What school finance leaders say makes workflow change stick: Lessons from school business and finance leaders on approvals, purchasing and accounts payable change management

Digital transformation can sound like a major project. In school finance, it usually starts somewhere much more practical: the workflow. The everyday work that has to run reliably, even when capacity is tight and priorities keep shifting.

Across schools, the same friction shows up again and again. Approvals stall. Invoices sit in inboxes. Exceptions create rework. It’s hard to see what is waiting, where it is sitting, and why. Audit readiness depends on manual checking and searching. Risk increases when supplier changes and invoice checks live in email threads.

We created a short playbook based on lessons and quotes shared by school business and finance leaders. It focuses on the change management that helps workflow improvements stick, especially across approvals, purchasing and accounts payable automation..

The five moves schools prioritised

This is the pattern we saw across schools. Not as a rigid sequence, but as a reliable set of moves that reduce friction.

1) Define the problem in one sentence
Avoid broad goals like “we need digital transformation.” The schools that moved fastest tended to name one practical bottleneck: approvals clarity, invoice visibility, exceptions and rework, audit readiness, or continuity.

2) Make the workflow visible
Map how work really moves today, including the email chains and workarounds. The goal is simple: find where work waits, why it waits, and who owns the next step.

3) Standardise what matters
Most delays are caused upstream. Schools reduced rework by clarifying what information is required, when it is required, and what “ready for approval” actually means.

4) Pilot first, then expand
Capacity is the constraint. Schools that made change stick tended to pilot one workflow, stabilise it, then scale once it felt easy for approvers and budget holders.

5) Build continuity into the process
Workflows that rely on one person’s knowledge create risk fast. Schools focused on documentation, clear ownership, and cross-skilling so the process survives staff changes.

Common pitfalls schools warned about

·       Starting with the tool, not the problem you’re solving

·       Underestimating the impact on approvers and budget holders

·       Trying to standardise everything at once instead of piloting what matters

A simple starting point you can use today

1.      Where does work wait most often? (approvals, coding, missing info, supplier queries)

2.     What triggers exceptions? (unclear Delegation of Authority, inconsistent documentation, missing PO detail)

3.     What is hardest to track? (who has it, what’s next, what changed)

4.    What would break if one person was away? (handover risk)

That’s usually enough to identify one workflow to pilot and improve first.

In their words

“Involve the team in 'the why' before telling them the 'what'.”
Priscilla Bailey, Director of Business, Sports College South Australia

“Clear and consistent communication is key.”
Jaime Southam, Finance Manager, Penrhos College

“Backup is key. Building team capacity ensures continuity and smooth operations.”
Kumesh Haripersad, Business Manager, Peter Carnley Anglican Community School

What’s inside the playbook

The playbook includes the full set of themes and quotes from school business and finance leaders, suggested reading paths depending on your role, and a one-page Key Findings Snapshot you can share internally.

Download the playbook HERE
Book a 15-minute workflow review
Or schedule a Alii product demonstration tailored to a school setting at info@myalii.cloud

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