How Banks Can Speed Up Month-End Close

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In accounting, time is of the essence.

Faster financial reporting means executives have more immediate insight into their business, allowing them to act quicker. Unfortunately for many businesses, an understaffed or overburdened back-office accounting team means the month-end close can drag on for days or weeks. Here are four effective strategies that help banks save time on month-end activities.

1. Staying Organized is the First Step to Making Sure Your Close Stays on Track
Think of your files as a library does. While you don’t necessarily need to have a Dewey Decimal System in place, try to keep some semblance of order. Group documentation and reconciliations in a way that makes sense for your team. It’s important every person who touches the close knows where to find any information they might need and puts it back in its place when they’re done.

Having a system of organization is also helpful for auditors. Digitizing your files can help enormously with staying organized: It’s much easier to search a cloud than physical documents, with the added benefit of needing less storage space.

2. Standardization is a Surefire Way to Close Faster
Some accounting teams don’t follow a close checklist every month; these situations make it more likely to accidentally miss a step. It’s much easier to finance and accounting teams to complete a close when they have a checklist with clearly defined steps, duties and the order in which they must be done.

Balance sheet reconciliations and any additional analysis also benefits from standardization. Allowing each member of the team to compile these files using their own specific processes can yield too much variety, leading to potential confusion down the line and the need to redo work. Implementing standard forms eliminates any guesswork in how your team should approach reconciliations and places accountability where it should be.

3. Keep Communication Clear and Timely
Timely and clear communication is essential when it comes to the smooth running of any process; the month-end close is no exception. With the back-and-forth nature between the reviewer and preparer, it’s paramount that teams can keep track of the status of each task. Notes can get lost if you’re still using binders and spreadsheets. Digitizing can alleviate some of this. It’s crucial that teams understand management’s expectations, and management needs to be aware of the team’s bandwidth. Open communication about any holdups allows the team to accomplish a more seamless month-end close.

4. Automate Areas That Can be Automated
The No. 1 way banks can save time during month-end by automating the areas that can be automated. Repetitive tasks should be done by a computer so high-value work, like analysis, can be done by employees. While the cost of such automation can be an initial barrier, research shows automation software pays for itself in a matter of months. Businesses that invest in technology to increase the efficiency of the month-end close create the conditions for a happier team that enjoys more challenging and fulfilling work.

Though month-end close with a lack of resources can be a daunting process, there are ways banks can to improve efficiency in the activities and keep everything on a shorter timeline. Think of this list of tips as a jumping off point for streamlining your institution’s close. Each business has unique needs; the best way to improve your close is by evaluating any weaknesses and creating a road map to fix them. Next time the close comes around, take note of any speed bumps. There are many different solutions out there: all it takes is a bit of research and a willingness to try something new.

How Banks Can Benefit From Adopting Automation for Month-End Close

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The finance industry is no exception when it comes to the general shift toward automation in daily life.

Automation is a powerful tool that eliminates repetitive manual processes, whether it’s to improving the bottom line by increasing productivity and output or offering better service to bank customers. One area of the business that bank executives and boards should absolutely take full advantage of automation is back-office accounting. Here are some of the top benefits banks can gain from automating the month-end close process.

Perhaps the most immediate benefit of automation for banks is the amount of time they can expect to save. Many bank accounting and finance teams are not closing on a timeline they or their CFOs are satisfied with. The month-end close is not something that can be skipped, which means allocating the time it takes for a full close can encroach into other projects or duties. Executives who have worked as accountants know that if the month-end close is not done on time, stressful days turn into late nights in the office. Automating areas of the close, such as balance sheet reconcilements, can free up time for more high value work such as analysis.

It is not uncommon for bank accounting teams to run lean. Cracks in the month-end close can lead to an overburdened workload, burnout and mistakes. When accountants work under stressful conditions, exhaustion that results in an error can be common. Even one mistake on a spreadsheet can create a material cost for the bank; it’s amazing how the tiniest miscalculation can multiply exponentially. One way to reduce human error is to automate processes with a program that can complete recurrent work using algorithms.

An additional pain banks must consider is compliance: external auditors, regulators and more. Things can start to go downhill if the finance team doesn’t properly generate a paper trail. That’s assuming they have, in fact, properly completed the close and balance sheet reconcilements. When a bank takes shortcuts or makes errors in their accounting, it can result in heavy fines or in extreme cases, even sanctions. In this context, automating the month-end close assumes the ethos of ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure.’ Digitizing the month-end close and supporting documents makes it easier to locate important data points and lessens the potential for discrepancies in the first place.

Lastly, accounting automation can help minimize a bank’s fraud risk. Fraud can go undetected for a long time when banks don’t perform due diligence during the month-end close. Reconciling accounts every month will make it easier to spot any red flags.

Companies that take advantage of available, advanced technology available have more chances to keep up with the ever-shifting business landscape. Bank accounting teams can benefit hugely by automating month-end close.