Quick finance wins worth trying next quarter
- Try a 30 day “single source” pilot for approvals
- Run a coding accuracy check before month end
- Test a “no surprises” budget rule
- Create one shared folder for backup documentation
- Pilot role based approvals for one spend category
- Set a five minute rule for approvers
- Run a “what slows us down” audit with the team
- The right experiments show you where the real problems are
Most finance teams want to improve something every quarter but struggle to decide where to start. Big projects feel heavy. New systems need planning. Process redesigns take months. That is why smart teams rely on quick experiments: Small changes, low risk, and clear results.
You don’t need to rebuild the entire finance function to feel a shift. A few targeted improvements can make the rest of the quarter calmer, cleaner and easier to manage.
Here are the experiments finance leaders keep coming back to because they actually work.
• Small workflow changes often fix bigger problems than new tools.
• Experiments work best when they reduce noise, not speed things up.
• Visibility is the fastest way to improve decision quality.
• Controls that run in the background give teams time back instantly.
Try a 30 day “single source” pilot for approvals
If your team still approves spend through email, chat or scattered inboxes, try a small experiment. Pick one department. Run every approval through a single channel for 30 days. The goal is visibility rather than speed.
- One place for requests.
- One place for supporting docs.
- One place for decisions.
Most teams discover the real issue is not volume but fragmentation. When everything flows through one consistent path, you immediately see what sits where.
Teams can use an approval software for this pilot because it enforces the rule automatically. The experiment shows how much time is lost to chasing and context switching. In most cases, the team does not go back.
Run a coding accuracy check before month end
Instead of fixing coding issues after close, check them mid month. It takes ten minutes and saves days later.
- Choose a sample from each department.
- Check coding, suppliers and descriptions.
- Flag anything unclear.
This is one of the quickest wins in finance. Errors multiply fast when spend increases. A mid month check reduces the noise during month end and lowers the number of corrections the team has to make.
Some teams do this inside ApprovalMax because coding rules catch most issues automatically, but you can run the check manually too. The benefit comes from timing, not tools.
Test a “no surprises” budget rule
Let’s be clear: automation isn’t a shortcut; it’s a foundation for better, more meaningful work.
It takes away repetitive tasks so finance professionals can focus on higher-value thinking like analysis, forecasting, and strategy.
In teams that have adopted automation, the biggest shift isn't just speed — it's engagement. People spend less time reconciling and more time discussing what the numbers actually mean.
Automation handles the structure; people provide the essential insights.
And that mix is what makes modern finance teams thrive: disciplined systems powered by human judgment.
Create one shared folder for backup documentation
This sounds small, and it is, but it solves a huge problem. Backup documents scattered across emails make reporting slower and audits harder.
Choose a simple structure:
- One folder per month.
- One subfolder per entity or department.
- Drop everything there.
In many teams, this single change removes hours of hunting for missing PDFs.
Pilot role based approvals for one spend category
Role based approvals are powerful because they remove dependency on individuals. Instead of “send this to Mark,” the rule becomes “send this to the person responsible for marketing spend.”
Choose one area:
- Marketing
- Subscriptions
- Travel
Create a simple rule and test it for a quarter. People change roles. People take leave. People forget. But roles stay constant. This experiment often reveals approval paths that no longer match reality.
Set a five minute rule for approvers
Approval delays rarely come from complexity. They come from context switching. Approvers forget. They skim. They postpone.
The five minute rule is simple. If you open an approval, make the decision while you are already there.
This cuts the back and forth dramatically. It also helps approvers see what information they are missing. Over time, the team shapes cleaner requests because no one enjoys going back to ask, “What is this for again?”
Run a “what slows us down” audit with the team
Ask everyone in finance one question.
“What slows you down the most right now?”
Do it anonymously. The answers are always honest and often surprising. It is never the thing leadership assumes.
You usually find two or three issues that create most of the friction. These quick wins guide the next quarter’s improvements. They cost nothing. They increase morale. And they show the team their voice matters.
The right experiments show you where the real problems are
Most finance teams don’t need a huge transformation. They need clarity. Small experiments reveal where the workflow cracks when volume rises. A few tweaks can change how the whole quarter feels.
Quick wins matter because they build confidence. People see immediate improvement. Managers get better information. Month end becomes quieter. The team gets time back.
Tools like ApprovalMax often support these experiments because they make structure easy to test without committing to a full rollout. But the real power comes from the mindset. Start small. Learn fast. Fix the root cause.
The teams that do this well grow without losing control.
