Guide to best practices for digitizing internal controls
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 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.
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 and discover how to take your company's management to a new level of efficiency and integration.