does what they do. For best results, they need consistent, effective, and efficient workflows. These can make or break your department, depending on how well they’re designed and how rigorously they’re followed. You may think you know how your team does the work, but … do you really?
The thing is, it’s not at all uncommon for processes to evolve as time passes. One employee may have encountered an issue that couldn’t be easily resolved or a workflow that they felt to be inefficient, so they developed a workaround. They then taught that new technique to a trainee, and it was subsequently passed on, again and again. Eventually, different people end up doing things their own way, often without understanding why the original procedure was implemented in the first place. They have also received the message that it’s OK to “go rogue” and do their jobs however they want to.
But there are big problems with this. First, the fact that tasks are being performed inconsistently often leads to errors and confusion, not to mention duplication of effort or missed steps. (Alternatively, a reinvented process may turn out to be better than the standard one, but we’ll get to that in a minute.)
Secondly, not following the documented procedure can put the organization at risk for noncompliance, which sometimes comes with serious consequences, including financial ones in the form of regulatory fines and penalties.
Cleaning Things Up With Finance Process Mapping
Don’t despair, however. Finance process mapping can save the day.
In its simplest form, a process map is a flowchart that describes every step in a workflow, every handoff, every problem resolution, every do-over. There are many different tools specifically designed for this task, some of them free. Basic spreadsheet programs, while somewhat limited, can also be adapted to this purpose, but IFOL recommends you do some research first and see which tool best fits the scope of your mapping project, your budget, and the ease of use for your team.
The recommended approach is to get everyone who does the same task to sit in on the mapping exercise and offer their feedback. What are the steps of the process in question? How is responsibility passed off from one team member or department to another? Map it out visually. You may discover gaps where nobody is monitoring the work at a particular stage, or repetitive loops where a process is unnecessarily repeated or gets hopelessly stuck. Here’s where you obtain insight into workflows that are nonstandard or inefficient. During these sessions, don’t be surprised if you hear, “But that’s not the way I was trained to do it!”
In those situations where it’s discovered that there are different approaches to the same tasks, it’s worth asking what the benefits of those nonstandard processes are. Why are they being done that way? What problems do they solve? If at this point it appears that a nonstandard technique is actually better than the documented one, consider changing it and revising the procedure documentation.
Process mapping takes time, but it’s well worth it. It enables you and your team to streamline how you are performing the work and ensures it’s being done with the greatest efficiency possible, compliantly and consistently, even before you automate.
Ready for Action
Once you have your finances processes mapped, cleaned up, and documented, your team will need to be retrained to follow them to the letter. If there’s an issue, they must understand that it’s unacceptable for them to simply wing it. They must report the problem to a designated individual (a manager or other person who is responsible for compliance), and it must then be reviewed and resolved. A policy document is a living thing; whenever there are changes needed, it must be updated and the team retrained. This rule should be hard and fast. Any laxness in training or adherence to policy will land you and your team right back where you started.
And now … you are ready to automate.
The insight your team has gained through the process mapping exercise will help inform your decision for an automation tool. Does it work in the same or a similar way as your newly refined workflows? Like process mapping, evaluating a software solution should also be a team effort, since it impacts the work they do every single day. Not every solution is suited to every organization, and while it’s unlikely that any solution will precisely emulate your existing processes, come as close as you can, then make modifications as necessary to align with it. Of course, if it turns out that this is necessary, tweak your procedure documentation and make certain everyone understands how it changed.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Processes will change of necessity. New or updated software, team reorganizations, modifications to regulations or reporting requirements, all these may impact how you do what you do. However, keeping a close eye on process management, documenting changes, retraining when necessary, and making sure your workflows and your software solution are aligned will ensure you don’t end up with messy inefficiencies, errors, and a frustrated team that’s battling the software instead of benefitting from it.
Implementing process mapping and using it to consistently and effectively manage how you do what you do will indeed contribute to your team’s success.
What’s Coming Up
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We invite you to participate in IFOL’s Finance Workforce Readiness Research Survey, if you haven’t already done so. The information we gather will help us better understand the future of finance, and we welcome your input. It only takes about six minutes!
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Our 2026 in-person Finance Operations Leadership Conference Canada (FOLCON) is scheduled for November 12 in Ontario. You won’t want to miss this information-rich event that explores the evolution of P2P, O2C, AP, AR, and how automation and AI are transforming them. Sign up online and plan to attend.
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Attention Accounts Payable: There are big changes for 1099 reporting of 2026 payments. Don’t get caught short by waiting until the end of the year! Join us for our first 1099 Live Training Session on November 17.
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Be sure to sign up for IFOL’s live online Finance Tech Solutions Showcase, starting at 11:00 a.m. U.S. and Canada Eastern on November 19. This free event is your opportunity to see the solutions in actual use, helping you understand what’s available and evaluate what will work best for your organization.
