The Accounting Podcast Unlocking Capacity: The Workflow Revolution (from The Earmark Podcast)
Nov 11, 2025
Mary Delaney, CEO of Karbon, known for her expertise in workflow automation, joins Kenji Kuramoto, co-founder of Acuity, a leader in client accounting services. They dive into how standardizing workflows can enhance efficiency without compromising the creative aspects of advisory work. Topics include Karbon's acquisition of Aider for automating month-end tasks and the importance of time studies for identifying automation opportunities. They also discuss integrating workflows during mergers and the role of AI in streamlining operations.
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First Acquisition Failed Because Workflows Clashed
- Kenji described Acuity's first acquisition as a disaster because workflows were wildly different.
- They waited too long to align processes which made integration awful and limiting.
Turn Accounting From Art To Science
- Mary framed workflow as turning accounting from an art into a science by observing and defining steps.
- She advised automating, eliminating, delegating and then finding tech that enforces the process.
From Excel Checklists To Automated Work
- Kenji recalled starting with Excel checklists and later adopting digitized task tools to track work.
- He expected checklists to auto-check when work was done but didn't foresee workflow actually doing work.