32 Finance Automation Trends and Statistics for 2026

Gusto is a payroll and human resources platform that runs and automates payroll processes for businesses of all sizes. Founded in 2012 as ZenPayroll, Gusto has evolved to offer a comprehensive suite of tools that manage payroll, benefits, and compliance, serving over 400,000 businesses. Dext is a leading expense management automation tool designed to simplify capturing, categorizing, and managing financial data https://www.bookstime.com/ from receipts, invoices, and bills. Formerly known as Receipt Bank, Dext offers features to enhance bookkeeping efficiency and accuracy.
Data consolidation
As we head into 2026, finance automation trends are reshaping the industry at an unprecedented pace. Understand what you aim to achieve through automation—be it enhancing accuracy, speeding up reporting, or achieving real-time analytics. This clarity ensures your automation efforts are directly aligned with your strategic financial goals, making every technological investment count towards tangible outcomes. Ensure that your chosen automation tool integrates seamlessly with your existing financial software tools. Native integration will smooth the transition and minimize disruptions to your current workflows. Natural Language Generation (NLG) is changing how financial reports are created and consumed.
Reasons Retailers Should Implement AI in their Business
Financial automation platforms can also streamline expense reporting, account reconciliation, monthly close, data entry, financial statements, and the preparation of management reports. Let us assume that a retail company named Greeny, located in Old York City, has 150 stores throughout the eastern coast of America, having annual sales of $600 million. Since its network is huge, it often comes across various human errors leading to delivery issues and customer dissatisfaction. Hence, it decides to automate all its reporting systems with the help of automated reporting tools or Excel. As a result, it contacts software provider that provides automated reporting for clients, for buying and installing its system of reporting that haze automation into it. Hence, after due deliberation and putting proper infrastructure in place, it implements the automated system of reporting for inventory management, customer feedback, and tracking sales.
- These tools integrate with various data sources, such as marketing platforms, financial systems, and business intelligence tools, to automatically generate reports and dashboards.
- The lengthy process of collecting and organizing large volumes of data can now be streamlined to be completed within shorter time frames.
- Look for features like real-time reporting, customization options, and integration capabilities with your existing systems.
- Mammoth Analytics prioritizes data security with features like encryption, access controls, and regular security audits.
- FlowForma, for instance, simplified the ISO compliance process through digital process automation.
- These tools can automatically update visual reports in real-time, ensuring that decision-makers always have access to the latest information.
Improved controls

According to McKinsey, most businesses will be able to automate one-quarter of their processes within the next five years. Accounting and financial reporting are common targets for this type of automation for several reasons. Also, software reduces data entry or calculation errors, helping accountants meet Government Accounting Standards Board and Financial Accounting Standards Board requirements for reporting. Templafy is the leading AI-powered document generation platform, enabling professionals to create accurate, compliant, and on-brand documents with maximum efficiency and ease. Accessible directly within tools like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Salesforce, Templafy simplifies document creation workflows to eliminate the hassle and risk from the documents that matter most.
Why You Need Financial Reporting Automation

Cloud computing can help reduce the cost of IT infrastructure, improve collaboration, and increase accessibility. For example, companies can use cloud-based accounting software to manage their financial reporting processes from anywhere in the world. Companies utilizing FloQast’s efficiency tools report a 30% decrease in time dedicated to compliance-related tasks, allowing finance teams to concentrate on strategic decision-making rather than manual processes. The success stories of businesses that have implemented financial reporting automation are testament to its benefits.
- You can schedule data updates with ease and even configure webhooks to trigger external events when the data is refreshed.
- Community feedback notes strong recommendations for its AI-powered reconciliations, particularly for global accounting needs.
- On the other hand, automated reporting lets you produce accurate and consistent reports.
- NetSuite is a comprehensive cloud-based ERP platform with robust financial management and reporting capabilities.
- With the right approach and tools, businesses can leverage financial reporting automation to enhance their financial processes and drive growth.
However, I’d warn against outsourcing all your analysis and decision-making to a machine. Finance still needs flexible and original thinking, which robotic systems can’t replicate (at least not yet ?). Get a clear snapshot of your business finances, including cash flow, P&L, balance sheets, and bank accounts, powered by data from QuickBooks Online. Monitor and analyze your business’s financial health with real-time insights into profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, and bank & cash accounts. It’s a straightforward, single-page dashboard with five interactive charts – perfect for financial analysis on the go. You’ll find a breakdown of revenue distribution by customer or product and key data from your income and profit and loss statements (invoice status, net earnings, etc.).
- Think of NLG as a translator, converting numbers and charts into easy-to-understand language.
- Particularly, nonprofit-specific financial management software and accounting tools can help you streamline your reporting procedures.
- This proactive approach helps identify and rectify issues before they escalate, ensuring your financial reporting remains accurate, secure, and compliant.
- It frees the finance team, allowing them to focus on analysis and decision-making.
- This process simplifies the preparation of financial statements and management reports, reducing manual effort and errors.
Features:
However, it is important to note that while automation can greatly improve financial reporting, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different companies have different needs, and it is important to carefully assess the benefits and drawbacks of automation before implementing it in your organization. Automation in financial reporting significantly enhances the precision of financial data. By using automated systems, companies can minimize the likelihood of errors that typically occur with manual data entry or calculations. This increased accuracy is crucial for financial statements and reports, as it ensures that stakeholders are making decisions based on reliable information. Automated checks and balances can also detect discrepancies early, allowing for timely corrections before reports are finalized.

What is the best software for financial reporting?

It’s particularly useful when the team already runs on Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, providing seamless workflow fit. CFOs describe implementations measured in weeks, not months, and highlight its SaaS-native design with revenue recognition built in. AI support helps with reconciliations and consolidations, making it an attractive alternative for finance teams frustrated with legacy ERP. CFOs highlight its CPA-led onboarding, fast close cycles, and intuitive workflows. For many, Rillet represents a leap forward compared to incumbents like NetSuite and Sage, especially for SaaS businesses.

Challenges of Automating Financial Reporting
You can automate bookkeeping by using OCR-powered financial document automation software to extract and process data from invoices, receipts, and bank statements. These tools integrate with accounting platforms like QuickBooks and Xero, categorizing transactions and reducing manual data entry. Automation improves accuracy, saves time, and ensures seamless financial record-keeping. In financial reporting automation the fast-paced world of financial management, the importance of automation in streamlining accounting processes cannot be overstated. FloQast emerges as a leader in this transformation, delivering a powerful platform that enhances the month-end close process through features such as automated reconciliations and AI-driven transaction matching. By significantly reducing the time spent on manual tasks, FloQast empowers finance teams to concentrate on strategic initiatives that drive organizational growth.
- We’ll first discuss our own tool, and then offer a few alternative solutions that might be a good fit for your business.
- This simplifies audit processes and enables the enterprise to consistently showcase documentation of its regulatory compliance, from accurate entry of data to its modification and other required report approvals.
- Especially if you want to create customised reports that resonate with your audience to help them understand the numbers, measure the metrics that matter, and make confident decisions.
- Remember to prioritize compliance with accounting standards and regulations throughout the implementation process.
- Advisors and businesses who are looking for new ways to optimize their operations, should seriously consider the prospect of automating their financial reporting.
Automate your finance department
Automate financial reporting, eliminate spreadsheets and gain control over close checklists. AI-powered automation categorizes financial data, populates templates, and even applies business rules to optimize your workflows. This not Liability Accounts only accelerates document handling but also ensures accuracy across accounting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting. Discover how automated financial reporting enhances efficiency and accuracy in accounting processes. For businesses considering financial reporting automation, the key is to start with a clear understanding of their needs and capabilities. They should then select the right tools and invest in training to ensure successful implementation.