WORKFLOWS + PRINCIPLES
A clear way to move work from an idea to a result people can trust.
HOW WE WORK
A workflow is the set of steps for getting a task done. Each step needs a person responsible, a next action, and records showing what happened.
People steer. Systems keep the work moving.
Agree what needs doing, which records are needed, who handles each step, and who makes the decisions.
Use AI for suitable routine tasks, such as sorting documents or preparing a task list. Keep the original documents so a person can check the result.
A person handles unusual situations, checks the result, and gives any required approval before an action is taken.
Check the result, keep confirmation of what was done, and tell the next person what still needs attention. Use what we learn to improve the next round.
ONE EXAMPLE A bill arrives → check the amount and details → the person allowed to approve it says yes → pay it and save the payment confirmation. One example. We agree which tasks are included and who handles them before work begins.
THE PATH YOUR BOOKS TAKE
Start with where your books are today. Find missing records, investigate numbers that do not match, and check the monthly reports against bank statements, receipts, and invoices. Your “Voyage Map” is the plan showing each step, the person responsible, and anything still unresolved.
THE STRUCTURE BEHIND THE WORK
Use technology for routine tasks whose results we can check, such as sorting documents or preparing a task list. People handle unusual situations, make decisions, approve actions, and remain responsible.
97/3 is a goal for increasing the routine work technology can handle while protecting human decisions. It is not a measured result or a promise that AI will do 97% of your work.A cycle is a recurring area of work, such as billing or payroll. A stage shows where that work stands. A workflow connects the steps, people, and checks. Firms adapt the cycles to their own work.
Invoices and incoming payments · accounts receivable
Supplier bills and outgoing payments · accounts payable
Coordinate pay
Know your stock
Track the requirements we agree to help with · compliance
Track borrowing and money owners put into or take out of the business · capital
Review the numbers, reports, and unresolved questions · month-end
These are Tied Out Books’s bookkeeping cycles. The structure can also organize other repeatable firm and business operations.
PROGRESS IS EARNED, NOT ASSUMED
Preparation and verification come before the authorized action. “Close” means checking the result against the records and keeping confirmation of what was done. Unresolved issues remain visible.
OUR PRINCIPLES, IN PRACTICE
We like a good “what if?” We also want to see the evidence.
Reduce waiting, duplicate steps, and avoidable rework.
Use evidence to find the problem and test whether a change helps.
Start with the end in mind, set priorities, and build win-win working relationships.
Show who is responsible, what has been done, and what happens next. Keep the original documents with the work.
Try another workable approach. If work cannot continue, explain why and who needs to make the next decision.
Use technology for tasks whose results we can check. People make decisions and remain responsible.
These are principles we put to work together. We agree how to put them into practice for your business and team.
LET’S PUT IT TO WORK
Start with the work you want to improve. We’ll agree which tasks you need help with and who will handle them.
Find my pathKEEP EVERYONE CONNECTED
Explain what is happening in the business, answer questions, and approve decisions.
Organize transactions, compare them with the original records, and flag unresolved questions.
Use organized financial reports and records to prepare your tax returns.
Connected work. Clear responsibility.
Tied Out Books provides bookkeeping, business operations, and AI systems support. Tied Out Books is not a CPA firm and does not prepare income tax returns. Your tax preparer handles that work.