Test it on cases where you already know the answer, including items that should not match. A suggested match still needs evidence, and an unresolved item should stay visible.
The spreadsheet already works, so what would AI improve?
Maybe nothing. Compare any new approach against the current one on wrong matches, missed exceptions and reviewer effort.
1. Same account, same period.
Scope. Identify the bank account, entity, currency and statement period.
Completeness. Check that all expected records arrived. Reconcile row counts and control totals to the sources.
Traceability. Keep transaction identifiers and source references through every step.
Practical check: A matching result can’t make up for a missing input file.
A fictional example: one receipt, two possible matches.
- Bank receipt
- CA$1,000, reference missing.
- Open invoice A
- CA$1,000, reference INV-A.
- Open invoice B
- CA$1,000, reference INV-B.
- Result
- Amount alone doesn’t identify the invoice. It stays unresolved until the missing evidence arrives.
2. Prepare the evidence. Don’t force a match.
Possible differences. Timing, partial payments, combined receipts, fees or duplicate records.
Useful assistance. Collect the relevant lines and references, and explain why a candidate was suggested.
Finance decides. Confirm the treatment and any authorized adjustment. Don’t invent an entry to make a difference disappear.
Practical check: A configured tolerance is not permission to hide an unexplained gap.
3. How would you catch a false match?
Known cases. Test matching and non-matching examples, including duplicate amounts and reversed signs.
Repeatability. Rerun the same inputs and compare the results. Check for omitted and duplicated lines.
Review record. Record accepted matches, unresolved items, adjustments and the reviewer’s decision.
Practical check: A zero difference is not the only evidence of a correct reconciliation.
Read more: Should an AI Agent Post Journal Entries? What to Check First · Faster Finance Prep, Longer Review: What Did AI Actually Save?
The example is fictional. This is general guidance, not accounting advice.