How to Scale Finance Operations (With a Roadmap)

Scaling your finance team isn’t just about growing it.
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In a high-growth company, your finance function plays a pivotal role in how fast and how confidently you can move. But there’s a fundamental difference between growth and scale. Growth adds more: more people, more processes, more approvals. Scale means doing more without adding the same amount of effort. And that’s where I’ve seen many companies stumble.
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Especially in finance, the old way- more spreadsheets, more hires, more late nights- quickly hits a breaking point. Scaling requires a shift: from manual grunt work to smart, integrated tools. And if you’re dealing with complex processes like ASC 606 revenue recognition or commission payouts? Tooling isn’t just helpful, it’s non-negotiable.
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Let’s explore what scaling finance actually means, when you know you're hitting limits, and how to architect the right tech stack to move faster, close cleaner, and gain strategic visibility.

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What Does It Mean to “Scale” a Finance Function?

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Scaling isn’t just about handling more transactions. It’s about building repeatable and reliable processes that can handle increasing complexity, without linearly increasing headcount. In essence, scaling can be interpreted as managing a larger volume of transactions, more compliance standards, and more payroll activities, with better efficiency, accuracy, and reliability. 
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Here’s what scaling finance should unlock:
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• 🕐 Faster Close Cycles: From 15+ days down to under a week. Tooling automates data collection, processing, and report creation. All you need to do is review- and even that becomes options depending on your data set-up and how accurate it is.
  
  
• ✅ Better Compliance: Especially with ASC 606 and SOX-readiness. With compliance being so important right now.
  
  
• 📊 Real-Time Visibility: Rolling forecasts, clean dashboards, and zero-surprise audits- the aim is to have real-time information on all financial processes as they are happening, instead of sad reports after the call of the hour has passed.
  
  

Strategic scaling involves better FP&A, long-range planning, and business partnering.More data and more organization= more insights for better strategization.

Operational scaling means automating the basics such as revenue recognition, commissions, billing, and reconciliations. 
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“By Series B, finance becomes more than recordkeeping. It's about unlocking decision-making at scale.”
— CFO, SaaS Finance Survey 2024

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TL;DR Summary

Scaling finance isn’t about hiring more. It’s about using tools to unlock speed, accuracy, and insights, especially when dealing with ASC 606 revenue recognition and complex commissions. This guide walks you through signs you're ready, tools to consider, and a 90-day plan to make it happen.

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Warning Signs You’re Reaching a Breaking Point

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Wondering if your finance ops are scalable? Here are the red flags I see often:

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• 🧾 Your close takes 15+ days, and it’s creeping up every quarter
  
  
• 🧨 You miss audit prep timelines or scramble to explain revenue numbers
  
  
• 📉 Revenue schedules and commissions sit in fragile spreadsheets
  
  
• ⏳ Sales comp delays are causing rep friction and shadow accounting
  
  
• 😩 Your team is burned out chasing manual reconciliations and email approvals

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. I’ve seen multiple companies bringing in siloed solutions that don’t work together, bringing in multiple people to improve situations, or getting the help of tools too late.

Why Tools Are the Key to Scaling- Not Just More Hires

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More headcount might feel like the immediate fix, but its rarely sustainable. When the process itself is broken, no amount of people can join together to anything close to agility and efficiency. 

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Here’s why tooling wins:

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• 💸 Cost: A tool that automates reconciliations may cost the same as one FTE but saves thousands of hours annually and improves compliance and visibility.
  
  
• ⚙️ Automation: Tools reduce the risk of manual errors, duplicate data entry, and process fragmentation. Technology is our friend. Use it whenever there’s a chance to get more reliability.
  
  
• 📉 Operational Bloat: Strategic tools streamline your workflows instead of patching them. For example, with increasing sales headcount and more complex incentives, there’s a limit to how many interconnected spreadsheets you can use. Trust me, they will break one day and cause errors in paycheck numbers.

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For example, a SaaS finance team using Visdum for commission management can leave sales commission calculation, ASC 606 commission amortization, and report creation to Visdum. On top of this, leadership gets real-time information about the state of sales and sales comp through live dashboards.

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What makes this accuracy and clarity possible? Integrations and a focus on ease of use. 

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Also Read: Are Sales Commission a Period Cost? ASC 606 and ASC 340

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Why Founders Can't Scale Finance Without ASC 606 in Place

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If you’re growing fast, ASC 606 isn’t just an accounting rule- it’s a growth bottleneck waiting to happen. Perhaps your business can survive its first year with cash-based accounting, but as soon as you move to accrual-based accounting, which you will have to use to account for recurring revenue in SaaS, things will start breaking. 

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“69% of finance leaders say ASC 606 has increased the complexity of revenue management and forecasting.”
— PwC 2024 Revenue Recognition Benchmark Survey

Here’s what happens when it’s not handled properly:

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📉 Forecasts Break Down
Your burn rate, runway, and growth plans are only as good as your revenue model. If revenue isn’t recognized correctly, your FP&A team is flying blind. That means poor planning, missed hiring windows, and shaky board decks.
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💸 Commission Chaos Hurts Sales
If commissions aren’t amortized per ASC 606, reps get paid late, or worse, overpaid, and clawbacks begin. That’s how you lose trust and deal momentum right when you’re scaling headcount.
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🚩 You Miss Fundraising Milestones
By Series B, every investor and auditor expects ASC 606 to be clean. If you’re still stitching together spreadsheets, due diligence slows down—and so does your next round.
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Must Read: A Practical Guide to ASC 606 Sales Commissions
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A Modern Finance Tech Stack (By Function)
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Let’s break down the tools modern finance teams use—function by function:

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🧾 General Ledger

Tools: NetSuite, Sage Intacct
When to Upgrade: QuickBooks no longer cuts it after ~$5M ARR or multi-entity needs.

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💸 Commissions & Incentive Comp

Tools: Visdum
When to Adopt: If you’re delaying closes due to commission disputes or struggling with ASC 606 allocation.

📈 Revenue Recognition

Tools: Maxio, Zenskar
When to Use: For multi-year contracts, usage-based billing, or ASC 606 complexity.
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📊 FP&A and Forecasting

Tools: Mosaic, Pigment
When to Implement: When Excel slows down planning and forecast models become unreliable.
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🌍 Payroll & Global HR

Tools: Gusto, Deel, Rippling
When to Scale: Once you hire cross-border or need better org-wide visibility.
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💳 Expense Management

Tools: Ramp, Navan
When to Use: When reimbursements pile up or there’s zero control over employee spend.
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🧾 Billing & Invoicing

Tools: Chargebee, Stripe Billing
When It Matters: When billing delays slow down cash flow or customer disputes escalate.
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Tool Prioritization Framework
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Here’s a simple framework to choose the right tools:
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1. Map Your Workflows: Start with your month-end close, quote-to-cash, and hire-to-retire cycles.
   
   
2. Score by Impact/Pain: Which processes are error-prone or time-consuming?
   
   
3. Find the Gaps: Where does manual work pile up?
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🔎 Pro Tip: Start with audit blockers like commissions and rev rec as these often create downstream delays.
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✅ Pilot First: Always test with power users. Roll out in waves.

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What Not to Do When Scaling Finance

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Let’s talk about common pitfalls I’ve seen (and lived):
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• ❌ Buying software before mapping your workflows
  
  
• ❌ Using ERP as a catch-all bandaid
  
  
• ❌ Having too many siloed tools with no integration
  
  
• ❌ Ignoring data migration and compliance planning
  
  
• ❌ Locking into vendors that don't scale with your growth
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Avoid these mistakes and your finance transformation will actually… transform.

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Scale Your Finance Function in 90 Days (Roadmap)

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Here’s a fast, realistic plan to get started:

📅 30 Days

• Map key workflows (close, commissions, revenue recognition)
  
  
• Identify top pain points
  
  
• Review audit readiness
  
  

📅 60 Days

• Shortlist tools by function and need
  
  
• Involve key users in demos
  
  
• Prioritize rev rec and commissions (ASC 606 risk!)
  
  

📅 90 Days

• Roll out critical tooling (e.g., Visdum for comp)
  
  
• Set new KPIs: close time, audit prep speed, rep payout timelines
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Final Thoughts

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Scaling your finance function isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing better with less.
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With the right tools, you:
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• Reduce manual work
  
  
• Improve compliance (especially under ASC 606)
  
  
• Enable real-time, strategic finance
  
  

🚀 Ready to scale commissions and their revenue recognition the right way?
See how Visdum can help →

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FAQs

1. What is ASC 606 and how does it affect commission accounting?

ASC 606 is a revenue recognition standard that requires companies to recognize revenue when performance obligations are satisfied. For commissions, this means you can’t always expense them immediately—they often need to be amortized over the life of the related contract. This affects how sales incentives are tracked and reported, especially in SaaS and subscription businesses.

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2. How do I recognize sales commissions under ASC 606?

Under ASC 606, incremental commission costs must be capitalized and amortized over the expected customer relationship period. This typically requires:

• Identifying which commission costs qualify
  
  
• Linking them to specific contracts
  
  
• Creating an amortization schedule (often multi-year)
  Manual tracking in spreadsheets is risky—dedicated tools like Visdum can automate this process accurately.
  
  

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3. When should a startup start worrying about ASC 606 compliance?

Startups should begin ASC 606 compliance:

• Post-Series A, especially if you're scaling revenue or preparing for audit
  
  
• If you're selling long-term contracts or SaaS subscriptions
  
  
• When rep commissions or bonuses are tied to revenue
  Non-compliance can delay audits and cause valuation issues during fundraising or acquisition.
  
  

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4. How does improper revenue recognition impact scaling finance operations?

Improper revenue recognition causes:

• Forecasting errors in cash flow and revenue modeling
  
  
• Delayed audits or restatements
  
  
• Inaccurate commission payouts, leading to rep mistrust
  It also slows down your month-end close process, which becomes critical as you grow.
  
  

5. How do commissions affect revenue recognition workflows?

Commission payouts directly impact revenue recognition because they’re considered contract acquisition costs. Misalignment between sales comp data and revenue schedules leads to:

• Incorrect amortization
  
  
• Restatement risk
  
  
• Delays in close
  That's why companies integrate commission management tools with rev rec engines for ASC 606 alignment.
  
  

6. What tools help automate ASC 606 and commissions together?

Top tools include:

• Visdum – for sales comp + ASC 606 amortization
  
  
• Maxio – for SaaS revenue recognition workflows
  
  
• Netsuite + add-ons – for ERP + rev rec modules
  Look for tools that integrate quote-to-cash with revenue and comp reporting in one stack.
  
  

7. What’s the the link between ASC 606 compliance and audit readiness?

ASC 606 compliance is often a checklist item in Series B+ audits or M&A due diligence. Auditors look for:

• Accurate revenue schedules
  
  
• Proper capitalization and amortization of commissions
  
  
• Clear documentation and repeatable processes
  Lack of automation here delays close and invites scrutiny.
  
  

8. Why are spreadsheets risky for commission and revenue tracking?

Spreadsheets:

• Break under volume
  
  
• Lack version control
  
  
• Can’t automatically update amortization or rev schedules
  At scale, they cause payroll errors, restatement risk, and delay close cycles. Purpose-built tools provide audit trails and reduce errors.
  
  

9. How do I scale finance operations without hiring too many people?

The key is:

• Automating repetitive work (e.g., close, commissions, rev rec)
  
  
• Using integrated finance stacks
  
  
• Mapping workflows before adding tools
  Smart tooling enables your lean team to do more with less while improving compliance and visibility.
  
  

10. What’s a 90-day roadmap to scale commissions and revenue recognition?

Day 1–30
→ Map close + commission workflows
→ Identify manual choke points
→ Review ASC 606 risk zones

Day 31–60
→ Shortlist tools (Visdum, Maxio, Sage)
→ Involve users + pilot core functions

Day 61–90
→ Implement tooling
→ Set KPIs (close time, payout cycle, audit prep)
→ Review monthly

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