Letting go of the ledger: How automation gives accountants more power

I remember a time when I was so fixated on data entry that I completely missed the bigger picture. I spent hours combing through spreadsheets, verifying numbers and cross-referencing entries, convinced my hands-on approach was the only way to be precise. 

In my relentless pursuit, I overlooked countless crucial trends in the financials. The insights were there, waiting to be found, but I was too deep in the proverbial weeds to see them.

If you’re an accountant, this story probably sounds familiar. Many of us take pride in our ability to control every aspect of financial reporting, not letting up until we’re sure no single decimal is misplaced. But what if that focus is holding us back?

It’s time to reconsider what control really means — and how automation technology can gift us with more control over our daily work, careers and contributions rather than less.

An inevitable evolution

Completely automated accounting isn’t a far-off fantasy; it’s already happening. As far back as 2018, McKinsey reported that a vast majority of accounting tasks could be fully automated. Fast-forward to today, and the technology has only advanced. Automation is more effective and accessible, so that majority has no doubt ballooned to include nearly all tasks.

Think about how many personal processes in our lives have evolved thanks to automation. We don’t manually balance checkbooks anymore — we use apps that categorize spending and flag budget anomalies instantly. We don’t print out maps before a road trip — we rely on GPS systems that continuously adapt to traffic conditions.

You’re probably not afraid of these advancements, and even quite enjoy the convenience they bring to your life. However, if you’re honest with yourself when it comes to your work, are you still clinging to manual processes?

Control over numbers ≠ control over your career

For lots of people, and especially accountants, allowing automation in can feel like surrendering control. There’s a deep-seated belief that if we’re not personally verifying every transaction, every formula, every reconciliation, something will go wrong. We equate control with effort: If we aren’t actively engage in the manual work, are we really doing our jobs?

The irony is that manual work doesn’t necessarily lead to accuracy or control. It often leads to fatigue, errors and missed opportunities for strategic contributions.

Objections: The counterintuitive norm 

Automation resistance isn’t just about workflow changes; it’s psychological. Let’s break down some common fears you might relate to.

1. “A machine can’t replace human judgment.” This is true, but it doesn’t mean we can’t make use of machines. Automation is great at handling rules-based, repetitive tasks, and paired with machine learning and AI, it’s getting even better at decision-making. Because of these strengths, it can be your sidekick, helping you bring out your own superpowers.
2. “I’ve built my career on my technical skills.” This is a valid concern. But automation doesn’t make your expertise obsolete. It actually makes it more valuable. Instead of spending time on mundane tasks, you can do the higher-level problem-solving that will bring you closer to the heart of business decisions and future plans.
3. “Automation feels too rigid — accounting requires nuance.” Yes, accounting involves interpretation, but most of what slows us down is process, not nuance. Automation takes care of the mechanics so you’re available for analysis.

Reframing control: What you gain

Let’s talk about real control. Right now, you could think control means painstakingly checking every cell and spending hours verifying reports. That’s not control, though. It’s busy work.

True control isn’t about obsessing over every number. It’s about having full confidence in your financials without needing to micromanage them. What if you could shift your focus to understanding trends before they become issues?

With automation, you evolve from a data-entry machine to a strategic thinker. Imagine having greater confidence in your reports, knowing there are few (or no) errors. That’s being in control because there’s no need to worry.

The real risk isn’t automation taking control away from you; it’s that if you don’t embrace automation, you’ll be stuck in manual work while others move forward.

READ NEXT: I was a CFO — and accounting’s tech problem is worse than you think

User education: You need to understand automation to trust it

Trust is a big factor in overcoming automation resistance. If you don’t understand how a system works, it’s natural to be skeptical about its potential. The same way you audit financials, your leadership team should “audit” automation tools, understanding how they process data and help you achieve accuracy and compliance.

Rolling out automation without proper user education often leads to low adoption rates and makes you feel like you’re losing control instead of gaining efficiency. But when teams understand the logic behind automation (how it works, why it works and where human oversight fits in), it becomes far easier to trust.

Here’s what you can do to ensure you’re not just adapting to automation but fully leveraging it.

• Ask how the technology works. Learn the logic behind the automation process. What data does it use? What rules does it follow? How will it support accuracy?
• Get involved in implementation. If automation is being introduced in your department, participate in testing, give feedback and understand how it integrates with existing processes.
• Educate your team. If you’re a leader, don’t just tell people to “trust the system” and instead advocate for thorough user training.
• Validate and verify. Automation isn’t about blind trust; it’s about confidence. Regularly review automated reports to confirm they’re correct and reassure yourself of their reliability.

Becoming the strategic accountant

Clinging to manual processes won’t make you more valuable. It’ll just keep you buried in tasks that technology can do better.

The best accountants aren’t the ones who can process the most transactions in a day. They’re those who can interpret numbers in a way that drives business success.

Think about the CFOs, controllers and accounting leaders you admire. Are they manually entering data and reconciling spreadsheets? Or are they influencing financial strategy, risk management and major decisions?

Automation gives you the space to think, analyze and add value. You’re probably a pro at identifying patterns, uncovering risk and providing strategic recommendations. But how often have you had the opportunity to do any or all of those?

This is the future of accounting: 

• More strategy → less data entry
• More insights → less grunt work
• More value → less burnout

The best place to start: Record-to-report automation

It’s clear automation isn’t a threat to accountants. But knowing that isn’t enough. The real challenge is figuring out where to start.

Not all accounting processes are equally suited for automation. Some still require significant human judgment, while other are ripe for automation. The record-to-report (R2R) process is the perfect candidate, as it’s notorious for inefficiencies, bottlenecks and manual interventions.

Automating R2R reduces errors in financial closing and reporting, improves data accuracy for compliance and audits and frees up time for more strategic financial planning. It’s a low-risk, high-reward automation investment that can serve as a gateway to broader automation initiatives, including the establishment of a true automation fabric — the technological framework toward which enterprises are moving. Learn more about the benefits of accounting automation.

Do you want to be a data-entry drone or the accountant who makes history by stepping out of spreadsheet land and shaping the future of your company? The choice is yours.