Digitalisation and structure.

01

Digitalising bookkeeping routines

From binder and bag to a flow that runs itself.

We start by mapping how documents actually move today: where receipts end up, how invoices arrive, who approves them and where things get stuck. Almost always there are one or two points causing the bulk of the backlog, and that is where the work should start.

Then we connect the flows. A bank feed brings transactions in automatically, a receipt app means a receipt is recorded where it arises rather than in arrears, and supplier invoices are received digitally and interpreted automatically. Every manual step removed is a step that can no longer be forgotten.

Since summer 2024 the paper original may be destroyed once the information has been transferred to digital form in a durable way, provided nothing is lost. That makes it possible to get rid of the binders for real. We make sure the transfer meets the requirement, so the archive holds up under review.

02

Digital workflows

Approval, payment and sign off in a chain that can be traced.

A workflow states what happens to a document and in what order. A supplier invoice arrives, is interpreted, coded, sent for approval to the right person and then placed on a payment list. Each step is logged, which means the question of who approved what has an answer.

On the customer side it is about the invoice going out the same day the work is finished rather than at the end of the month, reminders being sent automatically, and e-invoicing under the Peppol standard working when the customer is a public body. Shortening the time between work done and payment received is the cheapest liquidity improvement a company can make.

We keep the setup as simple as it can be. A flow with five approval levels in a company with three employees does not create order, it creates a bottleneck.

03

Ongoing reporting

Figures every month, and someone to say what they mean.

You get an income statement and balance sheet each period, with a comparison against the previous year and against budget where one exists. The report is accrued, which means one month can be compared with another without an annual invoice distorting the picture.

Beyond the report we go through what deviates. A cost line growing faster than revenue, a margin slipping, a receivable that has aged. The deviations are the information, and they are easily lost in a report that is simply sent without comment.

If the company needs key figures we follow them: solidity ahead of a bank negotiation, margin per project, staff cost in relation to turnover. We pick a handful that mean something for your business rather than a dashboard nobody looks at.

04

Routines that last

Order that works even in the month when nobody has time.

A routine is documented, has an owner and a point in time. Missing any of the three it is not a routine but a habit, and habits stop working as soon as someone is ill, on leave or simply has too much on. We write down who does what and when, in a form short enough to actually be read.

We also build in checks that catch errors early: reconciliation against the bank each period, a check that VAT agrees with the books, follow up of overdue customer invoices. An error caught in the same month takes minutes to correct. The same error found in the annual accounts takes hours and may have affected a VAT return on the way.

When the company grows or staff change we revisit the routine. What suited three employees rarely suits ten, and a routine that has not kept up with the business creates more work than it saves.