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# Guide to best practices for digitizing internal controls
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/guide-best-practices-digitize-internal-controls/
- Published: 2026-09-03T20:56:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-03T20:56:01.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

Best practices for digitizing internal controls include mapping the process before choosing a tool, standardizing data entry, defining permissions by role, and keeping a validation period before shutting down the previous manual control.

Many companies digitize internal controls in isolation: one department solves its own problem, creates a spreadsheet or a document, and moves on without thinking about how it will connect to the rest of the operation. The result is a patchwork that's hard to maintain.

The pain behind this search is usually twofold: lack of standardization across departments and lack of trust in manually recorded data, which changes format depending on who filled it in.

## Common problems in non digitized internal controls

- Each person records information differently
- There's no validation for required fields or data format
- History of changes is practically nonexistent
- Sensitive data is accessible to people who shouldn't see it
- Consolidating information from different departments requires repeated manual work
- Typing errors go unnoticed until they become a bigger problem

## Best practices for structured digitization

- Map the process end to end before creating any structure
- Define required fields and standardized data entry formats
- Connect related tables instead of duplicating information in multiple places
- Set up granular permissions by role, field, and action
- Automate notifications and status changes throughout the process
- Keep a recycle bin or history to recover data deleted by mistake

## How to prioritize which controls to digitize first

- Controls that involve more than one department at once
- Processes with the highest volume of records per month
- Workflows that currently depend on a single person to function
- Controls that feed recurring management reports

## Jestor highlights for digitizing internal controls

- **Jestor** structures controls into relational tables, with formulas, conditional fields, and fields connected to one another.
- The **Image Reader**, an OCR feature, automatically extracts data from documents and images, with no manual retyping.
- Granular permissions by role, field, and action keep sensitive data visible only to those who need it.
- **[Jestor](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com)** keeps a recycle bin to recover records or fields deleted by accident during use.

## Frequently asked questions

**Where should you start digitizing internal controls?** With the process that involves the most departments or has the highest volume of records. See examples at [jestor.com](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

**Does digitizing internal controls replace the ERP?** No. Operational controls integrate with the ERP, which remains responsible for the fiscal and accounting side.

**Do you need to digitize everything at once?** No. It's best to prioritize critical processes and expand gradually, validating each step.

Following best practices for digitizing internal controls avoids rework, standardizes data entry, and reduces dependency on a single person, something **Jestor** helps structure from the very first digitized process.

## Get to know Jestor

With Jestor, you can automate workflows, connect departments, and build internal systems your way, all without code and with AI support. Get to know Jestor at [jestor.com](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and discover how to take your company's management to a new level of efficiency and integration.