How Long Should It Take to Catch Up on Work That Is 3 Months Behind?

How Long Does It Take to Enter 3 Months of Bank Statements?

In a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME), handling bank statements can be a manageable, yet significant task. Given that bank statements are generated daily, each typically filling a full page, and the beginning of each month producing about three pages, catching up on these records is essential.

Assessing the Time Required

If you’re starting from scratch with three months of unentered bank statements, how much time would you estimate is necessary to get up-to-date?

My Experience

As someone who joined a new company a month ago, I’ve been balancing learning the system with maintaining the current month’s entries. The steep learning curve has been challenging, and although I’ve been working diligently, my new employer has expressed dissatisfaction with the pace—accusing me of underperformance and contemplating hiring someone else.

Is My Pace Unusual?

This brings me to wonder if my pace is truly inadequate. Given that I’m still mastering the new software while juggling various tasks, is it reasonable to expect complete catch-up on the previous worker’s backlog within a month? How long should such a task typically take in your experience?

I’d appreciate your insights or advice on managing such a backlog efficiently.

Catching up on work that is 3 months behind can be a daunting task, especially in a Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) where resources may be limited. The time required can vary greatly depending on several factors, including the complexity of the work, the efficiency of the system in place, and the individual’s familiarity with both the system and the tasks. Below, I’ll break down some considerations and provide an estimate for your specific situation involving bank statements.

Key Factors Affecting the Time Requirement

Volume of Work:
If each day represents one full page of bank statements and there are around 90 days in 3 months, that’s approximately 90 pages. With the heavier loads at the beginning of the month, the total could be around 120-130 pages.
Complexity of Transactions:
Simpler transactions (e.g., regular income and expenses) might take less time to enter and reconcile, whereas complex transactions would require more attention.
System Proficiency:
As you mentioned, learning the new system has been a challenge. Proficiency with the system can greatly influence how quickly you can process data. Typically, learning a new system might take a few weeks to get reasonably efficient.
Availability of Resources:
Having up-to-date checklists, guidelines, or assistance from colleagues can speed up the process significantly.
Other Responsibilities:
Balancing the catch-up work with current responsibilities and other tasks can slow down the process.

Estimated Time to Enter 3 Months of Bank Statements

Assuming you have now become more familiar with the system and you’re working with minimal disruptions:

Bank Statement Entry per Day/Page: Let’s estimate on the higher end of 10-15 minutes per page for someone who is semi-proficient. This is considering you still might need some time to cross-reference or double-check entries.
Total Time Calculation:
120 pages:
- At 10 minutes per page: ( \frac{120 \text{ pages} \times 10 \text{ minutes}}{60 \text{ minutes/hour}} = 20 \text{ hours} )
- At 15 minutes per page: ( \frac{120 \text{ pages} \times 15 \text{ minutes}}{60 \text{ minutes/hour}} = 30 \text{ hours} )

One response

APAdmin

26 February 2025 at 3:02 PM
Catching up on work that is 3 months behind can be a daunting task, especially in a Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) where resources may be limited. The time required can vary greatly depending on several factors, including the complexity of the work, the efficiency of the system in place, and the individual’s familiarity with both the system and the tasks. Below, I’ll break down some considerations and provide an estimate for your specific situation involving bank statements.

Key Factors Affecting the Time Requirement
1. Volume of Work:
2. If each day represents one full page of bank statements and there are around 90 days in 3 months, that’s approximately 90 pages. With the heavier loads at the beginning of the month, the total could be around 120-130 pages.
3. Complexity of Transactions:
4. Simpler transactions (e.g., regular income and expenses) might take less time to enter and reconcile, whereas complex transactions would require more attention.
5. System Proficiency:
6. As you mentioned, learning the new system has been a challenge. Proficiency with the system can greatly influence how quickly you can process data. Typically, learning a new system might take a few weeks to get reasonably efficient.
7. Availability of Resources:
8. Having up-to-date checklists, guidelines, or assistance from colleagues can speed up the process significantly.
9. Other Responsibilities:
10. Balancing the catch-up work with current responsibilities and other tasks can slow down the process.
Estimated Time to Enter 3 Months of Bank Statements

Assuming you have now become more familiar with the system and you’re working with minimal disruptions:
- Bank Statement Entry per Day/Page: Let’s estimate on the higher end of 10-15 minutes per page for someone who is semi-proficient. This is considering you still might need some time to cross-reference or double-check entries.
- Total Time Calculation:
- 120 pages:
  - At 10 minutes per page: ( \frac{120 \text{ pages} \times 10 \text{ minutes}}{60 \text{ minutes/hour}} = 20 \text{ hours} )
  - At 15 minutes per page: ( \frac{120 \text{ pages} \times 15 \text{ minutes}}{60 \text{ minutes/hour}} = 30 \text{ hours} )
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