Open any finance publication or join a CFO roundtable, and the theme is clear: uncertainty is the new normal. Inflation hasn’t gone quietly, interest rates are still hovering near decade highs, and global trade remains anything but predictable. It’s one thing to read about market volatility. It’s another to try closing the books while juggling new vendor terms, unpredictable expenses, and a C-suite demanding real-time visibility.
If the past few years taught us anything, it’s this: reactive finance just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Reactive finance means rushing through monthly closes while fielding surprise audit requests and chasing missing approvals. It’s patching holes instead of building systems that weather storms. And when the pressure builds, it’s not just the systems that crack. The people behind them feel it too. This reality is driving a clear shift in how finance leaders run their operations.
That’s why more finance leaders are shifting their focus to resilience and control. Not by hiring more staff or adding more tools, but by rebuilding the processes that support cash flow, forecasting, and financial oversight. And automation is playing a key role in that transformation.
Let’s look at the current landscape:
But the most telling indicator may not be in the stats but in the shift in tone.
Finance leaders are no longer asking, “Can we afford automation?”
They’re asking, “Can we afford to go another year without it?”
Why? Because volatility puts finance teams at the center of every major decision. When cash reserves tighten, all eyes are on forecasting. When margins shrink, expense controls go under the microscope. When risk rises, finance takes the lead.
When teams are stuck with manual work, scattered data, and missing documentation, they’re not just falling behind. They’re losing visibility and control.
The best finance teams aren’t necessarily the ones who respond to crises the fastest. They’re the ones who see around corners and adjust proactively.
Reactive finance teams are constantly in catch-up mode, closing books late, chasing approvals, adjusting forecasts after decisions have already been made. Proactive teams have the visibility and time to make decisions before problems emerge.
Think of it like driving. Reactive is slamming the brakes when the car in front of you suddenly stops. Proactive is watching the brake lights up ahead and easing off early. One wears down your system and the other keeps you in control.
But to make that shift, you need more than good instincts. You need the right infrastructure.
Manual finance processes slow everything from invoice approvals to budget tracking, and they make it harder to stay accurate and agile when the pressure is on. When the economy is steady, clunky approval chains and siloed data might be annoying but manageable. But in volatile times, they become real liabilities.
Here’s where manual workflows create the most pain:
And worst of all? These issues compound when uncertainty increases.
Picture a finance team scrambling during quarter-end close. The AP manager is tracking down paper invoices from a vendor who updated their rates mid-month. The controller is waiting on approval from a department head who’s out of office. Meanwhile, leadership wants an updated cash flow projection on the spot.
Over time, that kind of pressure grinds down your team, your timelines, and your ability to plan ahead.
This is where automation comes in. It’s not a flashy upgrade. It’s a foundation for stability.
By automating key workflows, finance teams can:
It’s not about replacing people. It’s about taking repetitive, error-prone tasks off their plate so they can focus on work that drives financial performance.
When finance leaders are expected to deliver real-time numbers, identify risk early, and protect cash flow with leaner teams, automation becomes the only scalable path forward. Without it, the gaps between data, action, and reporting only grow wider.
Companies that use automation extensively in their treasury functions report up to 30% better visibility into cash flow. That kind of insight makes the difference between scrambling to react and planning with confidence.
You don’t need a full tech overhaul to start seeing value. Many teams begin by focusing on areas where friction is highest:
Invoice Processing
Still receiving PDF or paper invoices? Automating capture, validation, and approvals speeds things up and reduces errors. Look for AI tools that combine digitization with human review (Smart Capture + Human in the Loop).
Vendor Onboarding
New vendor? Instead of a 12-email thread and missing W-9s, automate the entire intake process from data collection to compliance checks.
Payment Workflows
Manual payments open the door to delays and fraud. Automated payment platforms offer better control, audit trails, and scheduling, while reducing processing costs.
Budget Requests & Approvals
Need to adjust department budgets quickly? Pre-configured approval workflows make it easy to adapt to changing needs without chaos.
Audit Readiness
Pulling documentation for auditors shouldn’t feel like a scavenger hunt. With automation, approvals, receipts, and payment history are easy to find, fully traceable, and always complete.
Each of these areas is a pressure point for finance. Automating them builds repeatable, trackable systems that increase accuracy, reduce risk, and support confident decision-making.
One of the most underrated benefits of automation is its impact on team morale and retention.
When talented finance professionals spend hours on manual tasks, their skills go underused and undervalued. It’s frustrating and it leads to burnout. That kind of work slows progress and wears people down. In fact, Robert Half found that 36% of professionals report feeling burned out, with heavy workloads and long hours topping the list of causes. It’s a clear signal that overworked teams are at risk of disengaging or walking away altogether.
Let’s look at a typical scenario.
A finance manager starts the day buried in routine tasks like entering invoice data, tracking down overdue approvals, and correcting account codes. By the time that work is done, most of the morning is gone, leaving no room to review forecasts or prepare for strategic meetings.
Now imagine that same team using automated invoice capture and approval workflows. Instead of spending their time reacting to bottlenecks, they’re identifying trends, improving vendor relationships, and giving leadership the insights they need to move quickly and confidently.
Automation doesn’t just make work easier. It makes it more meaningful.
Economic volatility isn’t going away, but automation gives you the tools to manage it with more clarity and control. You can see spending patterns sooner, spot risks faster, and plan with confidence instead of guesswork.
As AI capabilities continue to evolve, it’s also important to acknowledge the double-edged sword. According to the IMF, AI can make markets more efficient but also more volatile in moments of stress. That’s why workflow automation, built on rules, logic, and visibility, is an essential foundation before adding more advanced AI tools.
Finance teams need structure before scale. Without it, even the smartest tools fall flat.
Today’s finance teams need more than just speed. They need smarter systems that deliver visibility, consistency, and control, even when the market takes an unexpected turn.
That’s what workflow automation delivers. It doesn’t replace people. It empowers them. It turns busywork into strategy, and disorder into control.
And when you're ready to take that step, onPhase is here to help. Our platform supports finance teams with intelligent workflows, AI-powered capture, and end-to-end automation that’s built for real-world complexity, and real people doing the work.
Looking to turn insight into action?
Check out the Building a Case for AP Automation Checklist to help structure internal conversations, identify key priorities, and align stakeholders around smarter finance workflows.