5 Ways to Remove Manual Work From Your Firm
Manual work has been the silent destroyer inside accounting firms for years.
The unnecessary admin, the copying and pasting, the checking data multiple times because the source of truth keeps moving, the non-stop chasing clients for missing docs, the month end that becomes month long… the list is endless. But the impact it has is much bigger than just time.
- It reduces face to face advisory time with customers.
- It causes burnout and drop in morale for teams.
- It removes the enjoyment and enthusiasm in the role – especially for those who want to be adding value, not turning into data entry machines.
- It pushes certain tasks down the priority list until they become fires.
- And eventually… it becomes a talent retention issue.
Manual work isn’t just inconvenient. It’s expensive. Culturally. Financially. Operationally.
So, here are 5 ways firms can start removing manual work once and for all.
Standardise processes (once) – and stick to them
Most manual work leaks out from inconsistency.
Different team members doing steps differently. Different ways of collecting client info. Different ways of communicating.
Start with standardisation. Document one way of working per service line. Make this the law. Every minute saved compounds.
Automate repetitive internal workflows
Any task that repeats weekly or monthly should be automated.
Bank rules, recurring journals, scheduled reporting, automated reminders, invoice collections – the majority of these admin cycles can be removed instantly with automation or with AI driven bot workflows.
Start with the tasks that frustrate your team the most.
Use AI powered client communication
Chasing clients for missing docs is still one of the biggest drains in a firm.
Let AI handle the chasing, updating, nudging, sending reminders and gathering what’s needed so your team aren’t stuck doing follow up and hunting down PDFs when they could be speaking to clients strategically.
Remove double entry everywhere
If data has to be touched more than once… it’s already inefficient.
Integrations and AI data capture means your firm should only ever touch data once – if at all.
One source of truth. Zero re-entry.
Adopt task owning bots, not task assisting tools
AI should not help your teams work faster manually.
It should DO the task entirely.
Bots can own the repetitive operational workflows, the low value tasks, the recurring cycles… leaving your team to operate as humans again.
That is how you remove manual work permanently – you don’t optimise it, you replace it.
Conclusion
Manual work in accounting firms isn’t sustainable – not for growth, not for teams, not for clients.
And at Bots For That, we are here to help remove the boring, repetitive, morale draining manual tasks that are holding your firm back.
You can book a discovery call today to see how our beanies can take operational ownership of manual work inside your practice – so your team get to focus on what they actually enjoy doing.
Remove the boring manual tasks. Let yourself feel elevated by your work.
