Expose the process
Mapped data sources, control points and every manual hand-off across the end-to-end reporting cycle.
Case study 04 · Process automation
Finance Reporting Automation
How reusable data-preparation workflows and a governed reporting model can reduce recurring preparation time while preserving reconciliation evidence and financial control.
OrganisationVertex EMEA Software Services (fictional)
IndustryEnterprise technology and SaaS
ToolsAlteryx, Power BI, SAP FICO and Excel
Business situation
Regional reporting relied on repeated downloads, spreadsheet manipulation and manual reconciliations across multiple entities, leaving analysts less time for analysis.
The challenge
The slow process was difficult to audit and exposed to version-control errors whenever source files or account structures changed.
Approach
Standardise preparation
Built reusable Alteryx workflows and a governed Power BI semantic model reconciled to the general ledger.
Protect assurance
Introduced refresh checks, exception logs and standard management-report templates.
Illustrative dashboard
Illustrative dashboard using fictional names and modelled values.
Executive insight
Most cycle time came from repeatable data preparation and reconciliation steps. Automating those steps preserved control evidence and shifted analyst capacity toward variance analysis and business partnering.
Recommendation
Deploy controlled workflows in phases, retain reconciliation gates, document ownership and monitor refresh failures. Use a single reporting model for recurring packs and dashboards.
Modelled success measures
An 85% reduction in recurring preparation time, two working days removed from the reporting cycle and substantially fewer manual adjustments.