Build momentum and streamline financial planning: Why UK finance teams can’t afford to coast 

Quiet periods may bring temporary relief for Accounts Payable, but the smartest finance leaders use this time to fix what’s slowing them down. 

In the inevitable periods when workloads ease and inboxes quieten, many finance teams breathe a sigh of relief. 

Accounts Payable (AP) volumes often fluctuate and these quieter moments provide an opening for finance leaders to double down on auditing performance. It’s the perfect opportunity to step back, review and improve how processes are running and plan for the future. 

A data-rich financial health check can go a long way in mitigating bottlenecks and analysing any cracks in the system. Once these have been identified, a fully encompassing approach to forecasting and planning calls for cloud-based, automated and real-time financial workflows. Error-prone, disparate manual processes on paper and spreadsheets no longer cut it. 

The good news is that finance leaders are taking digital transformation seriously. 86% of financial controllers expect to see a drastic change to their duties by 2030, with almost two-fifths (39%) foreseeing a shift in focus from traditional cost optimisation to business growth. Meanwhile, 85% of finance teams are undergoing or planning for automation. 

The bad news? Just 30% are achieving the desired results. Why? Because projects are often undertaken without sufficient planning or the realisation that a truly centralised platform is needed to bring processes together and accelerate checks. Digital transformation should never be undertaken for the mere sake of it. 

John Gronen, Chief Financial Officer at cloud-based, e-invoicing and Purchase-to-Pay automation solution provider, Yooz, argues that now is the time to take a more practical approach. Not a grand vision, but a focused push to automate what matters, workflows, AP visibility and real-time insights. This article outlines why building regular financial health checks into your strategy could be the difference between stagnation and sustainable growth. 

 Where manual AP holds you back 

Manual AP processes may feel manageable day to day, but the cracks start to show as volumes grow. What often begins as a few small inefficiencies can quickly snowball into a series of compounding problems. 

Repetitive tasks are usually the first sign of friction. Entering invoice data by hand, sending email reminders, or matching documents manually slows teams down and leaves more room for human error. The heavier the workload becomes, the harder it is to maintain accuracy – and scalability is almost impossible. 

Then come the bottlenecks. When invoices stall waiting for approval, the delay ripples through the process. Payments are pushed back, supplier relationships suffer and finance teams are left firefighting instead of focusing on higher-value work. 

Exceptions and errors are another frequent pain point. On the surface, they look like isolated mistakes, but they’re often symptoms of deeper process problems, such as inconsistent data capture or unclear invoice requirements. Left unaddressed, they create even more rework. 

Visibility is also a major challenge in manual workflows. Without a clear view of invoice status or outstanding liabilities, managing cash flow becomes guesswork. Risks escalate unnoticed until they cause real damage. 

And finally, without performance tracking, finance leaders lack the metrics they need to measure progress. Without insights into cycle times, exception rates, or levels of touchless processing, it’s impossible to tell whether processes are improving, or quietly slipping behind. 

Taken together, these issues highlight the risks of relying on manual AP. They don’t just waste time; they undermine compliance, strain supplier relationships and limit a finance team’s ability to deliver strategic value. More importantly, they reveal exactly where a regular financial health check can make a difference – by pinpointing inefficiencies, uncovering bottlenecks and providing the insights needed to prioritise improvements. 

Updating your AP automation setup 

A regular financial health check allows finance leaders to see where AP processes are slowing down and where automation can have the greatest impact. Rather than reacting to errors as they arise, teams can prioritise targeted improvements that streamline approvals, reduce manual data entry and resolve recurring exceptions. 

A robust AP automation strategy should focus on: 

• Addressing core pain points – bottlenecks in invoice approvals, time-consuming manual data entry, or recurring exceptions. 

• Defining KPIs – tie automation goals to measurable outcomes like faster cycle times, fewer errors, or maximising early payment discounts and align them with broader quarterly targets. 

• Centralising tools – a single platform can streamline approvals, capture documents automatically and support auditing ahead of peak periods, such as year-end closing. 

• Encouraging continuous collaboration – regular feedback across finance teams ensures workflows evolve effectively and improvements stick. 

Automation isn’t a one-off project; it’s a journey. Regular health checks keep your team ahead of bottlenecks, maintain compliance and ensure AP evolves from a transactional function into a driver of sustainable growth. 

Where automation can bolster financial planning 

By integrating regular process audits into an AP automation strategy, finance teams can quickly locate the data they need and implement controls, without digging through a patchwork of spreadsheets, emails and disconnected portals. 

Financial records are never static. They change month to month, sometimes week to week, especially in a business pushing for growth. That’s why an automation platform must flex with your operations while keeping records clean, compliant and auditable. 

A cloud-based AP solution enables automation for data entry, search and error detection, while adapting to evolving operations and protecting against increasingly sophisticated fraud. Streamlined workflows, such as automated invoice approvals, duplication checks and exception handling ensure processes move quickly and accurately, avoiding bottlenecks that could disrupt forecasting. Automatic matching of purchase orders with invoices and goods receipts further keeps records reliable and consistent. 

These operational checkpoints don’t have to be burdensome. They are opportunities, moments to consolidate, automate and prepare for the future. By proactively managing documents, monitoring processes and leveraging automation, finance teams can turn AP from a transactional task into a strategic advantage. Used wisely, these steps ensure that every quiet period becomes a chance to build momentum, strengthen compliance with regulatory requirements and position the business for sustainable growth. 

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