Journal entries are used by accounting teams to record adjustments, accruals, corrections, and financial events that are not automatically captured through daily transaction recording. Because journal entries directly affect the general ledger and financial statements, organizations must document clear procedures to ensure accuracy, proper approvals, and audit readiness.
This page provides a journal entry posting standard operating procedure (SOP) example used by finance teams to document the journal entry workflow. Many organizations document these processes using SOP management platforms such as ProcessDeck, allowing accounting teams to standardize procedures, assign responsibilities, and track process execution.
Journal entry procedures typically support broader bookkeeping workflows including daily financial transaction recording, bank reconciliation, and general ledger maintenance. Learn how organizations structure process documentation.
| Process Name | Journal Entry Posting |
| Department | Accounting / Finance |
| Responsible Role | Staff Accountant |
| Approval Role | Senior Accountant or Finance Manager |
| Frequency | As Required (typically during month-end or adjustments) |
| Systems Used | Accounting software (QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, SAP) General ledger reports SOP documentation software (ProcessDeck) |
The purpose of the journal entry posting procedure is to ensure financial adjustments are recorded correctly and approved before they affect financial statements. Organizations document this procedure in SOP software to standardize accounting controls and ensure consistent execution across accounting teams.
Proper journal entry procedures help organizations:
Before preparing a journal entry, the following information must be available.
Many journal entries originate from reviews performed during general ledger maintenance procedures used by accounting teams.
They may also result from discrepancies discovered during the bank reconciliation process performed during bookkeeping reviews.
Determine the reason for the adjustment.
Common triggers include:
These adjustments often arise during accounting reviews or reconciliation procedures.
Define the following components.
Ensure the journal entry balances before submission.
Attach supporting documents to the journal entry record.
Examples include:
Supporting documentation ensures audit traceability.
Open the journal entry module in the accounting system and enter:
Review the entry carefully before submission.
Many organizations require journal entries to be approved before posting.
Submit the entry to the responsible reviewer such as:
Approval workflows are often managed through SOP workflow management platforms like ProcessDeck.
After approval, post the journal entry to the accounting system.
Verify that the entry appears correctly in the general ledger accounts maintained by the accounting team.
Accounting teams should verify the following.
These checks reduce the risk of financial reporting errors. Understand how organizations preserve operational knowledge through knowledge transfer.
The output of the journal entry posting process includes:
These outputs support downstream workflows such as financial statement preparation and accounting close procedures. Learn how operational runbooks support incident response.
Modern accounting teams increasingly document financial workflows using SOP management software.
SOP platforms allow finance teams to:
Platforms such as ProcessDeck enable organizations to convert accounting workflows into structured, repeatable SOPs. Explore how SOP automation helps teams generate procedures faster. See how walkthroughs can be converted into documentation automatically.
Journal entry workflows connect to several bookkeeping procedures.