Have you heard about the recent "Close the Books" survey from Sage? It’s quite exciting! We conducted a worldwide survey involving over 1,000 finance professionals to uncover trends and insights on achieving faster and more accurate financial closing.

The survey reveals that finance teams worldwide are embracing automation to unlock their potential and reclaim their most valuable resource: Time.

Here are 8 key points from the survey:

1) Finance teams take on average 7 working days to close the books each month, which amounts to 3 months, an average of 90 working days, each year.

2) On average, automating financial reporting frees up 38% more time to spend on analysis.

3) 24 working days each year can be saved by automating the financial close.

4) 82% of finance leaders are saving on headcount costs through automation.

5) Over 50% of finance leaders have not yet automated processes around their top pain points.

6) Those with the least automation spend only 18% of their time on value-added tasks, while those with the most automation spend almost 58% on the same activities.

7) Companies that use cloud technology enjoy 25% more automation than their counterparts.

8) Of those that are not fully in the cloud, 46% are looking to move to the cloud within the next 6 months to 2 years.

Imagine having more time to delve into meaningful strategic work. You could build a stronger, more productive finance function, invest in your professional development, and make a greater impact not only in your organisation, but in your industry as well.

And let’s not forget the personal side—no longer being held hostage by work during evenings and weekends. You can spend that time with loved ones, pursue new hobbies, or simply find that elusive work-life balance.

What are your thoughts on leveraging automation in finance? Do you believe it can unlock greater productivity and work-life balance? Leave us a comment below.