Archive for Sage

Sage Intacct Further Advances AI for Finance Teams

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 13, 2025 by itnerd

Sage today announced new innovative AI-driven tools and automation features for Sage Intacct. These latest enhancements help finance teams save time, get trusted insights faster, and focus on growth by simplifying compliance, enhancing decision-making, and improving operational efficiency.

Introduced into Sage Intacct in December 2024, Sage Copilot, a generative AI-assistant for accounting, has rapidly evolved with direct feedback from customers to deliver new AI-driven capabilities that enable finance teams to streamline critical workflows and improve month-end close efficiency. Now with features like Search Help, Variance Analysis and Close Assistant, Sage Copilot reduces administrative burdens, provides real-time insights, and simplifies financial management. With AI-powered analysis and proactive alerts, finance professionals save time, budget owners gain real-time spending insights, and accounting teams close the books more accurately and confidently.

Simplify Finance with AI and Automation

According to Sage’s report “AI: The opportunity for CFOs”, 86% of finance leaders have already incorporated AI into their operations, but only 49% use specialised AI solutions designed explicitly for finance. Despite this, more than three-quarters (77%) of finance leaders recognize AI as a partner that enhances job satisfaction and enables more strategic operations.

To address the increasing complexity of financial operations — where manual processes and data silos can slow decision-making, Sage is also expanding automation with the latest enhancements, including AP Automation with Purchasing. This helps finance teams reduce manual effort, improve accuracy, and gain contextual insights. With organizations already processing more than 24 million invoices, valued at over $10 billion and saving them 3-million hours, these latest advancements allow them to further focus on strategic goals, streamline complex workflows, and eliminate the bottlenecks. 

Sage Intacct Release 1 2025 Enhancements Include:

  • Sage Copilot Search Help: Bringing instant, conversational answers finance teams, Sage Copilot’s generative AI-powered search enables quick and precise answers to how-to questions. With natural language understanding, Sage Copilot interprets complex queries, understands Intacct-specific terminology, and delivers useful answers fast.
    • Availability: General availability with phased rollout to existing customers in UK & US
  • Sage Copilot Variance Analysis: Now generally available, Sage Copilot Variance Analysis provides accounting and budget owners with real-time insights into budget variances. It uncovers spending issues and potential inaccuracies throughout the month — without having to wait for the close. Budget owners receive variances with easy-to-consume graphs and natural language descriptions of drivers of the variances. It also saves accounting teams from needing to compile and distribute variances, freeing them for higher value tasks.
    • Availability: General availability with phased rollout to existing customers in UK & US
  • Sage Copilot Close Assistant: Offering an at-a-glance view of month-end close progress, Close Assistant provides real-time visibility into key close status across entities and subledgers, identifies incomplete tasks, simplifies navigation, and keeps everyone aligned throughout the close process.
    • Availability: Early Adopter in UK & US
  • AP Automation with Purchasing: Helping to reduce hours spent manually matching POs to invoices with scalable policies and automation, this extension helps finance teams manage all accounts payable and purchasing tasks in one unified platform. Eliminating the need to switch between multiple systems, AP Automation with Purchasing leverages AI and machine learning to ensure invoices are automatically matched to purchase orders, reducing errors and manual effort.
    • Availability: In all regions
  • Clinical eProcurement: Enhancing procurement workflows for large healthcare organizations with vendor punchout technology, this latest addition to Sage Intacct improves spend management and ensures compliance with procurement policies.
    • Availability: US from March
  • Revenue Management Enhancements: Simplifying compliance with ASC 606 and IFRS 15 standards, Sage Intacct Revenue Management automates complex revenue recognition processes at the push of a button. Now customers can bring their own billing solution when they migrate from another accounting platform to Sage Intacct. With support for more than 600 billing scenarios, Revenue Management can seamlessly integrate to third-party billing solutions, providing flexibility to customize workflows and generate accurate deferred revenue waterfalls and forecasts.
    • Availability: US, UK, AU, CA & ZA

Sage Wins TrustRadius 2025 Buyers Choice Awards

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 11, 2025 by itnerd

Sage, a global leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), announces that Sage Intacct and Sage Accounting have been named winners of the 2025 TrustRadius Buyers Choice Awards. This recognition is based entirely on customer feedback, highlighting Sage’s commitment to providing exceptional value, innovation and customer support.

Selected through unbiased customer reviews, these inaugural awards reflect top scores in the categories of product capabilities, value for price, and customer relationships – underscoring Sage’s ability to continuously exceed expectations while supporting US SMBs.

Empowering customers to grow through innovation

Sage’s recognition from TrustRadius is a testament to its focus on empowering SMB customers to adapt to change, save time, enhance productivity, and make better informed decisions.

With the introduction of Sage Copilot, Sage is redefining how businesses interact with their financial data. This AI-powered assistant, integrated across Sage products including Sage Intacct and Sage Accounting, is bringing advanced automation, real-time insights, and predictive analytics, enabling customers to streamline workflows and reduce errors. By integrating cutting-edge AI technology, Sage continues to unlock new opportunities for businesses, helping them grow and thrive.

Sage Accounting: Delivering real value for small businesses 

Sage Accounting empowers start-ups and small businesses with an innovative solution that simplifies financial management and delivers measurable value. Designed to help businesses save time and maintain control, Sage Accounting streamlines daily tasks with features such as automated invoicing and bank integration. The integration of AI-driven tools saves time and reduces errors, giving businesses the confidence to focus on growth and customer success.

With the AI-driven capabilities of Sage Copilot, businesses gain access to real-time insights and personalized recommendations, providing confidence and clarity to focus on growth.

Discover more about Sage Accounting

Sage Intacct: Driving efficiency and accelerating growth for medium businesses

Sage Intacct empowers finance leaders and their teams to focus on strategic tasks with Sage Copilot, Sage AI, automation and seamless integrations. Finance teams can harness the power of both their financial and operational data to make informed decision that drive growth, profitability and positive outcomes. 

Designed to meet the unique needs of industries like nonprofits, financial services, healthcare, construction and manufacturing, Sage Intacct is a modern, AI-powered cloud solution that’s tailored to industry needs and scales with organizations as they grow.

Learn more about Sage Intacct

Sage Recognized as a Leader in IDC MarketScape for Remanufacturing Management Software 2024

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 10, 2024 by itnerd

 Sage, a leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announce its recognition in the Leaders Category of the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Remanufacturing Management Software 2024 Vendor Assessment[1]. As the U.S. manufacturing sector embraces sustainable practices, remanufacturing is projected to significantly contribute to the $712 billion global circular economy by 2026, promoting resource optimization and waste reduction. 

Sage is supporting these shifts with Sage X3, an ERP solution recognized for its robust remanufacturing capabilities and sustainable product design. Empowering manufacturers to operate sustainably, Sage X3 provides advanced support for new product introduction, traceability, quality control, non-conformance, and disassembly/reassembly work management. These features enable businesses to effectively manage complex workflows, improve quality, reduce waste, and maintain oversight throughout the product life cycle.

Supporting SMBs by Prioritizing Sustainability

SMBs are the backbone of the US economy and play a significant role in reducing global carbon emissions. While not often resourced like their larger counterparts, Sage’s report, Path for growth: Making sustainability reporting work for SMBs, reveals that small and mid-size business are increasingly prioritizing sustainable practices, with 62% actively implementing policies and 16% participating in sustainability practices with global impact.  participating in sustainability practices with global impact.

To find out more about Sage X3 visit here: https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-x3/

Sage report reveals $789 billion green finance opportunity for SMEs

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 5, 2024 by itnerd

Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), has today launched ‘Unlocking Sustainable Finance for SMEs’ — a global report which exposes a gap between SMEs’ sustainability ambition and their ability to take action, preventing them from accessing vital green finance needed to drive their initiatives.

Created in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the report highlights that while 86 % of SMEs say that sustainability is important to their business, only 9.1 % formally report on their impact, citing complex reporting requirements as a major roadblock (74 %).

The data revealed a “virtuous circle” between sustainability reporting, green finance and climate action – SMEs that report on their impact are then more likely to secure funding to become more sustainable, which in turn, helps them take further steps towards net-zero. This would also help financial institutions who say data challenges are a huge barrier to offering green loans (84 %). Currently, however, only 1.2 % of SMEs are leveraging this virtuous circle to grow sustainably.

Sage and ICC are launching this report at COP29 in Baku, urging global decision-makers to bridge the gap between SMEs’ growing sustainability ambitions and their ability to act, by calling for simplified reporting standards and access to green finance. To fully unlock the potential of SMEs in combating climate change, Sage calls on governments, financial institutions and technology partners to:

  • Simplify sustainability reporting – Implement proportionate and streamlined reporting standards tailored to SMEs, making it easier for them to access green finance.
  • Expand access to digital tools – Equip SMEs with affordable, automated tools to track emissions and streamline reporting.
  • Increase financial incentives – Offer tax credits, grants, and favourable loan terms to motivate SMEs to measure their environmental impacts and invest in sustainable practices.

The report also found :

  • Interest and engagement with climate change is fast rising. 86 % of SMEs state that sustainability is crucial to their business, up from 83 % last year, and 72 % believe they can contribute to tackling climate change. However, only 63 % are currently taking steps to reduce their environmental impact.
  • Action is growing but at a much slower pace. 68 % of SMEs say the cost of implementing sustainability initiatives is too high, and 67 % cite time constraints. These barriers are growing rather than decreasing, slowing down climate action.
  • Finance is key to unlocking more action. 89 % of SMEs that secured green finance say it was crucial to their sustainability efforts, but only 19 % have considered external financing for environmental initiatives.
  • SMEs are looking to technology to help bridge the gap between intention and action. 73 % of SMEs are concerned about the upfront costs of sustainability reporting, and 66 % are worried about its complexity. However, 65 % believe digital tools could help simplify the process and unlock the benefits of green finance.

Read and download the full Unlocking Sustainable Finance for SMEs report.

Read more about Sage’s sustainability efforts, including its Sustainability and Society strategy.

Methodology

This report is based on a global online survey conducted with business founders, owners, and senior managers in decision-making roles related to sustainability, finance, or operations. The survey, which has successfully run for COP27 and COP28, includes participants from leading markets and Sage Markets, with a specific focus on SMEs. Data collection was carried out via an online questionnaire, targeting businesses with fewer than 250 employees. The target markets include the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, Kenya, and Azerbaijan.

The survey gathered responses from a total sample of approximately 5,000 SMEs across these markets. A deep dive was conducted with a sub-sample of 1,000 SMEs, specifically targeting businesses already engaged in environmental reporting. This sample was also increased to include medium-sized enterprises (up to 1,000 employees) for more comprehensive insights.

Country Breakdown: Canada

Canada: Canadian SMEs Drive Sustainability with a Focus on Local Environmental Impact

Canadian SMEs are highly committed to sustainability, with a resounding belief that sustainability is important to their business. Many Canadian SMEs have sought green financing and believe that reporting is key to obtaining this financing. 

Key data points for Canadian SME sustainability:

  • 76% of Canadian SMEs have a sustainability policy.
  • 69% believe sustainability is “central” or “important” to their business.
  • 44% of Canadian SMEs report cost as the highest barrier to making their business more sustainable 
  • 81% have plans to improve their environmental impact over the next few years
  • 51% are adopting renewable energy sources, with 42% achieving this goal entirely
  • 63% of Canadian SMEs report a “very high” or “high” understanding of climate change
  • 68% believe their business can play a “very significant” or “somewhat significant” role in combating climate change
  • 69% of Canadian SMEs have a sustainability reporting system in place
  • 73% of Canadian SMEs believe that reporting will make them either “very” or “somewhat” attractive to lenders or investors
  • 54% of Canadian SMEs have sought green financing options
  • 82% believe that their sustainability reporting was helpful in accessing green finance opportunities
  • 37% report that their required reporting to access green financing was “detailed and informal”
  • 69% of Canadian SMEs would be “very” or “somewhat” likely to increase their sustainability action if they had easier access to sustainable financing

Key differences:

  • Canadian SMEs report cost as the highest barrier to making their business more sustainable (44%), second only to Spain  (45%)
  • Canadian SMEs, more so than global peers, report that their required reporting to access green financing was “detailed and informal”
  • Canadian SMEs are on par with peers in a strong belief that they can play a role in climate change, and that green financing would greatly increase their likelihood to take action in their environmental initiatives

Sage Intacct supports SMB growth with new enhancements and capabilities

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 3, 2024 by itnerd

Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), today announces that Sage Copilot is available to early adopters initially in the US and UK on Sage Intacct. As part of a raft of new enhancements and updates for Sage Intacct customers globally, the introduction of this cutting-edge generative AI tool will support customers with actionable insights and intuitive support to help drive productivity and growth.

Sage Copilot is one of the first AI-driven tools designed to transform how accounting and finance teams tackle their daily challenges, from quickly highlighting budget variances for proactive management to providing clear, trustworthy answers to critical how-to questions. Sage Copilot empowers users to work smarter and faster, streamlining tasks and uncovering insights that drive meaningful business results. Sage is working closely with customers to deliver on its vision to help organizations drive productivity, accuracy, and compliance, helping SMBs to focus on growth and profitability.

Sage Copilot launches at a pivotal moment, with Sage research revealing that 80% of CFOs are embracing AI to reclaim time for high-value tasks. The Sage report, The Secrets of Successful CFOs, highlights that this shift allows CFOs to build critical leadership skills as finance roles evolve; 89% report significantly expanded responsibilities due to technology and global complexities.

Sage Intacct Release 4 2024 Enhancements Include: 

  • Sage Copilot Variance Analysis: Helping to streamline financial oversight for budget managers, Sage Copilot variance analysis provides real-time insights and automatic alerts on budget variances, enabling faster, informed decision-making across the organisation. It enables budget managers to quickly identify errors and variances by comparing budgeted with actuals or period-over-period data, providing real-time insights and reducing manual analysis for faster, better financial decisions.

    Availability: Early Adopters in the US & UK
  • Sage Copilot Search Help: Providing users with direct, conversational answers, Sage Copilot Search Help users save time, enables them to focus on more valuable work and boost overall productivity.

    Availability: Early Adopters in the US
  • Sage Intelligent Time Enhancements: With enhanced new features such as time clocks and rate cards, Sage Intelligent Time meets the needs of professional services, retail, andmanufacturing industries. These improvements help ensure compliance with labour regulations, provide accurate time tracking, and simplify billing processes. Streamlined operations in these industries directly contribute to improved profitability and business growth.

    Availability: US, CAN, UK, AUS, ZA
  • New Industry Solutions with Continental Utility Integration: Sage Intacct’s new connector for Continental Utility Solutions, Inc. (CUSI) streamlines data flow between utility billing and financial management. This integration provides utility companies with a complete financial overview, reducing manual data entry, improving accuracy in billing and payments, and ultimately freeing up resources to focus on growth.

    Availability: US
  • Language Accessibility Improvements: To eliminate barriers for non-English-speaking users, Sage Intacct now supports French-Canadian and Spanish (Spain) languages in an open beta available to all users, making the platform accessible to a broader audience and addressing linguistic nuances. This expanded language support helps ensure that finance teams can work efficiently in their preferred language, reducing potential miscommunication and supporting smoother growth in diverse markets.

    Availability: In all regions 
  • Expanded Developer Capabilities with REST API: Sage Intacct’s REST API, built with Open API Specification 3.0, offers developers enhanced flexibility to create custom integrations, enabling businesses to expand their capabilities and grow with tailored solutions. With interactive documentation and versioned updates, it minimises integration challenges and allows developers to quickly build solutions that meet specific business needs.

    Availability: Early adopter in all regions
  • Localised Features for France: Sage Intacct manual lettrage allows for tracking the evolution of general ledger accounts and production of accurate entries. It helps French organisations to save time by facilitating the control of accounting entries through a chronological and systematic order of all transactions, promoting automatic verification and matching of each entry. Additionally, the bank transaction assistant helps simplify financial reconciliation, reduce manual workloads, and ensure compliance with local financial regulations, allowing businesses to focus more on growth and less on administrative tasks.

    Availability: France

Visit Sage Intacct for more information.

Canadian SMBs Outpace Global Average in Digital Adoption: Sage Study

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 27, 2024 by itnerd

Sage’s annual survey of 12,000 small and medium-sized business (SMBs) leaders globally – ‘Small Business, Big Opportunity’ – finds that business confidence among SMBs has reached new highs, with 86% expressing optimism about their success, up from 80% in 2023.   

This surge in confidence is attributed to improved operational efficiency, increased consumer spending, adoption of new technology, and enhanced cash flow, with nearly all SMBs (95%) recognizing their essential role in driving growth within their national economies. 

The data shows that Canadian SMBs are outpacing the global average in key areas, like digital investment (94% prioritize it versus the global average of 87%) and anticipated revenue growth (81% in Canada versus 70% globally). Canada’s leadership in digital adoption and growth among SMBs could be attributed to several factors: government support through digital adoption programs and the nation economies’ stability and resilience, allowing businesses to invest in growth and technology.  

Key Canada Findings:  

  • Confidence & Revenue Growth: Canadian SMBs reported impressive revenue gains, with 58% seeing growth over the past year, surpassing the global average of 45%. Looking ahead, 81% of Canadian SMBs expect further revenue increases, reflecting a higher optimism than their global peers (70%). 
  • Focus on Digital Transformation: A remarkable 94% of Canadian SMBs indicated that digital technologies are integral to their revenue strategies, compared to 87% globally. Driven by this priority, 76% of Canadian SMBs plan to increase their investment in technology over the next year, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for future growth. 
  • Efficiency and Innovation: By embracing digital tools, 78% of Canadian SMBs report they can focus more on higher-value tasks, significantly exceeding the global average (71%). This shift underscores a commitment to operational efficiency and workforce productivity, as 60% credit improved efficiency for their business confidence. 

While Canadian SMBs have shown remarkable resilience, they continue to face challenges, particularly in managing rising costs and cash flow concerns. More than 60% of businesses report increased operating costs, and 53% anticipate further cost pressures in the coming year. As they navigate these challenges, SMBs express a need for supportive policies that can alleviate financial burdens and sustain their digital progress. 

As SMBs in Canada prepare for growth in the year ahead, digital investment will be a clear focus to drive productivity and time savings. Sage will continue to amplify their voices and work closely with partners and policymakers to foster an environment that supports their growth. This report is part of Sage’s ongoing commitment to championing the needs and priorities of SMBs and supporting their journey toward sustainable, technology-driven growth. 

As Canadian SMBs set their sights on growth, optimism and investment are on the rise, with a clear focus on technology as a driver of productivity and time savings. However, many SMBs also recognize the need for greater support to fully capitalize on these benefits.  

For more information on Sage’s “Small Business, Big Opportunity” 2024 report and to access the full findings, visit Sage’s digital newsroom

Sage Intacct Accountants Launches in Canada

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 29, 2024 by itnerd

Sage today announces the launch of Sage Intacct Accountants in Canada. This innovative program provides accounting practices with comprehensive, cloud-based financial management tools designed to help them expand their service offerings, efficiently manage outsourced mid-market clients, and drive business growth.

Sage Intacct Accountants addresses the key challenges accounting practices face today. According to Sage’s Practice of Now report, 92% of accountants feel they spend too much time on manual administrative and compliance tasks, preventing them from focusing on more strategic, high-value advisory roles. Additionally, 90% report that their heavy workload affects the quality of client services, while 85% express a desire for more opportunities to engage in strategic work. Sage Intacct Accountants is specifically designed to tackle these issues, enabling accountants to automate routine processes, reduce manual workloads, and enhance client offerings through real-time financial insights and AI-driven tools.

Mid-market businesses in Canada contribute significantly to the economy, accounting for 13.4% of the country’s GDP and creating a substantial portion of new jobs. With Sage Intacct Accountants, practice leaders are empowered to support these businesses by offering tailored, scalable solutions that manage financial complexity, automate routine tasks, and provide data-driven decision-making capabilities.

Sage Intacct Accountants empowers accounting practices with the flexibility to choose between two pathways—Standard and Professional—based on their unique business models. With Sage Intacct Accountants, accounting practices can increase their advisory services and net client fees by more than 10x for every dollar spent. As AI adoption in accounting is expected to double within the next five years, its powerful AI capabilities ensure that firms remain competitive and continue delivering high-value services.

For more information on Sage Intacct Accountants, visit sage.com/en-ca/partners/service-delivery-partners/managed-services and for details on Sage’s Practice of Now report visit, sage.com/en-ca/accountants/resources/practice-of-now.

Sage appoints Cinzia Bazzo as Managing Director for Canada

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 2, 2024 by itnerd

Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), today announces Cinzia Bazzo as its Managing Director for Canada. This strategic hire underlines Sage’s commitment to its growing Canadian market, which is a cornerstone of the company’s North American success.

In her new role, Bazzo will oversee Sage’s Canadian business, a critical region for growth. She will focus on accelerating sales and revenue by attracting new customers and strengthening relationships with existing ones. Bazzo will also play a key role in enhancing the customer experience, advancing Sage’s position as the most trusted and thriving network for SMBs. Additionally, she will manage the region’s performance, making strategic decisions to capitalize on strong results, address challenges, and provide leadership to over 250 employees across Canada. She will lead the implementation of global and local colleague programs, including engagement, performance management, DEI, and talent development, while fostering Sage’s culture and values.

Bazzo brings a wealth of experience to Sage, with an impressive track record of driving sales growth and delivering exceptional customer experiences. In her most recent role as Country Leader for Workday in Canada, she led her team to achieve record-breaking sales. Prior to that, she held various leadership positions at Oracle, Salesforce and SAP. Bazzo is also an active member of the Business Council of Canada, a network of enterprise executives focused on strengthening the country’s economic fabric by supporting small business and entrepreneurs in communities of all sizes.

Bazzo is based in Toronto and will play a key role on Sage’s North America Leadership Team, reporting into Mark Hickman, Managing Director of North America as Sage.

Canada Is A Global Leader In Ethical AI Adoption According To Research From Sage And Forrestor

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 12, 2024 by itnerd

Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), and global analyst firm, Forrestor have released a global survey, as well as trend predictions, which provide a compelling vision of the future of AI in accounting in Canada and around the world.  

The research found that Canadian firms were leaders in adopting ethical AI training and policies. In particular, the research found that Canadian firms demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical governance by taking a proactive approach to addressing the operational and ethical implications of AI, ensuring that AI technologies are deployed responsibly and transparently.   

Overarching theme: A Leader in Ethical AI and Strategic Innovation:

  • Canada is positioning itself as a leader in ethical AI adoption, with 76% of firms engaged in regular ethics training and 69% having established formal AI ethics policies. This strong commitment to ethical governance reflects Canada’s proactive approach to addressing the operational and ethical implications of AI, ensuring that AI technologies are deployed responsibly and transparently.
  • Canada is also at the forefront of AI-driven forecasting and planning, with 31% of businesses reporting significant improvements in accuracy due to AI integration. This advanced use of AI highlights Canada’s strategic focus on leveraging technology for enhanced decision-making and financial performance. However, Canada shows potential vulnerabilities in data security, with 21% of firms reporting no specific measures in place to manage AI-related security and privacy risks.
  • Addressing these gaps will be essential as Canada continues to scale its AI initiatives. Despite this, Canada’s strong emphasis on ethical AI practices and strategic innovation positions it as a global leader in the responsible and effective use of AI in accounting

Other notable stats:

  • How AI will impact financial data access: 40% of respondents in Canada predict that real-time data will become the primary basis for major financial decisions, indicating a strong move towards more immediate and AI-driven decision processes. (compared to 38% globally)
  • AI’s efficiency on accounting processes: Canadian firms exhibit strong optimism about AI’s potential to enhance efficiency, particularly in anomaly detection and monthly close tasks, with significant proportions expecting improvements beyond 40%. This reflects a confidence in AI to streamline complex and time-sensitive accounting processes.
  • AI’s impact on hiring: Canada has the most pronounced increase in hiring with 24% reporting a significant increase, possibly indicative of a proactive approach in integrating AI into more strategic roles. (compared to 18% globally)
  • Challenges in adopting AI: In Canada, data quality issues stand out, with 65% of respondents highlighting them as a concern, signalling a strong focus on ensuring the integrity and reliability of the data used in AI systems.
  • Data security and privacy: Canada shows a varied approach with notably lower engagement in employee training (41%) compared to the global average. However, a significant 21% report no specific measures in place, the highest among all countries, suggesting a potential area for improvement.
  • Employee concerns around AI: Today, Canada places a strong emphasis on training (51%) and is relatively conservative with implementing incentives (31%). It exhibits lower engagement in transparent communication (38%) compared to other regions, suggesting a more structured approach to AI integration.
  • Benefits of AI in accounting: Canada showcases strong satisfaction in AI’s role in enhancing processing times (88% satisfied or very satisfied) and accuracy in financial data (83%). However, it reflects room for improvement in better cost savings where only 82% feel positive, indicating potential gaps in achieving financial efficiencies through AI.
  • AI and the strategic role of accounting: Canada demonstrates a solid belief in AI’s capacity to enhance accounting practices, with 53% agreeing or strongly agreeing that AI will allow for the complete elimination of monthly closes. Canadians also hold optimistic views on AI improving workplace productivity, with 63% affirming that AI will streamline operations significantly by 2030.

You can read more details here.

Sage Intacct expands its AI-driven AP Automation to support businesses globally

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 13, 2024 by itnerd

Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), today announces new enhancements and updates for Sage Intacct customers globally, to streamline financial operations and enhance security worldwide.

As part of this major expansion, Sage Intacct is rolling out AP Automation globally. In the US, businesses are already processing over 10,000 bills per month using this innovative tool, which utilizes AI to halve the time taken for accounts payable processes while saving organizations over $100,000 per year. AP Automation streamlines financial workflows by automatically creating draft bills from uploaded documents, promptly identifying issues such as duplicates, and significantly reducing data entry efforts and costs.  

Sage Intacct Product Release 3 2024 Enhancements Also Include:       

  • Elevated Time Entry Experience: This new Sage Intelligent Time feature, with enhanced AI assistance, supports customers with the creation of more descriptive activity card titles and the option for automatic time entry descriptions, improving clarity for approvers and users alike. 
  • Availability: US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the UK 
  • Automated Employee Expense Submission—Early Adopter: Employees can email receipts directly from any device, while AI and machine learning enhance coding accuracy and adapt to user modifications for future submissions, significantly simplifying the expense reporting process. 
  • Availability: US 
  • Sage Intacct Financials Certified by AFNOR in France: Achieving NF 203 certification from Infocert, Sage Intacct meets stringent French standards, enhancing security and reliability while ensuring regulatory compliance. This certification offers our customers peace of mind, knowing their financial operations are supported by a system that adheres to the highest standards of data integrity and compliance required by French law.
  • Availability: France 
  • German Electronic Tax Submission: Simplifying tax compliance for German organisations, Sage Intacct now supports the DATEV file format, ensuring security and ease of financial data exchange. The seamless integration simplifies tax reporting and financial statements preparation, improving both accuracy and workflow efficiency.
  • Availability: Germany 
  • Enhanced Interactive Custom Report Writer (ICRW): New reports in ICRW, provides customers with deeper, actionable insights, facilitating compliance and operational efficiency. These customisable reports provide detailed views on order summaries, customer aging, and purchasing activities, empowering users to make data-driven decisions swiftly.
  • Availability: Globally 
  • Enhanced Email delivery and insights: The latest update introduces an enhanced email delivery service that leverages DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) to ensure emails reach their intended recipients securely and efficiently. This service also provides detailed email delivery logs for better visibility and supports multiple domains and sub-domains, making it ideal for businesses managing communications across diverse operational areas.
  • Availability: Globally  
  • Sage Intacct and Kanso Solution for Affordable Housing: Sage Intacct has partnered with Kanso, a housing management platform, to deliver a comprehensive cloud solution for public housing management, enhancing compliance, data accuracy, and property management. The solution, inspired by customer feedback, broadens Sage Intacct’s reach into diverse housing sectors, including public, native communities, and supportive housing.
  • Availability: US & Canada 
  • Hold And Resume Contract Schedules: Users can now simultaneously hold or resume billing, revenue, and expense schedules across multiple contracts, enhancing operational efficiency with a refined user interface. This updated interface features new filters like customer type, contract type, and transaction currency, all within a streamlined layout for improved navigation and action management.
  • Availability: US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the UK 
  • Exporting Taxable Payments Annual Reports: Simplifying compliance with the Australian Tax Office, users can now export Taxable Payments Annual Reports (TPAR) files using this new feature. By eliminating the need for manual data reformatting, this functionality not only saves time but also reduces errors, ensuring compliance and enhancing efficiency for Australian businesses.
  • Availability: Australia  
  • Joint Checks Payment Method for Construction: Introducing a joint check payment method specifically for the construction industry. This new feature simplifies payments to downstream two-party construction vendors, reducing the risk of unpaid claims and rights. Construction companies can now easily create and track joint checks directly within Accounts Payable, eliminating the need for complex workarounds.
  • Availability: Australia, US, Canada & EA customers in the UK 
  • Boosted insights in Revenue Recognition: Enabling direct links between billing events and revenue recognition entries to source contract amounts, Sage Intacct’s Revenue Management now includes basic contract tracking as part of its subscription. This integration allows users to utilise the contract dimension in Order Entry transactions for detailed categorisation, tracking, and analysis—enhancing visibility, accuracy, and forecasting capabilities without requiring a full Contracts application subscription. 
  • Availability:  Australia, Canada, South Africa, UK and US