Duration 2 days – 14 hrs

Overview

This GenAI training is built specifically for Accounting Department users who want to understand what Generative AI can do and how it can help in daily tasks—without needing technical skills.

Participants will learn AI capabilities, limitations, and safe usage practices, then apply GenAI to real accounting workflows such as email drafting, invoice and document review support, reconciliation assistance, variance explanations, report writing, audit preparation support, SOP creation, and productivity automation (templates/checklists). The focus is practical: less theory, more guided exercises and real workplace examples.

Objectives

• Understand what Generative AI is and how it supports accounting work
• Identify best-fit use cases (and where GenAI should NOT be used)
• Use GenAI to speed up daily accounting tasks (writing, summarizing, checking, explaining)
• Create effective prompts for accounting scenarios
• Improve accuracy by validating outputs and avoiding AI “hallucinations”
• Apply safe handling of data (confidentiality, privacy, redaction best practices)
• Build a personal “GenAI Prompt Playbook” for accounting workflows

Target Audience

• Accountants, Accounting Associates, Senior Accountants
• Accounts Payable (AP), Accounts Receivable (AR) teams
• General Ledger (GL) and Financial Reporting teams
• Payroll, Billing, Collections support teams
• Accounting Managers / Finance Supervisors
• Audit support and finance operations staff

Prerequisites 

• No coding required / non-technical friendly
• Basic Excel or spreadsheet familiarity
• Awareness of internal accounting processes is helpful
• Access to an approved AI tool (company-approved preferred)

Course Outline 

Module 1:  GenAI Basics for Accounting (Simple + Practical)

• What GenAI can do: drafting, summarizing, explaining, organizing, reviewing
• What it can’t do reliably: final decisions, guaranteed accuracy, official accounting judgment
• Common mistakes: over-trust, wrong assumptions, missing context
  Quick Activity: “Where can AI help in our daily work?”

Module 2:  Safe & Responsible Use in Finance/Accounting

• Data privacy and confidentiality rules
• What NOT to paste: customer data, bank details, employee data, contracts, credentials
• Redacting and anonymizing data properly
• Human accountability: you remain responsible for outputs
  Workshop: “Safe prompts vs risky prompts”

Module 3:  Prompting Skills for Accounting Productivity

• Prompt formula: Task + Context + Rules + Output Format
• Examples: “Give me a checklist”, “Summarize in bullets”, “Write a professional email”
• Getting consistent outputs (templates + reusable prompts)
  Exercise: Improve 5 weak prompts into strong prompts

Module 4:  Daily Accounting Use Cases (High Impact)

• Email & Communication Drafting

• Vendor follow-ups for missing documents
• Collections reminders with proper tone
• Clarifying discrepancies professionally
  Lab: Email templates for AP/AR + escalation messages

• Document Reading & Summarization

• Summarize policies, SOPs, audit requests, contract/payment terms
• Extract key items: deadlines, requirements, action items
  Lab: “Turn long text into action steps + checklist”

Module 5:  Spreadsheet & Reporting Support (GenAI-Assisted)

(Works best when paired with Excel/Google Sheets AI tools)

• Explain variance trends in plain English
• Create narratives for month-end reporting
• Turn raw notes into structured report sections
• Create checklists for close activities (daily/weekly/monthly)
  Lab: Variance explanation + monthly close checklist generator

Module 6:  Reconciliation & Review Assistance (Support, Not Replacement)

• Using GenAI to:
  • suggest reconciliation steps
  • draft investigation questions
  • summarize findings and possible causes
• Controls mindset: verification + documentation
  Lab: Reconciliation notes → executive-ready explanation

Module 7:  Audit & Compliance Support

• Audit PBC (Provided By Client) request tracking assistance
• Drafting responses and evidence summaries
• Turning audit feedback into action items
  Lab: Build an “Audit Response Pack” template

Module 8:  Final Workshop: Accounting Prompt Playbook

• Create your team’s ‘Top 20 Accounting Prompts’
• Build quick templates for AP/AR/GL close
• Personal action plan: “How I will use GenAI next week”
  Output: Department prompt library + usage guidelines