For those who’ve ever discovered your self drowning in spreadsheets, chasing down approvals, or manually compiling reviews, belief me—you’re not alone. That’s the place Make.com involves the rescue. It’s the no-code automation platform that you simply didn’t know you wanted however received’t be capable to dwell with out, streamlining what you are promoting processes and connecting your favourite apps.
This information is your step-by-step roadmap to automating key monetary processes like invoicing, budgeting, reporting, and gross sales administration. I’ll stroll you thru real-life examples, share how every process will get simplified with Make.com, and provide you with all of the instruments to say goodbye to the chaos of guide work.
Why does this matter? As a result of in finance, time is every thing. Automation eliminates repetitive duties, minimizes these “oops, I made a mistake” moments, and frees up hours you could spend tackling bigger-picture initiatives and making smarter selections. It’s not nearly working smarter—it’s about conserving your sanity intact whereas doing it.
By the top of this information, you’ll see simply how simple—and game-changing—it may be to show your most tedious duties into flawless, automated workflows. Sound good? Let’s get began!
What Is Make And Why Use This Workflow Automation Software for Finance?
For those who’ve been ready for a software that may take your mundane, repetitive monetary duties and make them virtually disappear, then welcome to the world of Make.com. Its simple to make use of interface ensures that even these with out technical experience can arrange and handle workflows effectively.
It’s a no-code automation platform designed to attach your favourite instruments and apps, letting them discuss to one another in ways in which make your life infinitely simpler.
Gone are the times of manually copying information from one place to a different or spending hours double-checking inputs. With Make.com, these complications are swapped for smooth, automated enterprise processes that run like clockwork.
The Fundamentals of Make Automation
On the coronary heart of Make.com are its core options that make automation accessible for everybody—even these of us who aren’t IT wizards.
Plans And Pricing
Make has highly effective options even of their free model. The free plan offers you entry to just about ever characteristic, it simply has a decrease cap on the variety of automations you possibly can run.
For extra automations and API entry, you possibly can improve to Core for $9 per 30 days of Professional for $16 per 30 days.
To get began, click on the button beneath. For those who select a paid plan, you’ll obtain the perfect obtainable pricing and I’ll obtain an affiliate fee for free of charge to you.
Visible Workflow Builder:
Think about with the ability to design your workflows with no need to sort a single line of code. This builder means that you can create multi step workflows that may deal with complicated monetary processes with ease. That’s precisely how the visible workflow builder works.
You merely drag, drop, and join modules to create customized workflows that deal with your monetary processes. Every module represents a process—like sending an e mail, updating a database, or logging numbers in a spreadsheet—and also you prepare them like puzzle items to make your state of affairs come to life.
For instance, if you’d like invoices emailed to you to populate your accounting software program (suppose ZohoBooks) robotically, you’d create a workflow the place:
The set off is an incoming bill e mail.
The following modules course of this e mail, extract the required information, and log it into ZohoBooks.
The state of affairs finishes by sending you a pleasant, tidy affirmation.
Situations:
Talking of eventualities, these are the blueprints of your automation. Every state of affairs is a sequence of actions triggered by an occasion, like a brand new information entry, a acquired e mail, or perhaps a particular time of the day.
Right here’s why eventualities are a game-changer:
They’re versatile. You’ll be able to design them in response to your precise wants and tweak them as your workflows evolve.
They’re highly effective. Use filters and situations to ensure your workflow isn’t simply dumping irrelevant information the place it doesn’t belong. For instance, you may want solely authorized budgets despatched to your Google Sheets tracker, not pending or rejected ones.
They’re environment friendly. When you hit play, your state of affairs runs on auto-pilot, saving you hours of guide effort.
App Integrations:
One other ace up Make.com’s sleeve is its capacity to attach with tons of of common apps, from Google Sheets and Slack to QuickBooks and WooCommerce. For many who require larger information management, Make.com will also be put in by yourself server, offering enhanced customization choices.
Which means that any information it is advisable to transfer between your instruments can achieve this easily, saving you from the infinite copy-paste cycle. Plus, setup is a breeze—simply authenticate your apps as soon as and also you’re good to go.
Benefits of Automating Monetary Duties
For those who’re questioning why it’s best to even trouble with automation, permit me to interrupt it down for you.
Cuts Down Handbook Labor
We’ve all been there—hours spent transferring numbers, sifting by means of receipts, or double-checking spreadsheets. Not solely is it soul-crushingly tedious, however it’s additionally a colossal waste of your time (and abilities).
Make automates these duties, supplying you with time again to concentrate on extra strategic work—like really rising what you are promoting. Not like different instruments that require important funding in customized growth, Make.com presents accessible automation options that cater to each non-technical and superior customers.
Minimizes Errors:
Human error is inevitable, particularly if you’re dealing with large quantities of information. One slip-up in a components or one miskeyed bill quantity can result in hours of troubleshooting (and potential monetary complications).
Automation ensures constant accuracy throughout all of your workflows, so you possibly can breathe simple understanding the numbers are precisely the place they’re imagined to be.
Offers Actual-Time Insights:
Together with your workflows operating easily, you’ll have real-time entry to the info you want, proper if you want it. Whether or not it’s monitoring budgets, monitoring gross sales, or distributing reviews, automation permits you to pull insights immediately. This isn’t only a productiveness enhance—it’s a wiser technique to make selections that may affect your backside line.
Comparability to Different Automation Instruments
When evaluating workflow automation instruments, it’s important to think about the distinctive options and capabilities of every platform. On this part, we’ll examine Make to different common automation instruments, highlighting key variations and similarities.
Zapier Versus Make
Zapier is a well-liked automation software that provides a user-friendly interface and an unlimited library of integrations. Whereas Zapier is simple to make use of, it might not provide the identical degree of customization as Make. Zapier’s pricing plans are additionally extra restricted, with fewer choices for large-scale automation.
Make Versus n8n
n8n is an open-source automation software that provides superior options and customization choices. Whereas n8n is very versatile, it might require extra programming data to make use of successfully. n8n’s pricing plans are additionally extra geared in direction of large-scale automation, making it a greater possibility for enterprises.
Key Variations
Listed below are some key variations and similarities between Make and different automation instruments:
Visible Interface: Make presents a visible interface that makes it simple to create workflows with out coding abilities. Zapier and n8n additionally provide visible interfaces, however they could require extra technical experience to make use of successfully.
Customization Choices: Make presents superior customization choices, together with the flexibility to create customized modules and workflows. n8n additionally presents customization choices, however they could require extra programming data.
Integration Capabilities: Make presents a variety of integrations with common apps and providers. Zapier and n8n additionally provide integrations, however they is probably not as intensive.
Important Instruments to Pair with Make
One of many issues that makes Make.com a standout is simply what number of apps it could possibly combine with. Whether or not you’re a fan of Google Sheets, dwell and breathe PowerBI dashboards, or rely on instruments like ZohoBooks or WooCommerce to maintain issues operating, Make.com can hyperlink all of them up seamlessly.
These integrations are game-changers as a result of they permit your apps to “discuss” to one another, eradicating the necessity for guide information transfers or duplicative work. Take ZohoBooks, for instance—Make.com can sync e mail invoices instantly into your accounting software program robotically. Or, should you’re analyzing gross sales traits, it could possibly pull dwell information from WooCommerce into Google Sheets for easy monitoring.
By linking up all of your instruments, you’re basically creating one interconnected, hyper-efficient finance machine. As an alternative of managing particular person apps, you’ve acquired a complete ecosystem that works collectively, in concord, to streamline even probably the most complicated processes.
Right here’s how a few of these pairings can simplify your workload:
QuickBooks or ZohoBooks for automating tedious accounting duties like bill processing.
Google Sheets as a dynamic software for capturing and sharing monetary information in actual time.
PowerBI for distributing intuitive reviews at scale.
WooCommerce to handle eCommerce gross sales information with out lifting a finger.
Navigating Make Automation’s Person Interface and Core Options
Now, as a lot as we love a very good app integration, what actually makes Make.com shine is its user-friendly interface. You don’t have to be a tech genius to automate like a professional due to its visible, drag-and-drop workflow builder.
The Visible Workflow Builder: A Person-Pleasant Visible Interface
This builder is all about simplicity. Fairly than being overwhelmed by strains of code, you’re introduced with a clear interface the place you possibly can visually design workflows utilizing blocks (modules). Every module represents an motion—like grabbing information, doing calculations, or sending notifications.
Right here’s the way you’d create a workflow in Make.com:
Begin with a set off—that is the occasion that kicks off your automation (e.g., receiving an bill e mail).
Add modules to map out the workflow’s steps (e.g., extract bill information, ship it to ZohoBooks).
Use filters and situations to refine the method (e.g., solely course of emails with particular key phrases so spam doesn’t slip by means of).
Take a look at your workflow to ensure every thing runs prefer it’s imagined to.
Situations
A “state of affairs” is basically your automation blueprint. It’s how Make.com strings collectively triggers and modules right into a workflow that truly does the be just right for you.
Right here’s what makes eventualities wonderful:
Triggers provoke the magic—consider them because the beginning whistle on your automations.
Modules deal with the precise duties inside your workflows—sorting information, processing receipts, or sending alerts.
Filters and situations provide you with positive management, making certain solely the precise duties or information get acted on.
Situations are genius due to their flexibility. Must pause an automation? No downside. Wish to make tweaks on the fly? You are able to do that too. Even scaling eventualities to deal with extra information is simple as pie.
Connections Between Apps
When you’ve built-in your favourite instruments with Make.com, the probabilities are infinite. From syncing information between QuickBooks and a budgeting app to linking YNAB with Slack for workforce notifications, the connections really feel easy. The setup is safe and solely requires a one-time login, so that you received’t should take care of fixed resets. From there, you’re free to “set it and neglect it.”
Why Finance Execs Love It
What makes this interface such a lifesaver is the way it saves time, reduces errors, and handles the boring stuff so that you don’t should. It’s user-friendly sufficient for anybody to select up, no matter tech abilities, and highly effective sufficient to handle complicated duties. Plus, having every thing visually laid out means you’re by no means guessing what’s occurring behind the scenes.
Professional Tip: Set up your workflows with clear labels—and possibly even color-coding—that can assist you hold monitor of a number of automations. Belief me; it’s a lifesaver when your eventualities begin stacking up.
Step-by-Step Automation Walkthroughs
Organising automations in Make.com may seem to be a giant leap should you’re new to it, however belief me—it’s simpler than it sounds. With a little bit of know-how and a sprinkle of drag-and-drop magic, you’ll be stunned at how shortly you possibly can automate a few of the most tedious duties in finance. Under, we’ll stroll by means of two sensible automation examples utilizing Make.com. Every one is designed to avoid wasting you time, enhance accuracy, and make your workflows as easy as butter.
Processing Invoices – E-mail Receipts to ZohoBooks
Situation:
Think about by no means having to manually enter bill information into your accounting software program once more. This workflow automates the method of extracting bill particulars from emails and instantly importing them into ZohoBooks for seamless monitoring.
Step-by-Step Directions:
Combine Your E-mail and ZohoBooks in Make.com:
Authenticate your e mail account in Make.com.
Do the identical for ZohoBooks so the 2 apps can talk.
Create Your Set off:
Set the set off to activate each time a brand new e mail arrives with the topic line containing particular key phrases, like “bill” or “billing assertion.”
Extract Attachment Knowledge:
Add a module to extract particulars from the bill attachment—search for data like date, complete quantity, and recipient.
Map the Knowledge to ZohoBooks:
Match the extracted fields to the proper entries in ZohoBooks’ fee information. For instance, assign the “complete quantity” area to ZohoBooks’ “quantity paid” enter.
Add a Affirmation Alert:
End the workflow by organising an alert (by means of Slack or e mail) to inform you as soon as the bill information has been efficiently logged.
Case Research:
A mid-sized finance workforce as soon as spent upwards of 5 hours day by day inputting bill particulars. After implementing this automation, they reduce these hours all the way down to minutes, releasing them to concentrate on audits and shopper duties. It’s not simply time saved—it’s sanity restored!
Monitoring Funds Approvals – E-mail to Google Sheets
Situation:
For those who’ve acquired approval requests pouring in from each angle, this one’s for you. This workflow logs each e mail request right into a shared Google Sheet, giving your total workforce real-time visibility into the approval pipeline. Bonus factors for robotically acknowledging submissions.
Step-by-Step Directions:
Set the Set off for Incoming Emails:
Outline your set off to search for emails with an approval request topic line or a particular format.
Parse the Particulars:
Use a module to extract vital data from the e-mail, such because the funds merchandise, requested quantity, and present approval standing.
Feed the Knowledge into Google Sheets:
Choose your workforce’s shared Google Sheet and map each parsed element into the suitable column (e.g., “Merchandise Identify,” “Quantity Requested,” “Standing”).
Automate a “Thank You” Reply:
Add a ultimate module that sends a pleasant acknowledgment e mail again to the requester saying their approval request has been logged.
Case Research:
One startup’s finance workforce struggled to maintain monitor of funds approvals buried in e mail threads. After automating this workflow, they gained instantaneous, up-to-date visibility into each request. Staff members may examine the Sheets each time they wished, reducing decision-making delays in half.
Reporting Distribution – PowerBI to E-mail
Situation:
Relating to sharing insights, manually sending PowerBI dashboards to stakeholders is usually a drag. This workflow automates dashboard distribution so you possibly can hold everybody within the loop with out lifting a finger.
Step-by-Step Directions:
Join PowerBI to Make.com:
Authenticate your PowerBI account in Make.com to grant entry to your dashboards.
Set Up a Scheduler:
Use a scheduler module to find out how usually the reviews ought to be despatched—day by day, weekly, month-to-month—you title it.
Customise the E-mail Content material:
Compose the e-mail that may accompany the report. Embody personalised fields such because the recipient’s title or a particular word in regards to the information. Connect the dashboard file within the recipient’s most well-liked format (PDF or Excel).
Guarantee Automated Supply to Stakeholders:
Add your stakeholders’ e mail addresses to the automation. A number of recipients? No downside—Make.com can deal with that with ease.
Case Research:
A consulting agency specializing in monetary planning struggled to ship well timed reviews to its shoppers as a result of guide course of. By automating their PowerBI report distribution, they diminished reporting prep time considerably. Not solely did this enhance transparency and shopper satisfaction, however it additionally freed up their workforce to concentrate on extra urgent shopper wants.
Gross sales Administration – WooCommerce to Google Sheets
Situation:
Monitoring gross sales in real-time is essential for eCommerce companies, and manually logging order information seems like one thing out of the Stone Age. With this workflow, WooCommerce gross sales information syncs instantly with Google Sheets so you possibly can analyze traits with out getting slowed down.
Step-by-Step Directions:
Create a Set off in WooCommerce for New Orders:
Arrange a set off that prompts when a buyer locations a brand new order, making certain instantaneous information assortment.
Map Order Particulars to Google Sheets:
Choose your shared Google Sheet because the endpoint and map key order particulars like buyer title, product bought, worth, and fee standing into the suitable columns.
Automate Guidelines to Spotlight Essential Gross sales:
Add guidelines in your Google Sheet (e.g., conditional formatting) to robotically flag high-value gross sales or precedence orders, making it simpler to concentrate on what issues most.
Elective Step for Deeper Insights:
Push your gross sales information from Google Sheets right into a dashboarding software like PowerBI or Tableau to visualise traits, profitability, and progress metrics at a look.
Case Research:
A small however rising eCommerce enterprise was spending hours each week inputting gross sales information from WooCommerce into spreadsheets. After implementing this automation, they not solely saved time but in addition gained a greater understanding of gross sales traits. This helped them determine top-performing merchandise and optimize their stock administration—all with out extra guide effort.
Enhancing Effectivity With Extra Superior Options
When you’ve acquired the fundamentals of Make.com nailed down, it’s time to step up your recreation. This platform isn’t nearly automating easy duties—it’s a powerhouse of superior options that may take your workflows from purposeful to unstoppable. Right here’s easy methods to leverage them like a professional and squeeze each drop of effectivity out of your processes.
Utilizing Filters and Situations
Look, there’s no level in automating workflows should you’re nonetheless processing junk information. That is the place filters and situations are available in clutch—they act as your workflow’s gatekeepers, making certain solely the necessary stuff will get by means of.
For instance, say you obtain invoices from totally different departments, however solely funds over $5,000 want fast processing. As an alternative of losing assets on low-priority duties, you possibly can set situations to skip smaller invoices. Or possibly you’re working with particular shoppers who require customized workflows—filters can simply assist separate them out of your basic information, making certain every course of is as tailor-made because it must be.
One other gem is filtering e mail triggers. As an alternative of each single e mail cluttering up your workflows, you possibly can refine the set off to activate solely when sure key phrases (like “pressing” or a particular shopper title) pop up. This manner, you keep away from noise and concentrate on what really issues.
Dealing with Errors Like a Professional
Ah, the dreaded “one thing went fallacious” second. We’ve all been there, and whereas automation is a dream, even the perfect workflows can hiccup. The excellent news? Make.com is constructed to maintain you in management, even when issues go sideways.
First, you’ve acquired built-in alerts. Anytime one thing breaks in your workflow—say, a file format mismatch or a server error—you’ll get notified immediately. No extra discovering points hours (or worse, days) later.
Second, retries are your security internet. Missed information alternatives? Not on Make.com’s watch. You’ll be able to configure workflows to retry duties robotically for a set variety of makes an attempt earlier than requiring your intervention.
Lastly, guide overrides are a lifesaver. Think about an pressing bill fails to course of due to an error. With Make.com, you possibly can soar in, make corrections, and ship the workflow again on its merry method with out ranging from scratch. It’s like having an “Undo” button for automation.
Fast Suggestions for Mastering Make.com
For those who’re something like me, the thrill of automating every thing directly can really feel like hitting the jackpot. However belief me, a gentle strategy works greatest. Mastering Make.com isn’t about flipping a change—it’s about constructing easy, dependable workflows and scaling up as you go. Listed below are a number of fast suggestions that can assist you crush it with out breaking a sweat.
Begin Small and Construct Momentum
Positive, Make.com has the potential to revolutionize your processes, however don’t chew off greater than you possibly can chew on day one. Begin by automating a process or two that eats up probably the most time or annoys you probably the most—like syncing invoices or monitoring approvals. When you see the magic of automation in motion, you’ll naturally really feel able to deal with extra complicated workflows.
Recurrently Take a look at Your Workflows
Automation is simply nice if it really works, proper? Testing your workflows is non-negotiable. Run dummy information by means of your eventualities earlier than they go dwell, and ensure every thing flows easily from set off to completion. And even after issues are operational, don’t neglect to examine in periodically to make sure all components are working as anticipated.
You’d by no means ship out a quarterly report with out proofreading it first—your workflows deserve the identical consideration.
Schedule Neatly
Ever heard of automation visitors jams? They occur when too many workflows run directly, overloading techniques and generally inflicting errors. To keep away from that chaos, schedule your workflows to run throughout off-peak hours, like late evenings or early mornings.
That is particularly essential should you’re working with instruments that course of heavy information hundreds or generate plenty of reviews. Off-peak scheduling frees up bandwidth and ensures your automations hearth off with out a hitch.
Set Up Error Notifications
Look, even the perfect automations can hit a snag. Possibly a platform API crashes, or there’s a mismatch in information formatting. Regardless of the case, Make.com permits you to arrange error notifications so that you’re immediately conscious of any issues.
These alerts are lifesavers—they guarantee nothing slips by means of the cracks whereas supplying you with the possibility to course-correct instantly. Consider it like having a smoke alarm on your workflows.
