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1. The close keeps getting longer
When each month-end takes more time than the last, the process is usually absorbing complexity it was never designed for.
2. Reports need rework every period
If financial reports are rebuilt manually each month, the underlying structure likely needs attention.
3. Knowledge lives with individuals
Processes that depend on one person's memory create risk whenever that person is unavailable.
4. Reconciliations fall behind
Delayed reconciliations reduce confidence in the numbers leadership relies on.
5. Leadership asks questions the books can't answer
When decision-makers need information the system can't produce, the finance function is no longer keeping pace.