Breaking Down Budget Bottlenecks
Three Canadian companies share what happened when they redesigned their approval workflows
The 15-Day Problem
A Toronto manufacturing firm was losing contracts because budget approvals took too long. They discovered the real issue wasn't the approval itself—it was information sitting in different systems.
Department Disconnect
When marketing couldn't see why finance kept rejecting campaigns, tensions ran high. The solution came from creating shared visibility into the decision process, not changing the decisions themselves.
Emergency Override Chaos
Rush approvals were becoming the norm, defeating the purpose of having a process. One Vancouver startup found that 80% of "emergencies" could have been planned better with the right notification system.
What Actually Speeds Up Approvals
After working with dozens of Canadian businesses, I've noticed that fast approvals aren't about cutting corners. They're about getting the right information to the right people at the right time.
Most teams focus on automating the approval itself, but the real delays happen before anyone even sees the request. Here's what makes the difference:
- Pre-approval checks that catch missing information before it reaches decision makers
- Context that shows why this budget request matters to overall business goals
- Clear escalation paths when standard approvals aren't enough
- Automatic updates to requesting departments so they know where things stand
The companies seeing the biggest improvements started with visibility, not speed. Once everyone could see what was happening, the process naturally got faster.
Learning From Experience
Finance leaders share what they wish they'd known when starting their workflow improvements
Marcus Chen
Former CFO, Tech Startup
"The biggest mistake we made was trying to automate a broken process. We spent six months building workflows around inefficient approval chains. Start by fixing the logic, then add the technology."
David Rodriguez
Budget Management Consultant
"Every company thinks their approval process is unique, but the patterns are surprisingly similar. The real differences are in how you handle exceptions and edge cases. Plan for those from the beginning."
Join our intensive workshop series starting fall 2025. Work through real scenarios with other finance professionals facing similar challenges.
View Learning Programs