Is a Zero-Day Close Really Possible? A Practical Guide for Finance Teams

The greatest tension in a finance org isn't between the number-crunching accounting team and the feverishly forecasting FP&A squad. It's the war against time itself—specifically, the gap between financial activity and having accurate, readily available financial data.

The month-end close exists to bridge this gap, but even top-performing teams typically need 4-5 days to close their books. With each passing day, the FP&A team loses precious time to strategize, and critical business decisions hang in limbo waiting for final numbers.

This raises an intriguing question – what if there was no close at all? Is it possible for teams to automate their way into having seamless, real-time financial clarity? In other words, is the zero-day close possible?

The Question on Everyone’s Mind: The Zero Day Close

Firstly, what exactly defines the zero-day close? As we see it, the zero-day close, which might also be called a continuous or touchless close, refers to an accounting process where financial reporting is completed in real time, eliminating month-end bottlenecks. As the name implies, a zero-day close is the lack of a close altogether: what need is there to post new JEs, enter invoices manually, or even reconcile accounts if all your data is accurately tabulated and accounted for at the time of the financial activity?

How long does the month-end close take generally though? According to The American Productivity and Quality Center's (APQC) 2017 General Accounting Open Standards Benchmarking survey, a top close performer finished their close between 4-5 days while the median close time across the dataset was six business days. So, if even the best performers are only closing in 4 days and we can assume that they’ve been ruthless in their path to efficiency, how then could a team cut another four business days from their close? It doesn’t seem humanly possible.

And perhaps that’s the point. Until very recently, the zero day close lived as a theoretical milestone with very little practical possibility. That said, AI and automation are changing the playing field to such a degree that zero day closes are starting to seem not only possible, but maybe even likely. 

Why a Zero-Day Close is So Hard to Achieve

Like the four minute mile or the two hour marathon in running culture, the zero-day close seems to impose a physical and psychological threshold that we have yet to overcome.

So, what’s stopping most companies from getting there?

Data Complexity & Cross-Functional Bottlenecks

At the most foundational level, accounting teams deal with significant data complexity — much of which stems from the fact that these teams ingest data from a litany of sources, few of which they control or influence. Accounting teams depend on sales, revenue operations, external vendors, banks, and a number of other parties to provide accurate data, but errors & mistakes can happen and misalignment can cause delays. Similarly, any of these parties might have hard limits for when they can provide new data – banks may only provide statements on select dates, payroll might take time to fully tabulate, etc. – so sometimes, accountants genuinely just have to sit and wait.

Having fragmented or ineffective processes can even further throw close timelines out of sync. When speaking on how teams should approach the critical quote-to-cash process, Ben Sheridan, Numeric’s Solutions & Product Manager and a CPA with extensive experience in financial systems architecture states. “When sales and finance aren’t in sync, errors pile up fast. A contract misalignment might not seem urgent—until it delays bookings and revenue recognition." As such, it’s easy to see how companies might add days back into their close behind some inherent data & process complication.

System Fragmentation & Integration Challenges

Jason Pikoos, Managing Partner of Technology & Innovation at Connor Group, says it best:

“The conundrum I refer to is ‘lots of technology, little automation’ and we’ve seen it enormously over the last decade and a half where every time people try to solve something, they get a new piece of technology. Finance and accounting cannot complain that there aren’t enough systems, there are more than enough systems.”

For accounting teams who might have struggled to assemble a well-integrated tech stack, trying to manually reconcile information between a set of disconnected ERP, CRM, and reporting tools is bound to add days to one’s close. Poor systems architecture will only further delay a close as a company begins to scale.

The Trade-Off Between Speed and Accuracy

Is there such a thing as closing too fast? While teams should strive for reduced close times, ensuring data integrity is critical — incorrect financials can quickly erode trust in the work of a finance org. Then again, what teams are missing out on massive efficiency gains by refusing to believe that automation and AI can prepare data more accurately than a human?

Edwine Alphonse, Financial Controller at Ramp, offers important perspective on this balance: "The overall benefit of accounting is to provide information about what a company is doing well and where there are issues. When you achieve the right level of detail and accuracy, you can identify issues and fix processes. You're more prepared for audits. And others can come into your process and understand what's happening. All of this actually cuts down the time it takes to close."

Pursuing the zero-day close isn't a race to be won at all costs — while the accolade represents a depth of systems integration and utter precision yet to be seen in the accounting world, it means very little if the financial data itself is inaccurate.

The zero-day close isn’t a race to be won at all costs – as neat as it sounds, nothing related to a zero-day close matters if the underlying data is inaccurate.

‍The Practical Path to a Zero-Day Close

What steps can finance teams take to put themselves closer to a zero day close? Nate Carbrey, VP, Global Corporate Controller at Paddle, is well-versed in the subject; while he hasn’t yet built or witnessed a zero day close himself, he has succeeded across past roles in cutting 30+ day closes down to less than 9 days and in developing accounting “SWAT” teams tasked with building scalable processes.

Here are Carbrey’s thoughts on how he identifies leverage opportunities en route to optimizing a close.

Step 1: Build a Close-Ready Finance Team

The foundation of a fast close is a well-balanced team with both accounting expertise and system-thinking skills. Carbrey emphasizes a three-tier approach when optimizing an accounting function: "I really think of it as three levels. The first is the foundational level, which is the people, the team. The second is the system layer. And the third on top of the system layer is your processes."

Without the right team composition, even the most advanced systems and processes will fall short. Finance leaders should be looking for team members who understand both the technical accounting requirements and how to leverage technology to streamline workflows. Beyond hard skills, Carbrey stresses the importance of establishing a culture of openness where leaders and their personnel can communicate to move people toward the work they find most fulfilling.

Step 2: Leverage Automation + AI to Eliminate Manual Work

If you still think AI is just the naive machine creating pictures of people with six fingers or writing “delve” too many times, then you’re clearly stuck in 2022. The use cases for AI have exploded in the past few years, and accounting teams at leading companies like OpenAI are changing the profession by championing AI across their workflows. A host of AI-powered tools have greatly reduced time spent on AP, AR, the month-end close, expense management, lease accounting, and much more.

With regard to automation, automated anomaly detection tools, like Numeric’s Monitors, help teams to flag potential errors before they impact financial statements, allowing them to address issues as they arise rather than discovering problems during the close process. This proactive, real-time approach significantly reduces the time needed for review and correction.

For a deep dive into how AI is changing the accounting industry, read Numeric's complete guide to AI for accountants.

Step 3: Optimize System Integrations

Centralized ERP and financial close tools eliminate reconciliation delays that plague many organizations. As Nate Carbrey experienced at a previous company, system fragmentation can create major inefficiencies: "We had a CRM system that was feeding into a subscription management tool, which then was feeding into QuickBooks. People would try to change the data in the subscription management system, but would forget to also go upstream to make sure the CRM system was accurate."

The solution? Direct integrations that eliminate middleware and create cleaner data flows. "As we transitioned from QuickBooks to NetSuite, we essentially subbed out that middle system... we chose to have our CRM system, Salesforce, talk directly to NetSuite via a Workato iPaaS solution to ensure that all the data in Salesforce is accurately coming over to NetSuite."

This approach not only reduces errors but also creates clarity around where data corrections should happen. As Carbrey puts it, "Everyone knew that data corrections were only done in one place at source."

Step 4: Move Tasks to the Pre-Close Period 

The most efficient accounting teams don't try to cram every close task into the close period itself. Instead, they strategically shift activities like fixed asset depreciation, recurring journal entries, and standard accruals into the pre-close timeframe. 

This strategy requires identifying which tasks don't need month-end data to complete. Recurring fixed expenses, payroll accruals, and preliminary reconciliations can often be prepared in advance, with only final adjustments needed during the actual close. By building these into regular weekly workflows rather than month-end sprints, teams can substantially reduce their close timeline.

Implementing this approach effectively means establishing systems of automated reminders and regular check-ins throughout the month. Teams that adopt daily or weekly close disciplines—such as regular bank reconciliations, weekly revenue recognition reviews, and ongoing expense accrual monitoring—find that their month-end process becomes focused only on truly time-sensitive activities, bringing them closer to the zero-day close ideal.

Can Any Company Achieve a Zero-Day Close?

It’s the answer everyone’s sitting on the edge of their seat to know. The reality is that the feasibility of a zero-day close varies significantly based on company size, complexity, and industry.

When asked about his approach to the theoretical zero-day close, Carbrey offered valuable perspective: "I love the aspiration. I think the practicality isn't 100% there depending on the business. For a small business and if you have a lot of automated processes, then I actually think it's kind of achievable." But for more complex businesses, Carbrey suggests, "The golden mark is five to seven business days."

For Smaller Companies with Highly Automated Processes

For smaller organizations with relatively straightforward business models and highly automated systems, a true zero-day close is increasingly within reach. With the right technology stack and well-designed processes, these companies may soon find themselves operating with real-time financial visibility.

For Complex, Multi-Entity Businesses

For larger, more complex businesses with multiple entities, currencies, and regulatory environments, a five to seven-day close remains a more practical benchmark, as Carbrey suggests. These organizations should focus on continuous improvement while recognizing the diminishing returns of pursuing the absolute zero.

Edwine Alphonse states: "If I spent the full month thinking about closing, it would become the sole focus of my work. I wouldn't have time to build other processes, create controls, mentor my team, or focus on audits." Finding the right balance between close speed and other strategic priorities is essential.

Getting Started: How to Move Closer to a Zero-Day Close

Whether a true zero-day close is achievable for your organization or not, these steps will help any finance team move closer to the ideal:

Assess Your Current Close Bottlenecks

Begin by thoroughly mapping your current close process and identifying the slowest components. As Desene Sterling, Controller at Sourcegraph, recommends: "I like to observe a full close and sit down with every member of the team and try to figure out what they are doing and why they're doing it. I look at how that's affecting other pieces — and what other people are doing."

Pay special attention to dependencies, which Sterling identifies as crucial: "I think my biggest thing is understanding dependencies. In prior companies I worked for, it was taking two weeks to close. And it was because people weren't understanding what tasks could happen early, and what tasks could be put off until the end."

Adopt Close Management Technology

Close management software provides a centralized command center to orchestrate every step of the close.

For Carbrey, the purpose of such tools is clear: "Functionally, that tool is playing air traffic controller so that we see all the things that are happening in a month-end close process and then can then measure how we're doing, when things are being done, when things should be done, and who all is doing it."

Modern close management solutions like Numeric go beyond basic checklists, offering dependencies, automated JE tracking, built-in controls, and real-time visibility into the close progress. With these tools serving as the "air traffic controller" Carbrey describes, teams can identify bottlenecks, measure performance, and continuously refine their close process to move closer to the ideal of a zero-day close.

Train Finance Teams on System Thinking

The accounting teams of tomorrow need to be as comfortable with systems and automation as they are with debits and credits. Jason Pikoos emphasizes that "for us to be successful in this new world of technology, we need to be techno functional experts. It's no longer the purview of the IT departments to be the experts on the technology."

Investing in upskilling your team to understand system integrations, data flows, and automation possibilities will pay dividends as you work toward a more efficient close. Pikoos adds that those entering the profession today "will be star players because they're going to come out with an amazing combination of accounting technology skills."

Cutting Down the Close with Numeric

See how teams like Awardco have shaved over 3 business days using a combination of Numeric’s close management, AI flux, and automated transaction monitoring. 

For teams that want to achieve a zero day close, they need products and vendors who match their ambition. Our goal at Numeric is to build the first real-time accounting platform – an effort that may begin with a focus on managing the close, but extends to developing a comprehensive solution for a range of accounting needs. As mentioned above, closing in zero days can only be done with extensive cross-functional collaboration and systems integration. To that end, we feel that the future of accounting is one where accounting, as we know it today, happens at the conception of any transaction – and tools that are comprehensive enough to fold the many processes behind that event into one will move the field forward.

As of today, here are Numeric features that leverage AI and automation in ways that can deliver real-time financial comprehension for finance teams:

Set-up ongoing transaction monitoring: With Monitors, you can flexibly set-up ongoing alerts to catch errors ahead of month-end account reconciliations. Catch any transactions tied to particular customers or, for Controllers doing a quality check of the full month-end process, surface all journal entries booked to A/R to scan through.

Use AI to get a headstart on flux analysis: In real-time, Numeric will catch any drivers of variance in your accounts over time, almost like having an AI assistant working 24/7 for your accounting team. Then, when you’re ready to start drafting variance explanations for any accounts, you can ask Numeric’s AI flux writer to give a draft of what transactions created variance between this period and the previous period. Not only can you customize the prompting to improve the drafts, but the AI will increasingly comprehend your writing style, commentary, and so forth.

Sync your ERP to Numeric for real-time transaction clarity: For companies on ERPs like NetSuite, Numeric has a continuous transaction sync that pulls in your chart of accounts along with any transaction that hits your GL. Tired of spending hours toggling between programs to ensure data accuracy? With Numeric, you can not only see all of your GL transactions at once, but Numeric will identify which transactions are keeping accounts from tying out, making account investigations almost instantaneous. In addition, teams can take advantage of Numeric’s report builder to wrangle transactions into custom reports for across the month spot checks.

Use Smart Subledgers to automate workpapers: Numeric’s Smart Subledgers eliminate the inefficiencies of spreadsheets by automating schedule creation for workflows like prepaid expense tracking,and seamlessly integrates with financial close workflows. Drop in an invoice or monitor core GL accounts to push to your subledger, handle accounting of the new items, and then each month, post a JE automatically to your GL. 

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‍Automate your reconciliations: With Numeric, you can handle all your balance sheet  recs in one spot. The system automatically pulls account totals from workpapers and your GL's trial balance. Even better, with a deep ERP integration, Numeric users can click into underlying transactions across accounts to investigate and Numeric will flag the exact transaction resulting in an account no longer reconciling. 

‍Keep your close organized and audit-ready with clear controls and documentation: Numeric makes it easy to assign close tasks to preparers and reviewers, and keeps track of all comments, changes, and submissions in a clear month-end close checklist. To boost productivity, establish dependencies that lock certain tasks from being started until a preceding one is finished.When audit time rolls around, auditors can log straight into Numeric and see a complete activity trail, no need for your team to spend hours resurfacing required documentation. Stay updated on close happenings with dedicated notifications, comment functionality, and Slack updates, ensuring a smooth flow of communication. 

Final Thoughts: The Future of Financial Closes

The journey toward a zero-day close represents more than a mere accounting milestone—it embodies a fundamental shift in how finance teams deliver value to their organizations. As AI and automation continue to evolve, they'll push the boundaries of what's possible, bringing companies closer to real-time financial clarity than ever before.

Teams positioned for success will be those who strengthen their current processes while actively embracing emerging AI capabilities. As Jason Pikoos notes, "We'll see so many more powerful applications in 2025. [AI + advanced automation] will be adopted much faster than any other technology within an organization. The next five years, it will be a major, major sea change." Organizations that resist this transformation risk falling behind as stakeholders increasingly expect more speed and accuracy in financial reporting.

While a true zero-day close may remain aspirational for many organizations in the immediate future, each step toward it yields significant operational benefits. For the few companies that achieve this ideal state, the competitive advantage in decision-making agility won't just improve their finance function—it could transform their entire business.

So yes, today the zero-day close is still just a dream. But along the path inching towards that dream, accounting teams get to better data, operational improvements, and more meaningful work. We personally think it’s worth trying to get there.

While the zero-day close is pretty aspirational for most organizations, the work done to get there still puts accounting teams in position to get better data, improve their operations, and find more meaningful work. It’s like the old saying goes – shoot for the stars: even if you miss, you’ll still have a better close.