Automate Everything: Key Takeaways from the July 15 “Ask the CFO” with Lowell Mora

This month’s Ask the CFO session was all about automation—and not just the futuristic kind. We focused on real, practical ways to automate and streamline processes in small and mid-sized businesses using tools that are already available and often underutilized.

For years, I’ve talked about shifting finance teams from being stuck in transactional work to delivering more strategic, value-added insight. The truth is, many businesses still run on spreadsheets, green bar reports, and systems that haven’t changed in 20 years. That’s not a technology problem—it’s a leadership opportunity.

We started with Robotic Process Automation (RPA). While it may not be as trendy as AI, RPA is often the simpler, faster way to eliminate repetitive tasks like invoice entry, purchase order matching, and order processing. If 80% of your AP activity can be automated, why spend hours manually keying it in? That’s time better spent on cash flow strategy or vendor negotiations.

We also explored where RPA and AI overlap—and how they differ. Several attendees shared examples of using AI tools like ChatGPT to automate end-of-month reconciliations, summarize client interviews, or compare large data sets. These tools reduce hours of manual work down to minutes. The key is not whether you're using AI or RPA, but whether you’re reducing friction and freeing up your people to focus on higher-value work.

One participant shared how he built a full job board and planning platform in 10 days using no-code tools and AI. Another walked us through how he now compares Amazon shipping records against payment reports using AI instead of Excel VLOOKUPs—cutting the process from three hours to three minutes.

Of course, automation isn’t always done well. I shared a story about trying to book a simple driving lesson for my daughter—a process so convoluted and automated it was nearly impossible to complete. A great reminder that automation without usability is just another obstacle. It’s not about using bots for the sake of using bots. It’s about solving real business pain points.

One of my favorite insights came from a discussion on how we often underuse the tools we already have. Even in accounting systems or CRMs we’ve used for years, there are features and integrations we’ve never touched. Sometimes automation is about upgrading your software. But more often, it’s about finally using it right.

If you’re curious about what automation could look like in your business, or just want to hear how other operators are tackling it, I encourage you to check out the replay.

I’m not a technologist—I’m a CFO who’s spent years working with companies that want to work smarter. This session was packed with practical, real-world examples of just that.

Let’s keep finding ways to do more with what we already have.