Financial technology and automation can empower your team, but only if your underlying processes are designed in a way that lets technology do its job. Indeed, while many investment managers view automation as a way to reduce manual effort, the true transformation comes from rethinking how work should flow when machines, rather than people, handle repetitive tasks.
Start With the Process, Not the Tool
Financial technology and automation, which includes that with integrated AI, can empower your team only when the workflows behind them are intentional. Too often, investment firms try to layer automation onto processes originally built for spreadsheets, email chains, or manual cross-checking.
But automation shouldn’t be a patch; it should be a complete rethink.
That’s why, before introducing new tools, managers should map out where inefficiencies live, by asking themselves a number of questions, including:
- Which of my processes are repetitive?
- Which steps during these processes rely on copying and pasting data?
- Where do my team members repeat errors? And do these errors happen because formats aren’t standardised?
- Which tasks consume hours but contribute little to decision-making?
What should immediately become clear here is just how much time and experience are being wasted on repetitive tasks. And, honestly, you should be happier the more redundant tasks you find, because that will mean that designing the right software is going to save you heaps of time!
Modernising Workflows Unlocks Real Efficiency Gains
We often ignore that which has become second nature to us. But did you know that, in the UK, for example, repetitive tasks cost UK finance up to £179 billion per year? What’s even more worrying is that the processes these tasks take are never scrutinised.
That’s why, we urge all managers to rethink the process their teams take, especially if you’re hoping for automation to handle 90% of the work. And there are many transformational benefits if you do, including:
- Data flows become continuous instead of cyclical.
- Reconciliation becomes exception-based instead of line-by-line.
- Reporting becomes real-time instead of month-end.
This is where financial technology and automation can empower your team in a way that compounds over time. But not only will this reduce workload, it will also elevate the quality and reliability of output.
Stop Thinking About This Technology as Optional
In today’s competitive market, this type of technology isn’t optional anymore. Manual work can hold you back, but the implementation of the right technology can act as the foundation for scalable and resilient operations.
So, what are you waiting for? Help your team shift from firefighting to oversight, and from manual checking to genuine analysis, all while reducing your operational risks, increasing data accuracy, and ultimately freeing capacity for what actually drives value: client service, portfolio thinking, and strategic decision-making.
If you’re ready to rethink your workflows and see what true automation can unlock, get in touch with us; we’d love to show you how financial technology and AI can help improve your processes.