The Power of Automated Reconciliation in Transforming Back Office Operations

In an era of lightning-fast digital transactions, traditional manual reconciliation methods have become increasingly impractical and fraught with risks for financial institutions. A record-breaking surge in digital payments, exemplified by Early Warning Services, LLC, which handled a staggering 1.2 billion transactions totaling $307 billion in 2020 (a remarkable 58 percent and 62 percent year-over-year increase), has outpaced the capabilities of error-prone spreadsheets and labour-intensive data entry. The beacon of hope amidst this tumultuous financial landscape is automated reconciliation—a transformative solution poised to revolutionise back-office operations in six profound ways.

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Improved Visibility

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In today's financial landscape, accessing critical information during the reconciliation process can be a challenge. Surprisingly, a survey by FSN found that 40% of CFOs lack confidence in their financial reports, and 69% rely on spreadsheets for quick adjustments. However, automated reconciliation systems provide a centralised platform for seamless processing and matching of transactions across diverse accounts and channels. This real-time, unified view enables leaders to effortlessly track progress, spot trends, and compare performance. By consolidating all reconciliation data in one place, it enhances visibility for staff and leaders, streamlining exception resolution, and ensuring precision in the complex financial landscape.

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Greater Efficiency

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As per a survey conducted by EY, the financial department expends a significant 59% of its resources on managing transaction-intensive processes, shockingly wasting 95% of this effort on transactions that already match. Manual reconciliation workflows prove to be both time-consuming and error-prone, resulting in month-long processes. In striking contrast, institutions that embrace automated reconciliation report astounding productivity gains ranging from 60% to 80%. Automation simplifies data uploads, applies custom matching criteria, and swiftly manages exceptions, reducing hands-on time to just minutes per day.

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Lower Operational Costs

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Automation in reconciliation significantly slashes operational costs by diminishing the need for manual staffing and write-offs. Reconciliation applications expedite transaction matching, eliminate human errors, and flag exceptions based on preset rules. All data, from notes to documents, resides on one platform, streamlining investigations and resolutions. This not only augments accuracy and timeliness in financial reporting but also facilitates sustainable profitability and growth by operating with leaner processes and teams.

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Tighter Control

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Automating the reconciliation life cycle bolsters data control for financial institutions. It eradicates errors during data loading, enforces standardised processes, and fortifies access restrictions. Unlike unreliable spreadsheets, reconciliation software meticulously time-stamps activities, preserving data integrity. Automated workflows ensure that the right individuals conduct timely reviews and attestations, further solidifying control over financial processes.

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Reduced Risk

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Automated reconciliation erects robust audit trails and enforces compliance measures. This encompasses precise access control, meticulous digital record-keeping of transaction-level activities, and seamless data tracing throughout the financial close life cycle, all with meticulous time-stamping. This unified approach enhances transparency and simplifies the audit process for both internal and external auditors.

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Growth Potential

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Automation enables financial institutions to scale their operations without increasing staffing expenses. Unlike human capacity limitations, software can flexibly accommodate rapid expansion. Furthermore, automation fosters growth by standardising processes across the organisation, which is critical in integrating legacy systems.

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