Outdated tools and inefficient processes holding you back? Leave them in 2025!
With the right tools, you can reduce time spent on manual tasks, prevent mistakes and improve employee morale. Sounds pretty good, right?
In this article, we’ll share 7 productivity-boosting tools we recommend for all finance teams.
1. Microsoft Power BI
Power BI (Business Intelligence) is Microsoft’s business analytics platform. It connects all the different data sources across your organisation and brings all that data into reports and visualisations for your analysis.
- Connect data from on-premises and cloud-based sources, with automated refreshes
- Build interactive reports using simple drag-and-drop functionality
- Use AI to explore your data, identify patterns, predict future outcomes and more
- Optimise reports for mobile devices to easily access insights anywhere
The dashboards and reports can be shared with the team for viewing, collaboration and embedding in other Microsoft services such as Teams and PowerPoint. Plus, the mobile app allows you to conveniently view reports on the go.
2. Credit Hound
Credit Hound is a credit control and collections management platform developed by Draycir. It’s designed to reduce the time it takes to get paid and improve cash flow by organising your credit control process all in one place.
- Automate chasing cycles with proactive reminder emails
- Include custom data fields from your accounting system in your emails
- Automatically place overdue accounts on hold and add tasks to chase payments
- Record customer interactions, chases and disputes all in one place
Credit Hound integrates with various accounting systems and uses live data to ensure all information is correct and up to date. That means the whole team can work together on chasing overdue accounts, knowing that all the information they need is to hand.
3. Sicon Document Automation
Sicon Document Automation is an add-on that enables users to scan and view documents directly within Sage 200. That means everything is done in one place, no separate software to log into and no fuss.
- Archive: Store, view and archive documents, emails and paperwork, securely stored in the Sage 200 SQL database for fast searching.
- Distribute: Send documents out of Sage 200 with additional attachments, layouts, terms and conditions and custom email content.
- Automate: Automatically reads and processes invoices, PO’s and remittances using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) scanning powered by Microsoft.
Documents can be uploaded, dragged and dropped or emailed to a dedicated email address. The system validates the supplier details against your records, checks if the invoice number already exists in the system and flags any duplicates.
It can also automatically create a sales order using a purchase order from a customer, send a certificate with dispatch notes, confirm goods received and attach a goods received note and many more time-saving functions.
4. Staged Payments
Staged Payments is a Sage 200 add-on module designed for businesses that need to collect payments in multiple instalments. It allows you to break down your main sales order into multiple orders, automate invoice processing and link the lines and orders together, simplifying the whole process.
The module was built by our in-house developers and sits seamlessly within Sage 200 Sales Order Processing, so it’s built into the menu and screens. It’s ideal for businesses that manage phased sales agreements, payment plans and projects with milestone billing.
Instead of manually adding free text lines, your main sales order is broken down into multiple orders, this helps you save time and reduce mistakes.
5. Excel Data Bridge
There’s no denying that Microsoft Excel is an essential tool that all finance teams use. However, there is a way that you can enjoy the flexibility and familiarity of Excel, while using it in a way that’s faster and less prone to errors.
Draycir’s Excel Data Bridge add-on integrates Microsoft Excel with Sage 200. It allows you to retrieve data from your system, make edits in bulk and post it directly to Sage 200, all within Excel. If your team spends too much time rekeying data, or your stocktake is performed in Excel and inputted into Sage, this add-on will save huge amounts of time.
You don’t need additional Sage 200 users, and you only pay for what you need. Here are just a few of the functions:
- Adding new stock items
- Updating stock items – e.g. changing prices
- Batch uploading Nominal Journals
- Inputting Excel-based Sales Orders
- Posting transactions from a supplier across multiple companies
- Entering information from a stocktake
Excel Data Bridge is quick and easy to use; there’s no training required and instant validation feedback ensures you enter information correctly as per your Sage setup. For example, if the nominal code you entered doesn’t exist, validation will flag this for you.
6. Sage
Accounting software is the bedrock of your team’s toolkit. Sage offers a range of different accounting solutions to suit businesses of different sizes and industries, including Sage 200 and Sage Intacct.
Sage 200
A finance and business management solution which is suited to a variety of industries, including product-focussed businesses.
- Available as a cloud-based or on-premises solution
- Core financial modules: Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger, Nominal Ledger and Cashbook
- Core commercial modules: Sales and Purchase Order Processing, Stock Control and Customer Price Book
- Additional modules for managing stock, projects, construction and manufacturing
Sage Intacct
A cloud financial management system for mid-sized and growing businesses of all industries, especially service-based.
- Built specifically for the cloud from the first line of code
- Automatic quarterly updates
- Core modules: Accounts Payable and Receivable, Cash and Order Management, General Ledger, Purchasing, Reports, and Dashboards
- Additional features: AP Automation, Consolidation, Fixed Assets, Revenue Recognition, Automated Cost Allocations, Inventory and Projects
7. Microsoft Teams
We can’t talk about essential tools without mentioning Microsoft Teams. Video calls, video conferencing and instant messaging have become essential due to the popularity of hybrid and remote working.
We all know what Teams is and what it does, but have you heard of these hidden features?
- Reading messages out loud: Hover over the message > … More Options > Immersive Reader (you may need to click More actions again) then click Play.
- Forwarding emails to channels: Hover over the channel name > … More channel options > Get email address. Then simply forward your email to that address!
- Splitting a big meeting into breakout rooms: During a meeting, click the Breakout rooms icon and then select the rooms and participants as needed.
Find more hidden features in this article by Sereno.
Upgrade your accounting toolkit
If you’re looking to level up your accounting team’s toolkit but you need help choosing the right option for you, get in touch with us. We can arrange demos and quotes for Sage 200, Sage Intacct and add-ons from Sicon, Draycir and other independent software vendors. Complete the enquiry form on this page and we’ll take care of the rest.
