Closing the books
Software has taken over parts of the close. It has not taken over the judgement.
Bookkeeping automation is usually sold as though the whole month-end disappears. In practice it absorbs some steps almost completely, helps a little with others, and leaves a few exactly where they were. Knowing which is which is the difference between a tool that saves time and one that just moves the work somewhere else.
The close, step by step
In the order it happens, with what software can realistically take.
Getting the transactions in
Bank and card feeds, receipts, invoices raised and bills received, all landing in one place for the period.
Categorising
Assigning each transaction to an account, consistently enough that the reports mean something later.
Reconciling
Making the books agree with the statements, and chasing down whatever does not match.
Adjustments and accruals
Prepayments, depreciation, anything that belongs in this period but did not happen to move cash in it.
Reviewing and signing off
Reading the result and asking whether it describes the month that actually happened.
The pattern is consistent: the further down the list a step sits, the less of it automation absorbs. That is worth knowing before buying, because the pricing rarely reflects it.