Expense management is undergoing a fundamental shift. What was once a slow, manual, error-prone process is now evolving into something intelligent, automated, and transparent. And the numbers show why this change is overdue.
A recent report found that 75% of businesses say manual expense tracking increases fraud risk, while the ACFE estimates companies lose up to 5% of their annual revenue to expense fraud and policy violations.
On top of that, 47% of employees report delays in reimbursements due to outdated approval processes.
In 2025, finance leaders are no longer asking if they should automate expenses—they’re asking how fast they can do it.
Why Manual Expense Management Is No Longer Sustainable
Manual processes create hidden costs. Paper receipts, delayed submissions, and inconsistent reporting don’t just waste time; they damage trust and accuracy.
Finance teams spend countless hours chasing receipts, checking compliance, and rekeying data. These are all tasks that can and should be automated.
Fraud is another growing concern. Without automation, duplicate claims or non-compliant expenses often slip through the cracks.
According to the Forbes Finance Report, 48% of companies now use AI-powered audit tools to detect these issues in real time, saving significant losses before they occur.
The Data-Driven Era of Expense Management
Automation and AI are now reshaping expense management from the ground up.
Businesses that automate their expense systems see a 60% reduction in processing time and 35% lower operational costs, according to the Expense Management Trends Report 2025.
AI not only validates expense claims automatically but also identifies patterns, predicts anomalies, and provides real-time visibility—something 70% of finance teams cite as their top priority this year.
Companies using AI-driven expense tracking save an average of $75 per report, according to McKinsey & Co.
And CFOs are taking note: 87% now prioritise expense automation to strengthen compliance and accuracy (Deloitte Survey).
The Future Is Here
Expense management is moving toward being touchless, trackable, and transparent—where every submission, approval, and reimbursement happens automatically, backed by real-time data and policy compliance.
With UniFi’s Employee Expenses Automation, finance teams can eliminate manual effort, gain full visibility, and ensure every expense is compliant before it reaches the ledger.
The result? Less admin, fewer errors, faster reimbursements—and finance teams free to focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.