Financial Controls That Actually Work (And Won’t Drive Ops Crazy)

In the quest for sound financial governance, companies often implement controls that look great on paper but grind operations to a halt in practice. While robust financial controls are essential to safeguarding assets and ensuring accurate reporting, the best systems are those that balance assurance with agility.

At Prerad Advisory, we believe financial controls should work for the business—not against it. Here’s how to build controls that are effective, scalable, and won’t drive your operational teams up the wall.

1. Design With the End-User in Mind

Too many controls are created by finance for finance, without input from those who use them day-to-day. Before drafting another policy or implementing a new system, ask:

• Who will be using this control?

• Is it intuitive and easy to follow?

• Does it add value beyond compliance?

  
  

Tip: Involve frontline managers in the design phase. Their input can identify friction points early and improve buy-in later.

2. Focus on Key Risk Areas

Trying to control everything is a fast track to operational fatigue. Prioritise controls around:

• High-value transactions

• Cash handling and banking

• Contracting and procurement

• Journal entries and adjustments

• Segregation of duties

By focusing on the areas of greatest risk, you avoid burdening the business with unnecessary checks.

3. Automate Wherever Possible

Automation is a powerful ally in reducing manual work and control fatigue. Look for opportunities to:

• Use system-generated workflows for approvals (e.g., purchase orders)

• Set thresholds for alerts (e.g., budget overruns)

• Reconcile data automatically (e.g., bank feeds, vendor statements)

Not only does this improve consistency, it frees up human capacity for decision-making, not box-ticking.

4. Embed Controls Into Existing Workflows

Controls should feel like a natural part of how business gets done—not an afterthought. This means:

• Embedding approvals into existing ERP or procurement systems

• Integrating dashboards and spend visibility into operational meetings

• Aligning control checkpoints with monthly reporting cycles

The goal is for controls to be seamless, not separate.

5. Keep Documentation Clear and Lightweight

If your policies read like legal disclaimers, no one’s going to follow them. Instead:

• Use plain language

• Keep it concise—think one-pager wherever possible

• Include real-world examples of what “good” looks like

Training and onboarding are more effective when people can quickly grasp the “why” and “how” behind the rules.

6. Monitor, Review, Improve

Controls are not “set and forget.” Build a rhythm for reviewing their effectiveness:

• Are they preventing the risks they were designed for?

• Are they slowing down key processes?

• Are people bypassing them altogether?

Use audit findings, user feedback, and exception reporting to adapt and evolve your control environment over time.

Final Thoughts

Strong financial controls don’t need to be a handbrake on progress. When done right, they promote better decisions, reduce waste, and support operational performance. The key is collaboration—between Finance and Operations, between assurance and agility.

At Prerad Advisory, we help businesses implement pragmatic, risk-based controls that protect value without compromising it. Because when Finance and Ops work together, everyone wins.