If consulting firms and software suppliers are to be believed, the only way to achieve a fast close is through the implementation of either packaged or custom software systems, which can automate all kinds of troublesome manual systems associated with the close. This chapter covers the principles under which automation tools should be added to the closing process and describes several types of automation. One should automate only if there is a cost‐effective improvement in the closing process. One must not automate a flawed process. Focus should be on time reduction and centralizing accounting data. Justifying an enterprise resources planning (ERP) installation solely on the need to improve the speed of the close is not a good idea. If the main justification for an ERP purchase is to improve the closing process, then one must consider buying standalone consolidation software instead.