10 Best Tools for Automating Finance Workflow

Finance workflows act as the backbone of any financial operation. They ensure that processes like bookkeeping, invoicing, budgeting, and financial reporting are carried out efficiently and accurately. In a world where economic data is growing exponentially, having a streamlined workflow is not just beneficial—it's essential. But consider trying to manage all of this without any assistance.

Daunting, right? This is where the potential of Financial LLM comes into play, transforming traditional workflows into dynamic, intelligent systems that can adapt and respond to the needs of any organization. Suppose you're looking to enhance your financial operations. In that case, this guide will help you navigate the intricacies of finance workflows and show you how to equip the potential of AI to write and research more efficiently.

Otio's AI research and writing partner is designed to help you achieve your goals by providing seamless integration with your financial workflows. This tool will help you write and research more efficiently with AI, making it an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to enhance their financial operations.

Table Of Contents

• Workflow of the Finance Department

• How to Improve Finance Workflow in 8 Steps

• What Finance Tasks Can Be Automated

• 10 Best Tools for Automating Finance Workflow

• Supercharge Your Researching Ability With Otio — Try Otio for Free Today

Workflow of the Finance Department

1. Systematic Procedure for Financial Tasks 

Handling financial tasks in an organization is not something done haphazardly. There’s a systematic procedure, often referred to as a finance workflow, that dictates how these tasks should be handled. This ensures consistency and efficiency in managing financial operations.

2. From Transaction Recording to Financial Reporting 

The workflow encompasses the entire journey of financial transactions, beginning with the initial recording of transactions. It then progresses through various stages, including processing, reconciliation, and analysis, before ultimately culminating in financial reporting. 

3. Consistent, Efficient, and Error-Free Execution 

The primary goal of establishing a finance workflow is to ensure that all financial activities are executed consistently, efficiently, and error-free. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of financial data and for making informed business decisions. 

4. Visual Representation with Accounting Workflow 

Diagram To better understand the steps involved in a finance workflow, an accounting workflow diagram can be used. This diagram visually represents the processes and shows how data flows through the system. It helps identify the sequence of tasks and their dependencies.

5. Example Workflow: Procurement to Reporting 

For example, a typical finance workflow might start with the procurement process. Once goods or services are procured, the next step could be invoice processing within the accounts payable department. After that, accounts may need to be reconciled to ensure accuracy. The final step would be financial reporting and analysis to provide insights into the organization’s economic status. 

6. Building Upon Previous Steps 

Each step in the finance workflow is designed to build upon the previous one. This progressive approach ensures that financial information is accurate and comprehensive by the time it reaches the reporting stage. 

7. Benefits of a Well-Defined Finance Workflow 

Implementing a well-defined finance workflow brings several benefits: 

Enhanced Transparency

Stakeholders can have a clearer understanding of the company’s financial position and performance. 

Improved Efficiency

The time and effort required to complete financial tasks are reduced. 

Minimized Errors

The risk of discrepancies and mistakes is lowered. 

Compliance

Helps adhere to regulatory requirements and standards.

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• Financial Data Extraction
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• How to Forecast Budget
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• AI Financial Modeling

How to Improve Finance Workflow in 8 Steps

1. Use Otio to Manage Content Overload

Knowledge workers, researchers, and students today suffer from content overload and are left to deal with it using fragmented, complex, and manual tooling. Too many of them settle for stitching together complicated bookmarking, read-it-later, and note-taking apps to get through their workflows. Now that anyone can create content with the click of a button, this problem is only likely to worsen. Otio solves this problem by providing one AI-native workspace for researchers. It helps them: 

1. Collect: a wide range of data sources, from bookmarks, tweets, and extensive books to YouTube videos. 

2. Extract key takeaways: with detailed AI-generated notes and source-grounded Q&A chat. 

3. Create: draft outputs using the sources you’ve collected. 

Otio helps you transition from reading list to first draft more quickly. Additionally, Otio enables you to write research papers and essays more efficiently. Here are our top features that researchers love: 

• AI-generated notes on all bookmarks (YouTube videos, PDFs, articles, etc.), 

• Otio enables you to chat with individual links or entire knowledge bases, just like you chat with ChatGPT, as well as AI-assisted writing. 

• Our tool features web scraping capabilities, enabling you to access a broad range of data sources beyond traditional academic papers and search engines. 

This feature enables researchers to collect diverse information from sources like bookmarks, tweets, books, and YouTube videos, streamlining the process of curating and analyzing data for research purposes. Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free today!

2. Do internal audits

This is the first step you should take to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your team and find opportunities to improve the finance process mapping function. Don’t try to tackle everything at once–stick to the issues that, when rectified, can offer your business the most significant gains and efficiencies.

3. Don’t just automate–collaborate

Requesting data from each department manually is very time-consuming, and what you don't want is for each of your departments to run independently without communicating with one another. To improve efficiency, allow all departments in your company to use a shared system. A Cloud-based ERP software, for example, can help your company integrate all the departments, allowing your finance department to get complete data from each department in a matter of seconds, when needed.

4. Update accounting systems

To enable your finance department to work more efficiently, provide an accounting system that automates complex tasks. Automation is the way of the future when it comes to financing, and many companies are adopting AI as a regular part of everyday work. This will enable your finance staff to generate reports, calculate profits and losses, create invoices, record and save transaction details, manage clients, and perform numerous other tasks with just a few clicks. By automating many manual tasks, your finance staff can focus more on other essential responsibilities.

5. Let your teams know what to expect

Communicating your finance department’s expectations from the outset will give your teams clarity on what they should do. Explain the policies and procedures upfront so that they will always comply with them. Be open to helpful advice and opinions, especially from those who are truly finance experts.

6. Reduce error rates

We discussed automation; however, other processes, such as tailor-made workflows and revised data permissions, reduce the likelihood of human error, thereby contributing to improved accuracy. Implementing software is a quick way to make some key process improvements in your finance function.

7. Upskill your staff

Ensure that your teams are proficient in every way possible. They have to keep up with both internal procedures and any accounting/finance software that your company has implemented. Therefore, conducting training to optimize your team’s performance is highly recommended. You can offer various types of training, including in-house seminars, external conferences, and one-on-one training. Cross-training enables another employee to temporarily handle financial tasks if a team member is on leave.

8. Create policies and procedures

Indiscipline in the financial department is one of the biggest money wasters, inefficiencies, and time wasters for companies. Thus, your company needs to create policies and procedures to ensure financial operations are conducted according to your company’s regulations and standards. Ask staff to process all payments, including salaries and contracts, promptly. Pay attention to your accounts receivable. Ask staff to send reminders to customers or clients before invoices become past due. It will be easier for staff to manage your business cash flow and client loads by ensuring the accuracy of the financial reports at all times.

What Finance Tasks Can Be Automated

Automate Invoice Processing to Save Time and Reduce Errors 

Invoices are a fact of life for finance departments, but they don't have to be a drain on resources. Automating the processing of invoices can save time and reduce errors by handling everyday and highly repetitive tasks, such as matching invoices with purchase orders and delivery notes. This also involves automating the receipt of data, extracting data from invoices, and inputting that data into an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution.  

Streamline Your Accounts Payable and Receivable Processes 

Accounts payable and receivable are two of the most critical functions in any finance department, but they can also be time-consuming and prone to human error. Automating the process of reconciling payments, sending and receiving reminders for unpaid resources, and updating ledgers can help streamline your accounts payable and receivable processes, freeing up staff to focus on more strategic tasks.  

Simplify Expense Management for Employees and Finance Teams 

Managing employee expenses can be a headache for finance teams, especially when staff submit claims with missing or incorrect information. Automating the various tasks related to receiving, validating, and processing expense reports and claims submitted by employees can help simplify expense management for both employees and finance teams.  

Reconcile Accounts Quickly and Accurately 

Account reconciliations, bank reconciliations, and intercompany reconciliations are essential for ensuring accurate financial records, but they can also be time-consuming and prone to errors. Automating the matching and balancing of ledger entries for account reconciliations can help you reconcile accounts quickly and accurately.  

Close Your Books Faster and with Greater Accuracy

Month-end and year-end financial close processes are critical for reporting accurate financial results. Still, they can also be stressful and time-consuming. Automating tasks like data extraction, journal entries, and preparing financial reports can help you close your books faster and with greater accuracy.  

Manage Currency Exchange Rates Automatically 

If your business operates across multiple currencies, you understand the importance of maintaining up-to-date exchange rates. Using RPA to automatically update currency exchange rates in systems of record or financial systems can help you manage currency exchange rates more efficiently.  

Automate the Order to Cash Cycle from Start to Finish 

The order-to-cash (O2C) cycle encompasses the entire process from order receipt to cash collection, encompassing dependent tasks such as credit checks, billing, and collections. Automating the whole O2C cycle can help you improve cash flow and reduce the time it takes to collect payments.  

Streamline Purchase-to-Pay Processes 

The purchase-to-pay (P2P) process encompasses everything from purchase orders to payment, encompassing most procurement processes. Applying RPA to automate tasks within the P2P process can help you streamline procurement and improve efficiency.  

Simplify Tax Reporting and Compliance 

Tax reporting can be complex and time-consuming, but automating the subsequent tasks that define tax reporting processes can help simplify compliance. This includes submitting tax returns, calculating tax provisions, and maintaining up-to-date compliance documentation.  

Detect Fraud Early Using RPA and AI 

Fraud detection is a critical function for finance departments, and utilizing RPA in conjunction with artificial intelligence can help analyze transaction patterns and flag inconsistent activities that may indicate fraud.  

Automate Audit and Compliance Processes 

Auditing for compliance can be a tedious and time-consuming process, but automating auditing processes can help you ensure compliance and generate reports for both internal and external auditors.  

Improve Budgeting and Forecasting with Automation 

Budgeting and forecasting are essential for business planning, but they can also be time-consuming and prone to errors. Utilizing RPA to automate data collection, input, and analysis can enhance the accuracy and speed of budgeting and forecasting.  

Process Payroll More Efficiently 

Payroll processing involves calculating payments, deductions, benefits, and generating payslips. Automating these tasks can help you process payroll more efficiently and accurately.  

Onboard Customers Quickly and Accurately 

Customer onboarding is a crucial process for banking and financial services, and utilizing RPA to automate the collection, verification, and input of new customer data can help you onboard customers quickly and accurately.  

Accelerate Loan Processing 

Loan processing involves reviewing applications, conducting credit checks, and disbursing funds. Automating these tasks can help you accelerate loan processing and improve the customer experience.

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10 Best Tools for Automating Finance Workflow

1. Otio: The AI-Native Workspace for Researchers 

In today's content-saturated world, knowledge workers, researchers, and students are faced with an overwhelming amount of information. Traditional tools, such as bookmarking and note-taking apps, are often fragmented and insufficient. Otio addresses this challenge by offering an AI-native workspace that streamlines research workflows. It enables users to collect data from various sources, including bookmarks, tweets, books, and YouTube videos. With Otio, researchers can extract key takeaways through AI-generated notes and engage in source-grounded Q&A chats. The platform also assists in creating draft outputs, helping users transition from a reading list to a first draft more efficiently. Otio's web scraping capabilities further enhance its utility, making it a valuable partner for research and writing tasks.  

2. Tipalti: Automating Accounts Payable and Global Payments  

Tipalti is a financial automation tool designed to streamline accounts payable (AP) processes, global payment delivery, procurement, and expense management. It automates invoice processing, approval workflows, and tax compliance, enabling businesses to manage supplier payments across multiple countries and currencies. Key features include automated invoice processing, tax compliance automation, supplier self-service onboarding, and ERP system integration.  

3. Microsoft Dynamics: Integrating ERP and CRM for Enhanced Collaboration  

Microsoft Dynamics centralizes finance, sales, and customer service by integrating ERP and CRM systems. It offers modular and scalable applications, sales and marketing automation tools, AI-driven insights, real-time reporting, flexible deployment options, and improved data collaboration across departments.  

4. Stampli: Streamlining Accounts Payable Processes  

Stampli focuses on automating accounts payable workflows and integrates with ERP systems to enhance efficiency. Its key features include AI-powered invoice capture and coding, a centralized collaboration platform, PO matching support, real-time analytics, and multi-ERP integration.  

5. Xero: User-Friendly Accounting Software  

Xero offers an intuitive interface for invoicing, expense tracking, and bank reconciliation. It supports automated bank feeds, real-time data updates, multi-currency transactions, inventory management, extensive app integrations, advanced reporting, remote access, and scalable plans to accommodate business growth.  

6. Bill.com: Cloud-Based Accounts Payable and Receivable Automation. 

Bill.com automates accounts payable and receivable processes for small to mid-sized businesses. It facilitates electronic payments, streamlines invoice workflows, and integrates with accounting software. Key features include automated invoice capture, seamless integration with accounting software, mobile access, and transaction synchronization.  

7. QuickBooks: Comprehensive Financial Management  

QuickBooks provides comprehensive solutions for invoicing and payment, expense management, real-time reporting, tax preparation, payroll processing, inventory tracking, mobile accessibility, third-party integrations, and robust data security measures. 

8. Kissflow: Customizable Finance Workflow Automation  

Kissflow enables organizations to automate financial workflows, including purchase orders, expense claims, and invoice approvals. Its features include customizable workflows, financial system integration, real-time tracking, reporting, and mobile accessibility.  

9. NetSuite: Scalable Business Management Suite  

NetSuite offers a modular approach to business management, featuring real-time data dashboards, financial tools, global support, inventory management, workflow automation, and integration capabilities with CRM and e-commerce platforms.  

10. Dynamics 365 Finance: Enterprise Financial Automation  

Part of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 suite, Dynamics 365 Finance automates and manages global financial operations. It offers general ledger and accounts payable/receivable management, budgeting and forecasting tools, financial reporting and analytics, as well as automation of routine financial tasks.

Supercharge Your Researching Ability With Otio — Try Otio for Free Today

Knowledge workers, researchers, and students today are drowning in content.  With the rise of digital information, anyone can create content with the click of a button. This has led to an unprecedented amount of information being available online, making it difficult for researchers to find and process the data they need. To make matters worse, the tools available for managing this content are fragmented, complex, and manual.

Many researchers are left to stitch together bookmarking, read-it-later, and note-taking apps to get through their workflows. This is not only inefficient but also ineffective.  Otio is here to change all that.  Otio is an AI-native workspace that helps researchers collect, extract, and create with a wide range of data sources. This includes bookmarks, tweets, books, YouTube videos, and more. Otio can even scrape the web to find the information you need.

Once you have collected your data, Otio will help you extract key takeaways with detailed AI-generated notes and a source-grounded Q&A chat. This will enable you to understand your data and proceed to the next task quickly. Finally, Otio will help you create. Whether you need to write a research paper, an essay, or any other type of document, Otio can assist you in drafting your output using the sources you have collected. This will help you transition from reading list to first draft more quickly and with greater accuracy. In short, Otio is the ultimate AI-native workspace for researchers. It will help you tame the content overload problem and complete your work more efficiently and effectively. 

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