Whoever said accountants, CPAs, bookkeepers and other financial folks can't be funny has not read this hilarious PDF from Proformative.com. Building on the theme of a sort of zombie apocalypse, this 13 page article talks about the 7 Deadly Sins of Year End for finance professionals. Have a laugh today but you will probably also relate very closely with the words therein.
Below is an introduction from the author and the first deadly sin of financial pros when it comes to year end:
"Every year, like clockwork, we finance professionals begin what is the most dreaded enterprise process known to our kind. The spreadsheets, the all-nighters at the office, the unreliable information and again, the never-ending spreadsheets, are all contributors
to the hell that is known to us as year-end. Hundreds of thousands of us complete the year-end process by way of Excel-centric procedures, but do all of us make it out?
I cannot answer that for you for I am not an all-knowing Finance savior (just a former Accountant). However, I can tell you what I do know. Your process of manual data manipulation, error prone “actuals” and endless email chains can and will keep you
chained. In efforts to ease you through this resurgence, I’ve compiled a list of the most common emotional experiences finance pros endure during this time of year. My guess is that you will relate to more than a few of them. My hope? That you use this as an opportunity for change.
Herein lies what I believe to be the 7 Deadly Sins of Year End.
Before I go down this dark path, I want to let you know that there is hope if you choose to take it within this piece of mine. Each section here includes links to additional readings that will help you through this trying time. This isn’t a love story by any means but I will say that even the most daunting of horrors can have a happy ending. Read on and may the odds be ever in your favor..".
1st Deadly Sin
Complacency
"Complacency is experienced by those who falsely believe that their current year-end process is in no need of improvement. In a complacent state, finance professionals cling to the status quo of outdated processes to complete their year-end procedures. They are not fazed by data exportation, manual manipulation, excessive emailing or even the probability of inaccuracy. These are the people that are simply satisfied with settling. In the realm of year-end sins, complacency seems benign to the other six. However, without being addressed, this sin can lead to a much worse scenario for your organization."
But all joking aside, the PDF in the link above produced brilliantly by Proformative.com is WELL worth a read with the end of the year drawing nigh. Take a few minutes to read the article and be sure to share this post with all your peers on social media.
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