AI Powered Advisory: 2024 sees AI finally solve key pains for accountants

As accountants and bookkeepers, you’re pivotal in offering advisory services, but face a significant challenge: the limitations of traditional, manual methods to provide the service.

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This is in large part due to the fact that offering great advice relies on all of your clients data to be 100% up to date and accurate, often plagued with mistakes and unreconciled transactions, it’s easy to see why most accountants and bookkeepers struggle to offer advisory services across their client base.

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These outdated approaches are proving inadequate. A study by Xero found that small businesses that engage with their accountants using cloud-based tools see a 15% faster growth in revenue. 

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The integration of AI and advanced analytics in accounting isn't just a trend; it's becoming a necessity to provide the level of service that modern businesses require.

We believe the use of these tools will allow you to scale your advisory offering, helping clients get the right advice they need at the right time, with the flow on effect being the growth of your practice as you’re now able to offer these services more broadly.

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Today, we’re excited to introduce Custom XBerts and I’m keen to unpack how this will be a game changer for accounting firms looking to offer proactive advice to their clients at scale.

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Introducing Custom XBert Alerts

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Our Custom XBerts stand out as the next transformative tool for accountants and bookkeepers looking to offer advisory services to a wide range of your clients.

Custom XBerts are not your typical alert systems; it is a sophisticated, AI-driven solution designed to enhance the advisory services you provide. 

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Custom Advisory XBerts function by continuously monitoring financial data, identifying anomalies, risks, and opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed in the daily flow of information.

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The core concept behind these tools is "Just in Time" management solutions. 

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This approach is about providing the right information at the right time, eliminating the lag that often hampers timely decision-making.

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It's a shift from the traditional reactive model to a proactive one, where advisors and clients can address issues or capitalise on opportunities as they arise, not after the fact.

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The benefits of real-time monitoring and immediate notifications are manifold.

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• Firstly, they allow for quicker response times to critical financial events, which is essential in today's fast-paced business environment.
  
  
• Secondly, they provide a level of detail and accuracy in financial reporting that manual processes can't match. This accuracy is crucial for making informed decisions.
  
  
• Lastly, these tools foster a more collaborative relationship between advisors and clients. 

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With up-to-date, relevant information at their fingertips, advisors can offer more strategic, tailored advice, helping clients navigate complex financial landscapes with greater confidence and insight.

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Adaptable and Dependable Data Alerts

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Custom XBerts represent a significant leap forward in personalised financial monitoring and advisory. These tools are uniquely designed to cater to the specific needs of each business by allowing users to create alerts based on user-defined rules. 

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This level of customisation ensures that the alerts are not only relevant but also highly actionable.

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For instance, an accountant can set up a Custom XBert to monitor profit and loss variances. 

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If a client's expenses exceed a certain threshold compared to the previous quarter, the XBert can trigger an alert. 

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This immediate notification enables the accountant to analyse the situation promptly and advise the client on potential cost-saving measures or investigate unexpected expenditures.

Another scenario could involve revenue tracking. 

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Custom XBerts can be configured to alert when there's a significant deviation in expected revenue streams. This could be particularly useful for businesses with seasonal fluctuations, allowing them to adjust their strategies in real-time to optimise profitability.

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The beauty of Custom XBerts lies in their adaptability. 

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Whether it's tracking cash flow, monitoring debtor days, or keeping an eye on budget variances, these tools can be tailored to meet the diverse needs of different businesses. This customisability ensures that each business gets precisely what it needs from its financial data, making decision-making more informed, timely, and relevant to the unique challenges and opportunities they face.

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What’s next?

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The advent of tools like XBert's Advisory XBerts and Custom XBerts is significantly empowering accountants and bookkeepers in their advisory roles. 

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These tools enable accountants and bookkeepers to transition from traditional record-keeping to becoming proactive, data-driven advisors. 

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With real-time data and AI-driven insights at their fingertips, firms can offer more than just financial statements; they can provide strategic guidance that helps businesses navigate through complex financial landscapes.

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For clients, the benefits are substantial. The proactive advice that comes from these advanced tools means that businesses can stay ahead of potential issues, whether it's cash flow challenges, budget variances, or unexpected expenditure spikes. 

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This foresight allows for quicker adaptation to financial events, helping businesses to mitigate risks and capitalise on opportunities more effectively.

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Moreover, the faster response to financial events facilitated by these tools means that businesses can make agile decisions. 

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In an economic environment where timing can be everything, having an accountant who can provide immediate, data-backed advice is invaluable. It's not just about managing finances; it's about strategically steering the business towards growth and stability.

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REFERENCES

1. For the statistic about small businesses engaging with their accountants using cloud-based tools seeing a 15% faster growth in revenue, you can refer to a report by Xero. The specific report can be found on their media releases page, although the exact article with this statistic wasn't directly identified in the search results.