Representative Case Study • Anonymized Engagements
Financial Automation Health Check
A practical, four-week diagnostic to reduce manual reporting, clarify responsibilities and create a prioritized automation roadmap.
For CFOs, Finance Directors, FP&A Managers and SME Owners
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All estimates on this page are illustrative. Results vary depending on data quality, scope, tools and adoption.
Executive Summary
This engagement was a Financial Automation Health Check for a growing SME that had invested in an ERP but continued to rely heavily on Excel-based reporting. The goal was to find out where time was lost, where control risks built up and which automations were realistic in the next 90 days compared to the long term.
Over four weeks, we mapped the reporting workflows from start to finish, clarified process ownership, reviewed sample files and ranked a Opportunity matrix according to value, complexity, control risk and readiness. The result was a prioritized roadmap and an optional prototype for a highly effective workflow.
Engagement snapshot
- Format: representative, anonymized
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Focus: Reporting reliability + automation roadmap
- Results: Matrix, Roadmap, Governance & Adoption Plan
Customer Profile
- Company type: growing SME
- Finance team: 6 people (mix of accounting, FP&A) and reporting)
- System landscape: ERP + lots of Excel files and exports
- Reporting: recurring month-end package, ad hoc analyses, cash forecasting
Challenge (symptoms we observed)
- Repetitive reporting with high manual effort and limited reusability.
- Unclear process responsibility on data sources, transformations and final results.
- Data cleansing of duplicates is carried out by several people in parallel.
- Tender dependencies on key people (Knowledge lives in individual spreadsheets).
- No prioritized automation roadmap—everything felt urgent, but not everything was valuable.
Umfang des Gesundheitschecks
We intentionally kept the scope practical: focus on repeatable workflows that take real time each month and influence decisions.
Included
- Core reporting workflows (monthly + weekly)
- Data inputs, Transformations, handovers, approvals
- Controls and traceability of key figures
- Fast automation options
Not in scope (for this phase)
- Complete ERP redesign or reimplementation
- Large scale Data warehouse construction
- Complex cross-departmental change programs
Where deeper work was required, we captured these as long-term roadmap items with clear requirements.
Discovery approach
- Stakeholder interviews (Users, Owners, Decision Makers)
- Workflow inventory (what is produced, how often, for whom)
- Process Assessment (value, effort, risk, Readiness)
- Sample File Review (Structure, Error Images, Manual Steps)
Principle: We only recommend automation if the underlying workflow is clear, owned and stable enough to maintain.
The Four Week Process
A structured diagnosis that balances speed with enough detail to be actionable.
Week 1
Alignment & Inventory
- Success Criteria & Constraints
- Report Catalog (monthly/weekly/ad-hoc)
- First pass owners and stakeholders
Week 2
Map workflows
- Inputs → Transformations → Outputs
- Handovers and approvals
- Where errors occur and why
Week 3
Assess & design
- Process evaluation & opportunity matrix
- Sketches of the target state workflow
- Controls and requirements for the audit trail
Week 4
Roadmap & decisions
- Prioritized roadmap (quick wins → long term)
- Proof of Concept Option
- Governance, Roles, Adoption Plan
The process is designed to support informed decisions - not to create documentation for its own sake.
Opportunity matrix
Each opportunity has been assessed so that finance leadership can prioritize with a consistent perspective.
| Dimension | What it means | How we rated |
|---|---|---|
| Wert | Time saved, influence on decisions and frequency. | Hours/month Estimation + Assessment of stakeholder influence. |
| complexity | Implementation effort, dependencies and required changes. | Data sources, transformations, integration requirements and testing effort. |
| Control risk | Risk of errors, rework or inconsistent numbers. | Manual touchpoints, coordination, auditability and Approval steps. |
| Readiness | How ready the process and data are now for automation. | Clarity of ownership, stable definitions, data quality and access. |
Clarity of ownership, Assessment is a decision-making aid. It does not replace financial management judgment, constraints or time frames.
Budget vs Actual
Standardize mapping rules, automate updating and add simple variation comments to reduce manual copy/paste.
- Value: high
- Readiness: medium
Sales ROI reporting
Unify product/customer attributions, reduce duplicate cleanups, and improve traceability of ERP exports to final margin view.
- Value: high
- Control risk: high
Cash planning
Define a repeatable, driver-based template, automate bank/AR/AP inputs and introduce easy verification of forecast accuracy.
- Value: medium-high
- Readiness: medium
Month-end package
Reduce manual consolidation, create a controlled data model and the commenting and approval steps optimize.
- Value: high
- Complexity: medium
Examples are representation. The best first steps depend on your data, tools and stakeholders.
Optional Proof of Concept (PoC)
Where rapid validation is useful, we can implement a small proof of concept for a single workflow (for example a recurring report). The goal is to prove the approach, confirm time savings and identify data problems early - without committing to a full program.
- Focuses on one Priority workflow
- Delivers a repeatable update process
- Includes a short handover and operating instructions
Roadmap
Quick wins (2-6 weeks)
- Standardize templates & definitions
- Automate data updates and validation checks
- Remove duplicate cleanup steps
- Introduce simple owner/approver roles
Long-term initiatives (6-24+ weeks)
- Consolidate a controlled reporting data model
- Reduce manual spreadsheets where that Risk is high
- Improve master data and mapping governance
- Scale automation across reporting domains
The roadmap includes prerequisites (data access, ownership, definitions) so initiatives don't get stuck in the middle.
Results (illustrative)
- 35-50 hours/month of potential time savings identified in recurring reporting and data preparation.
- An initial proof of concept showed 8-12 hours/month Savings in a single recurring workflow after stabilization.
- Reduced dependency on key people through clearer process steps, designated owners, and a repeatable update approach.
Note: These are illustrative estimates based on observed steps and stakeholder feedback. Actual results vary.
Deliverables
- Workflow inventory with those responsible, frequency and consumers
- Opportunity matrix with rankings and justifications
- Prioritized roadmap (quick wins and long-term initiatives)
- Control checklist (validation, coordination, Approval)
- Governance & Adoption Recommendations
- Optional proof of concept and handover package
Governance & Adoption Recommendations
- Appoint responsible parties for inputs, transformations and outputs (not just "the file").
- Introduce single source of truth for mapping tables and definitions.
- Add lightweight Controls: validation checks, exception logs and approval points.
- Create one short Operating Guide so the process survives team changes.
- Use a monthly Automation backlog review to keep prioritization current.
Experiences
- Automation works best when you standardize the workflow before optimizing it.
- Most "time savings" come from eliminating duplicate cleanup and clarifying handoffs.
- Readiness is often the blocker - responsibility and definitions are as important as tools.
- Create quick wins Confidence, which makes long-term changes easier to accept.
Want a finance automation health check for your team?
We'll help you identify practical automation opportunities, clarify responsibilities, and create a prioritized plan that your finance team can actually execute.
No over-promises - just clear workflows, credible estimates, and a roadmap you'll defend can.