Behind the financial work, those unknown daily routines
At 8 a.m., I turned on my computer and was greeted by a flood of unread emails. The first thing of the day is to check and respond to these emails, such as quotations, payment notices, internal reminders, which are tedious but must be done one by one. The next step is to organize the monthly report data and update the report, and manually enter the data from multiple systems into Excel to ensure that the formula is correct. When I was busy checking the data, I had to take the time to remind my colleagues to submit supplementary information, and the time slipped away before I knew it.
Every day is a day like this! I often think that this may be the true feeling of many finance people: “It’s not that they don’t want to work hard, but that their time is always occupied by these odd jobs.”
In the face of data in different formats, how can finance professionals breathe?
Finance staff are busy with all kinds of data and paperwork every day: checking emails, organizing department data, facing supplier quotations, internal reports, and reminders in a variety of formats, some from email, some from Excel sheets, and even Word files. Compiling data is like solving a complex math problem, which can be time-consuming and stressful.
Now it’s time to make automation tools your best assistant! It unifies data formats, generates reports quickly, and even automates reminders, improving efficiency and allowing finance staff to focus on more strategic analytics and deliver more value
Your Finance Assistant Has Gone Live: How Can Automation Tools Solve Everyday Challenges?
Power Automate is like a “digital assistant” that opens the door to a whole new world for me. Here are a few specific changes since the import：
| process | Time before import (minutes) | Time taken after import (minutes) | Automatic process（Power Automate） | Results & Benefits |
| Stage 1: Check and reply to emails daily | 30 | 15 | – The Power Automate bot automatically sorts emails by subject line first, saving time on manual filtering. | – 50% reduction in time – 95% accuracy |
| Phase 2: Data collation and update reports | 60 | 45 | – Automatically extract data from ERP, update “Accounts Receivable Statement” and “Cash Flow Forecast Statement” – integrate Power BI to generate visual charts | – 25% less time – 50% more efficient data updates |
| Stage 3: Repeat Notification and Follow-up | 30 | 5 | – Power Automate automatically reminds colleagues to submit supplementary information according to the time limit and sends a notification email. – Attachments generate a list of departments to be submitted – the system tracks the responses | – 83% reduction in time – 80% improvement in data integrity and efficiency |
| Phase 4: Sorting and sending data of each BU | 30 | 2 | – Automatically split data files (such as revenue details, departmental budget compliance tables) according to BU requirements – automatic one-click delivery | – Fully automated shipping, 93% reduction in time |
| Stage 5: Check the Excel ordering data and quote it | 60 | 5 | – The system automatically checks the “on-hand inventory analysis report” – low inventory triggers the real-time inquiry process | – 92% reduction in time – ensuring promptness of purchase |
| Stage 6: Preparation of financial statistics and analysis reports | 180 | 90 | – Combine Excel data with Power BI to generate “Income Statement” and “Monthly Financial Summary Analysis Report” – Combine Power BI to complete data visualization | – 50% less time – more time for strategic analysis |
These changes have allowed me to completely get rid of tedious manual work and spend more time on financial analysis and planning.
A few months after introducing Power Automate, I felt “easy” for the first time. The time saved every day not only allows me to focus more on financial strategy analysis, but also allows me to regain my passion for my work.
Instead of being flooded with emails and statements every day, I can focus on providing more valuable financial advice to the company.
Now, unleash your finance team today!
Download Power Automate now and free your team from tedious tasks and usher in a new era of efficient finance.
KSCC is a management consulting company in Taiwan. Our services include corporate in-house training, consulting, and leadership management.For more information about our corporate services, please feel free to visit our website: https://kscthinktank.com.tw/custom-training/