3 ways accountants can use automation to free up time for client work

Embracing automation: Enhancing time efficiency in accounting

In accounting, managing time goes beyond simply organizing your hours; it’s about maximizing value for both you and your clients.

Traditional tasks that take up significant chunks of your day, like data entry and transaction categorizations, are essential yet can be boring, repetitive, and sometimes stressful when you have other, important things to do.

Automation offers a fantastic solution, shifting the focus of your time from monotonous tasks to more strategic, value-added client interactions.

By embracing automation, you can unlock efficiency, reduce errors, and foster stronger client relationships. This ultimately leads to a more dynamic and rewarding place to work and more lucrative returns.

Here’s what we’ll cover

3 ways automation can free up time for client work

Implications of automation in accounting

Final thoughts

3 ways automation can free up time for client work

1. Bank feeds and transaction automation

The automation of bank feeds can save you significant time.

Automation seamlessly pulls financial transactions directly from your client’s bank into your accounting software. This removes the need for manual entry or multiple spreadsheets.

Automated bank feeds make sure that their data is not only up-to-date and accurate but also is instantly available for analysis and reporting.

This real-time insight into their financial data allows you to offer timely advice based on the latest financial landscape, turning every interaction with clients into an opportunity for strategic decision-making.

Automation also analyzes and categorizes transactions from bank feeds, flagging potential errors and ensuring the correct information is used.

This accelerates the process and minimizes risk.

For example, by using Sage for Accountants, your client data will have a single source of truth that lets you build out reports and insights with maximum efficiency and minimum risk.

2. Streamlining data capture

By automatically capturing and posting data into accounting systems, AutoEntry by Sage, significantly reduces your time spent on manual data entry while increasing accuracy.

AutoEntry is a powerful tool within Sage for Accountants. It automates the previously manual data-extraction process from invoices, receipts, and other financial documents.

This not only speeds up the processing of payables and receivables for your clients but also enhances your overall financial management ability.

You can reallocate the time saved into other productive activities, such as analyzing trends and advising clients with insightful financial optimization strategies.

3. Automating journals for enhanced efficiency

For accountants and bookkeepers, automating journal entries is a crucial innovation that significantly enhances efficiency and accuracy in accounting.

By choosing software that automates the creation and management of journal entries, you can ensure that financial records are consistently up-to-date and precise without the need for manual input.

With Sage Payroll, salary journals are automatically posted into your accounts, providing a complete view of your business.

Each time a pay run is completed, the information is posted directly into Sage Accounting. This eliminates the need for duplication of effort and giving you more time to focus on what matters.

This automation is particularly beneficial during your busiest period of month-end closures and financial reconciliations.

By reducing the time and effort spent on these routine tasks, you can reallocate resources back to serving your clients. You’ll be able to offer more activities that deliver greater impact, like proactive client consultations and strategic financial-planning sessions.

This not only keeps their operations streamlined but also solidifies your role as a strategic advisor.

When you can add value to client interactions at every touchpoint and foster stronger, more informed financial decisions, client trust and your reputation as a leader in accounting improves.

As talent retention is a crucial challenge facing the industry, being able to get in front of clients more often will add a human touch to your practice.

Automate your journal entries easily with Sage Payroll and Sage Accounting in Sage for Accountants.

Implications of automation in accounting

Shifting your practice toward automation carries profound implications for your business.

1. Reduced errors—through minimizing manual data entry, automation decreases the likelihood of errors, ensuring more accurate financial records and improved compliance. 
2. Cost savings—by reducing the need for paper-based processes, automation also minimizes the labour hours required for manual entry tasks. 
3. Improved cash-flow management—with faster processing and real-time visibility into payable accounts, your clients can manage their cash flow more effectively. You can be confident that what you see accurately reflects their cash position and advise them accordingly. 
4. Enhanced compliance—automation helps clients adhere to regulatory requirements by maintaining an auditable trail of all transactions. It also ensures compliance with internal controls and external regulations as any changes are automatically updated through the software. 
5. Timely payments—automated systems can ensure that payments to your clients are made on time. This helps to avoid late fees and help your clients maintain good relationships with suppliers.  
6. Scalability—automation allows processes to scale efficiently with the growth of the business and your firm. You can support increased volume without the need for additional staff. 

Final thoughts

As we look to the future of accounting, the role of automation in your practice cannot be overstated.

By integrating automated solutions like bank feeds, streamlined data capture, and automated journal entries, you can significantly reduce the time spent on routine tasks. You’ll free up valuable time to focus on what truly matters—helping your clients achieve their financial goals.

This shift not only enhances operational efficiencies for them and your practice, but also repositions the accountant-client relationship, emphasizing strategic advisory roles over traditional bookkeeping functions.

The transition to a more automated practice not only embraces technological advancement confidently, but leads your practice towards a more strategic and client-focused future.