Accrual Intake & Close Process Automation
Redesigned a fragmented, spreadsheet-driven accrual submission process into a centralized, structured intake system to improve data consistency, reduce manual consolidation, and accelerate the month-end close cycle.
Role
Consultant - Finance Systems
Industry
Power Apps · Power Automate · SharePoint · Excel · NetSuite · Process Automation Design
Scope
End-to-end redesign of accrual intake, validation, and data capture into a centralized, automated workflow supporting month-end close.
The Problem
The existing accrual process was:
Distributed across multiple Excel files and email threads
Dependent on manual consolidation and validation
Prone to incomplete inputs and inconsistent formatting
Time-intensive during close with repeated follow-ups
There was no standardized way to ensure clean, usable data before journal entry creation.
Solution
Built a centralized accrual intake system using Power Apps and SharePoint, supported by validation logic and structured data capture.
Core components:
Power Apps interface for structured accrual entry
Line-level input model (account, vendor, amount, stakeholder)
Real-time validation rules to prevent incomplete or incorrect submissions
Dynamic total calculation for user-side verification
SharePoint list backend for centralized data storage
Power Automate flow for submission handling and data consistency
Key Features
Standardized Input Structure
Enforced consistent data entry across all users and submissionsValidation Controls
Blocked submission if required fields (memo, accrual month, line details) were missing
Prevented partial or malformed data from entering downstream processesSmart Line Handling
Ignored unused blank rows while flagging incomplete entriesCentralized Data Layer
Eliminated dependency on spreadsheets and created a single source of truthScalable Design
Built to support multiple users and recurring monthly submissions
Impact
Reduced accrual submission time to ~2–3 minutes per entry
Eliminated manual consolidation across spreadsheets
Improved data consistency and audit readiness
Reduced back-and-forth communication during close
Created a structured dataset ready for downstream reporting and journal entry workflows
Systems Thinking (Beyond This Project)
This project highlights broader opportunities to improve finance systems infrastructure, including:
Concur → NetSuite integration gaps (e.g., missing service date)
Lack of unique identifiers for cross-system reconciliation
Salesforce ↔ NetSuite data inconsistencies
Manual support workflows (e.g., Freshdesk ticket routing)
These represent opportunities to reduce manual effort and improve data integrity across the finance stack.
Ownership & Scalability
Designed with transferable ownership (co-owner access, shared data sources)
Structured for low dependency on individual users
Documented for team-level maintenance and future enhancements
This project reflects a broader focus on building scalable finance systems that reduce manual workflows, improve data integrity, and enable faster, more reliable financial operations.
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