Is Your Tech Stack Built for Real-Time Decision Making?

Finance leaders face increasing pressure to produce faster, accurate reports and maintain strong internal controls—all while managing lean teams and limited resources. Technology should help ease this burden. However, when systems are disconnected, it often creates more work. Teams spend more time managing data across platforms than leveraging it for decision-making. Reconciliations get delayed. Reports rely on manual intervention. When key staff are unavailable, essential processes may stall. These are signs that the tech stack may be working against the organization’s goals.

Missed Opportunities in Your Current Systems

Many organizations pay for advanced features in their current systems that are never activated. Payroll systems may have functionality for allocating costs by program or grant, but those settings aren’t set up. Credit card platforms may offer mobile receipt capture and GL integration, yet staff still track expenses manually and ignore prompts to provide coding. Donor systems may support batch reconciliation with accounting software, but data is still exported and entered by hand. These features can make processes more efficient if used correctly.

Reviewing and optimizing these features—along with training the team to use them effectively—can unlock significant improvements without the need for new platforms or tools.

What to Ask When Reviewing Your Stack

Reviewing your tech stack isn’t about replacing everything at once. It starts with assessing how well your existing tools are working. Consider these questions.

• Are our systems cloud-based and regularly updated?

If not, check whether current vendors offer an upgraded version or if a switch is needed to support real-time collaboration and automation.

• Can we automate recurring entries and feeds from banks, payroll, or card issuers?

Look for Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and scheduling features to reduce manual uploads.

• Are we rekeying data that could be integrated?

Identify duplication points and see if connectors or import templates could be used to streamline the process.

• Do our systems support multi-entity, department, or grant-based reporting?

If reports require assembling multiple spreadsheets, your tools may not be well-suited for your organizational model.

• Can reports be generated quickly without having to track down missing data?

Gaps in real-time data could signal problems with reconciliation timing, data access, or system connectivity.

Closing Gaps Between Your Most Important Tools

When your systems are integrated, it can transform how your finance team operates. For example:

• Payroll entries can be mapped directly to program codes and posted automatically.
• Credit card charges can sync daily, with mobile receipt uploads and built-in approval workflows.
• Donor records may reconcile directly to the general ledger in scheduled batches instead of requiring manual exports and entries.

These challenges are top of mind for many. In feedback following AAFCPAs’ Nonprofit Educational Seminar, 58.5 percent of attendees identified automation of repetitive financial and operational tasks as a key takeaway. Nearly half also expressed plans to explore a continuous close approach. That response reinforces the demand for better-connected, more adaptive systems that can reduce manual effort and improve reporting.

Using an automation platform can further streamline these processes. These tools provide centralized workspaces for managing reconciliations, checklists, variance analysis, and audit documentation. Some even offer AI-assisted memo writing, document review, and task tracking, reducing reliance on emails and spreadsheets. The result is faster, more accurate financial closing.

Choose Tools That Support How You Work

No single platform is right for every organization. Some are tailored for large enterprises, while others are designed for mid-sized teams with complex grant portfolios. Compatibility with your core systems—like your general ledger, payroll provider, and approval workflows—is critical. Even the best tool will fall short if it cannot integrate seamlessly with your existing tools.

Start by reviewing your current tech stack. Identify areas where automation is possible but not yet enabled. Then, determine whether additional solutions would address an actual gap or if existing tools can be better utilized.

Explore This Topic in Greater Depth

AAFCPAs addressed the technology considerations behind continuous close during our Nonprofit Educational Seminar. The discussion includes practical examples of system integration, software selection, and how automation tools may reduce the burden on finance teams.

Watch Embracing Continuous Close for Real-Time Financial Insights on demand.

How We Help

AAFCPAs provides clients with scalable solutions designed to streamline your financial and operational functions. Our Outsourced Accounting & Fractional CFO solutions cover everything from basic bookkeeping and tax compliance to advanced financial planning and strategic advisory. With cloud-based technology and a tailored approach, we ensure that your accounting needs are met efficiently and accurately, freeing up your time to focus on what matters most to your organization.

Our AAF Advisory practice also helps clients optimize operations through data analytics, process automation, and robust cybersecurity measures. We help you implement technology that enhances productivity, improves decision-making, and secures your business from risks. Whether you need support in improving internal controls, managing data, or safeguarding against cyber threats, we provide the expertise to drive operational efficiency and secure long-term growth for your organization.

These insights were contributed by Joyce Ripianzi, CPA, Partner, Nonprofit Outsourced Accounting & Fractional CFO, Amy Staunton, CPA, Director & Consulting CFO, and Lauren M. Duplin, CPA, Partner, Nonprofit Outsourced Accounting & Fractional CFO. Questions? Reach out to our authors directly or your AAFCPAs partner. AAFCPAs offers regular resources on business process improvement along with modernizing the finance function. Subscribe to get alerts and insights in your inbox.