Six Ways to Regain Time Without Overhauling Your ERP/GL System

Some decisions are delayed not because they are unimportant, but because they are uncomfortable. For many finance teams, the thought of changing systems or introducing automation falls into that category—too expensive, too complex, too disruptive.

But staying the course has its own cost. Hours spent maintaining spreadsheets, tracking deadlines manually, or entering transactions line by line may not appear on an invoice, but they show up in missed opportunities, delayed reporting, and team fatigue.

Automation, including Smart Automation: AI & RPA, does not require a full system overhaul. In many cases, targeted features within existing or upgraded software can eliminate repetitive work, reduce errors, and free up capacity. The return from this is not just measured in hours saved but also in what those hours make possible.

Consider the following six areas where even modest automation may help an organization regain time, structure, and forward momentum without significant change to how the team already works.

Remove Friction From Everyday Finance Tasks

1. Automate Allocations

Estimated time savings: Five hours per month

Many teams still rely on spreadsheets to calculate overhead, split bills, and assign personnel costs to projects or grants. These tools work—until they do not. One incorrect formula or version mix-up can cause delays.

Some accounting systems now allow users to set up a framework for allocations once and apply it consistently. For personnel allocations, linking payroll services to the general ledger may automate data flow and reduce back-and-forth. Once built, these processes often run in the background, saving an estimated five hours each month.

In addition, RPA may be configured to handle related data entry or allocation validation tasks, further reducing manual effort and minimizing errors.

2. Replace Manual Checks With Electronic Payments

Estimated time savings: Three hours per week

Cutting physical checks may seem minor, but the hours add up—printing, signing, stuffing envelopes, tracking postage. Electronic funds transfers (EFTs) reduce that friction. Most general ledger systems allow for the creation of payment files that upload directly to the bank.

Internal controls—dual approval, payment limits, segregation of duties—may remain without the delay of paper. The result is reduced administrative time, typically around three hours per week, and stronger audit trails.

RPA can further complement this by automating payment file generation, cross-checking payments against invoices, or updating payment status in multiple systems to further shrink manual hours.

3. Streamline the Monthly Close

Estimated time savings: 10 hours per month

Closing the books often means chasing recurring entries, manually amortizing prepaid expenses, and compiling reports under tight deadlines. This can consume hours, particularly when tasks are tracked in notebooks or shared folders.

Some systems offer features to handle repetitive close activities automatically, such as generating recurring entries, updating lease schedules, and processing intercompany transactions. Advanced reporting tools let teams design report templates once and schedule them each period. When financial packets generate and send themselves, the close becomes more routine and less reactive—often cutting 10 hours per month.

RPA can also automate data extraction, validation, or report consolidation steps that typically require manual intervention, accelerating the close without adding system complexity.

4. Simplify Bank Reconciliations

Estimated time savings: Five hours per month

Manually entering and matching transactions from the bank feed is tedious and error prone. Small mismatches take time to research and correct.

Automated reconciliation tools, however, use matching rules to pair imported bank activity with internal transactions. For example, if a team member initiates an EFT payment within the system, it may auto-match to the bank transaction on import. This can save five or more hours monthly and helps in keeping reconciliations current.

RPA can further augment reconciliation by automating the investigation of exceptions or updating multiple systems with cleared transaction details, further reducing manual follow-up.

5. Shift Project or Grant Tracking Out of Spreadsheets

Estimated time savings: 15 hours per month

Tracking deadlines, deliverables, and invoicing details often depends on one person managing a mix of folders and spreadsheets. When that person is out or overloaded, deadlines slip and reimbursements may be delayed.

A project or grant module can centralize this information and provide shared visibility across departments. Teams may set reminders, invoice by milestone or reimbursement model, and automatically collect related expenses to support requests. When program leaders have spending visibility, finance is no longer the sole gatekeeper. This shift can save 15 hours or more monthly and strengthen internal accountability.

RPA can also assist by automating data aggregation for reports and triggering invoicing workflows, reducing manual coordination and errors.

6. Automate With RPA

Estimated time savings varies depending on the process automated

Robotic process automation (RPA) works alongside existing systems to take on repetitive, rule-based tasks. Configured bots can handle data entry, invoice processing, report generation, and other routine activities, reducing manual workload and limiting human error.

RPA supplements software rather than replacing it, freeing knowledge workers to focus on things like relationship building, brainstorming new ideas, coaching team members, and analyzing the context behind data. For finance teams, this means faster approvals, more accurate data flows, and less time spent on transactional tasks. The technology supports continuous improvement without full system replacement.

Small Shifts, Lasting Benefits

For leaders hesitant to invest, software can feel like a hard sell. But most savings here come from removing friction, such as replacing tasks that pull staff from higher priorities (and the associated drain in morale), and letting systems take on repeatable work. Your knowledgeable workers may then focus on higher level work that cannot be automated.

The upfront investment is real. So too is the cost of doing nothing.

When viewed through time—what it takes, what it costs, and what becomes possible when reclaimed—the return becomes clear. Time saved month after month becomes capacity for planning, stewardship, and growth.

How We Help

Our AAF Advisory practice helps organizations identify practical ways to reduce manual work, improve visibility, and strengthen internal controls through technology. For some, that means optimizing current systems or adding automation, such as Smart Automation: AI & RPA, to streamline repeatable tasks. For others, it may involve selecting and implementing new solutions to better support budgeting, reporting, development, grant tracking, or day-to-day finance operations. Our cross-functional team brings together finance, technology, data, and risk expertise to guide business process assessments, software evaluations, and secure system design—ensuring people, processes, and technology work together to support long-term goals.

These insights were contributed by Robyn Leet, Partner, Business Process, Systems & Controls and Vassilis Kontoglis, Partner, AI Digital Transformation & Security. Questions? Reach out to our authors directly or your AAFCPAs partner. AAFCPAs offers a wealth of resources on Smart Automation: AI & RPA as well as system selection and implementation. Subscribe to get alerts and insights in your inbox.