Reporting Automation

Management & Financial Reporting

Current Approach

The list of reporting tasks facing finance & budget departments are daunting:

  • Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports
  • In-year forecasting
  • State mandated reporting
  • Ad-Hoc requests
  • Budget Books
  • Monthly & quarterly management reports
  • Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
  • Dashboards

At first glance, spreadsheets & word processors may seem like a perfect solution for these tasks. These generic tools are manipulated into service in a myriad of ways because they are simple to use, cheap, and flexible. 

Since you are reading this, we likely don't need to explain why this initial assumption is dead wrong. For recurring, complex, lengthy documents, these tools inevitably lead to two major problems:

Time Intensive + High risk of error (read why...)

If you think you could be doing something better with your time, consider better solutions...

Better Solutions 

Upgrade to purpose-built reporting solutions that:

  • are explicitly designed for financial reporting or business intelligence,
  • are designed to increase efficiency,
  • mitigate risk,
  • standardize processes, and
  • facilitate continuous improvement.

Industry-leading solutions, designed with a clear understanding of specific business processes provide significant benefits. Demand solutions that:

  • are built around current research about optimal reporting processes, and cognitive science. This will ease your use and enable better decision making,
  • support importing/connecting to nearly any/all data sources,
  • identify all new/un-grouped  G/L accounts for definition to ensure no accounts are missed,
  • populate lead-sheets/roll-forward schedules the moment you finish your import/refresh,
  • speed review by integrating external supporting documentation references as hyperlinks, 
  • support adjusting the balances imported from your ERP/Budget software (for example to convert from cash/modified accrual to full accrual), 
  • ensure nothing is overlooked by tracking all outstanding queries centrally.

See a better solution:

We have scoured the market to find the best solutions available for the varying needs of our clients. From desktop to cloud, from Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports & PAFR to budget books, we have solutions that will exceed your expectations.

 
 
 
 

Benefits

Save time

Automate many of the most time-consuming steps to become much more efficient. Time savings of 25% to 45% are common.

Reduce the risk of errors

With increased automation, built-in structure, and automated verification/review the most common causes of errors are prevented.

Ensure reliable results

Fully documented, controlled business processes become easily repeatable. This is incredibly valuable in the event of staff turnover. Further, repeatability facilitates on-going incremental improvements and better support for managing deadlines. 

Reduce associated fees

Consistent, professionally designed statements eliminate the need for graphic designers and the associated time delays and expense (not to mention the risk of error).

Handing an electronic file to your auditor that is linked from statements all the way down to scans of supporting documents means they have the easiest to review, most complete year-end file possible. Saving the auditor time translates into reduced audit fees. 

Reduce internal costs

Automating vast portions of complex reporting tasks often reduces overtime related costs. For example, using spreadsheets the time required to tackle year-end and the associated deadlines means evening and weekend work is inevitable. 

For those where overtime is not paid, the weeks of time savings can be invested in other projects/tasks. It translates to "free" weeks of time available for other tasks for the organization or restoring the work/life balance for your dedicated staff.

Support environmental policies

Modern, dedicated reporting automation tools are designed to manage entire business processes without paper. Paperless processes mean no printed audit binders and no more printing 20 draft versions of the statements as you correct values you forgot to update.

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Our Services...

Implementation

Industry leading software and best practices only provide maximum benefit when implemented properly. Further, inexperience implementing these systems can lead to a lot of precious time being wasted and considerable frustration. Our team can help.

Integration

Large organizations use a myriad of systems; ERP, budget, payroll, capital asset databases, P-cards etc. Improving efficiency means integrating with these systems to save time, prevent fraud, reduce the risk of error and improve value for money in your operations.

Optimization

Perhaps you have been using the product for years. Are you using it to its full potential? Could an unused feature/approach result in saving hours every month? Our experience tells us most often the answer is "Yes".

Training

Whether you are a believer in traditional in-person training or embrace online opportunities, we have a training solution that will fit your preference and budget. Our authorized instructors will educate your finance team in a traditional classroom setting or in the comfort of their office.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

THE TOOLS WE RECOMMEND...

Workiva

Workiva

Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) simplifies complex work for thousands of organizations worldwide. Customers trust Workiva’s open, intelligent, and intuitive platform to connect data, documents, and teams. The results: improved efficiency, greater transparency, and less risk.
Caseware Working Papers

Caseware Working Papers

More than 500,000 finance professionals in 130 countries use Caseware to automate their most complex standardized reports. Working Paper's features ensure an error free, efficient, and repeatable process.  
Gravity

IGM Gravity

Gravity is a 100% cloud-based, reporting and process automation solution that enables users to collaboratively merge enterprise data with narrative analysis in a controlled, auditable environment.
Tableau

Tableau

Improve insight with business intelligence driven from better ad-hoc reporting and dashboards. Relevant information, delivered to the right stakeholder, in a clear and concise format is a critical function of the evolved finance department.
Power-BI-Logo-Transparent-1

Power BI

Enable everyone at every level of your organization to make confident decisions using up-to-the-minute analytics.
BalancingAct

Balancing Act

Today’s fiscal uncertainty requires an innovative approach to public budgeting. Balancing Act is an easy-to-use online budget simulation that engages stakeholders to help leaders make tough choices.
Report Validator

Report Validator

Automate the validation of balances in your most complex reports and review the results in a comprehensive dashboard overview.

Supporting Document Auto-loader

Supporting Doc Auto-loader

Automate the request and insertion of supporting documents into your Caseware file.
Work Paper Tools

Work Paper Tools

The perfect solution to eliminate the need for input cells in your financial statements and other reports.
File Manager

File Manager

Automate your imports, and the year end / quarter end / month end close processes.
FIR Automation Tool

FIR Automation Tool

Eliminate the manual population of the Excel template provided by Municipal Affairs.
LGDE Automation Tool

LGDE Automation Tool

Automatically generate and populate replica LGDE (Local Government Data Entry) forms to facilitate easy data entry into the Ministry's website. 

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