Finance
A faster close, with controls your auditors accept.
At a glance
A supplier invoice arrives £580 above its purchase order, with new bank details.
- Deployed AI
About 25 minutes per invoice
A person does every step
- Operational AI
Minutes, and only for exceptions
AI runs matching; people handle exceptions and release payments
Illustration
What matters
What finance teams are judged on.
A faster close
Fewer days spent matching, chasing and reconciling.
Cash and working capital
Suppliers paid on time, customers chased at the right moment.
Controls and audit
Every automated decision explained, logged and reversible.
Forecasts the board trusts
Commentary drafted from the ledger and reviewed by finance.
Walkthrough
The same request, three ways.
The request
InvoiceHalden & Rowe Components Ltd
Invoice INV-20931
Total £12,480.00, due in 30 days.
Please note our new bank details.
Autonomy level 1
Deployed AI
A chat assistant. Someone asks, it answers, people do the rest.
- A person types
Here is an invoice and the purchase order. Do they match?
- AI replies
They do not match. The invoice is £12,480 and the purchase order is £11,900, a difference of £580 on line 3. You may want to check with the supplier.
- Person
Payables clerk. Finds the goods receipt, emails the supplier, updates the bank details on file as asked, and posts the invoice.
3 steps · one to a person · about 25 minutes per invoice
- How long
- About 25 minutes per invoice
- Who does the work
- A person does every step
- What keeps it safe
- None: new bank details accepted without a check
- What goes to people
- Everything
Autonomy level 2
Specialised AI
It works from your data and tools and prepares the work. A person approves.
- Trigger
INV-20931 arrives in the payables inbox.
- Tools
erp.purchase_order("PO-4471") · erp.goods_receipt("GR-8812") · vendor.bank_details()Returned: The invoice is £580 (4.9%) above the order, all on line 3. Quantities match the goods receipt. The bank details differ from the record.
- AI replies
Two issues: a price difference on line 3, and changed bank details. A query to the supplier is drafted and payment is held.
- Person
Payables lead. Calls the supplier on the number already on file, not the one on the invoice.
Called back - Action
Query sent; the invoice parked with both reasons recorded.
5 steps · one to a person · about 6 minutes of a person's time
- How long
- About 6 minutes of a person's time
- Who does the work
- AI prepares, a person decides
- What keeps it safe
- Changed bank details always held
- What goes to people
- Every decision
Autonomy level 3
Operational AI
It runs the process within set limits, logs every step and hands people the exceptions.
- Trigger
Every invoice, around the clock.
- Rule
Three-way match against the order and the goods receipt.
Tolerance: 2% or £250. Duplicates and changed bank details are always held.
- Action
Invoices within tolerance are approved and posted. Money goes out only in the normal payment run, released by a person.
- Person
Exception: goes to a person
Payables lead. This invoice is held twice over: 4.9% above the order, and new bank details. The lead gets the evidence and calls the supplier back on the number on file.
Called back - Record
[08:12]Decision, evidence and approver recorded for audit.
- Report
Weekly to the finance lead: the straight-through rate, time to clear exceptions, holds, and every correction.
6 steps · one to a person · minutes, and only for exceptions
- How long
- Minutes, and only for exceptions
- Who does the work
- AI runs matching; people handle exceptions and release payments
- What keeps it safe
- Tolerances, fraud holds, an audit trail
- What goes to people
- Exceptions, bank changes, every payment release
Controls
- Owner
- Financial controller
- Measure
- Straight-through rate and days to close
- Limit
- 2% or £250; AI never releases a payment
- Log
- Every decision with its evidence
- Fallback
- Invoices queue for the team
- Stop
- Pause matching in one switch
Illustrative: names, figures and timings are invented.
Where to start
Processes that pay back first.
3Run with exceptions
Invoice matching against orders and receipts
Within tolerances you set.
3Run with exceptions
Expense checks against policy
Exceptions go to the finance team.
2Automate with approval
Account reconciliations
Evidence attached; a person signs off.
3Run with exceptions
Collections reminders
Tone and timing set by customer.
2Automate with approval
Management reporting commentary
Drafted from the ledger, reviewed by finance.
1Assist
Cash forecasting
AI models scenarios; finance decides.
What we build and run
Built in your systems, run with your team.
- Payables matching with tolerances and approvals
- Reconciliation agents that attach their evidence
- Collections that adapt to each customer
- Reporting commentary drafted from the ledger
What we measure
Numbers you already track.
- Straight-through rate
- Days to close
- Exceptions cleared within two days
- Errors caught before posting
- Days sales outstanding
The Academy
Learn to run it yourselves: the Finance track.
Use AI in close, reporting and forecasting, with controls auditors accept.
Being built