Article
Are manual workflows holding your restoration business back?
Jan. 3, 2026 · Authored by Baran Sönmez
Is your restoration company frustrated with manual processes that slow your business down? Are you hesitant to upgrade your technology because you believe your current processes are manageable? Don't underestimate the impact of manual workflows. They may seem harmless now, but they can silently eat away at your profits.
Restoration businesses already face numerous challenges within the industry. From staffing shortages, rising customer expectations and the complexities of an expanding industry. Why add manual workflows into the mix? They can exacerbate existing pain points by bogging finance teams down with time-consuming tasks that don’t add value, leading to delayed decision-making and inaccurate data.
It’s important to recognize the hidden costs of manual processes and why restoration finance leaders should leave them in the past to foster business growth and efficiency.
The hidden costs of manual financial workflows
Time-consuming data entry
Manual financial workflows hinder a business's ability to be proactive. When finance teams are slowed down with time-consuming data entry, they have less time to focus on analyzing data and identifying trends. Compound that with an influx of data from a growing restoration industry, and you have burned-out employees.
Inaccurate data
Relying on human input for data entry increases the risk of inaccurate data due to human error. Studies show that human error rates in data entry typically range between 1% and 5% [1]. These errors can add up and harm the trustworthiness of your data. Furthermore, it can damage your organization's profitability as leadership decisions are based on flawed data. According to Gartner, poor data quality costs organizations an average of $12.9 million per year [2].
Delayed decision-making
Manual workflows and inaccurate data can restrict businesses from making timely decisions based on reliable information. Due to the time-consuming nature of manually entering data, and the need to double-check entries for accuracy, leadership's access to critical reports can be delayed. These delays can put businesses at a disadvantage, since their competitors have the capability to move ahead faster with more reliable insights.
