Finance is no longer just about compliance or balancing the books; it’s about creating a finance function that drives strategy and growth. With automation and AI, businesses can streamline everyday processes, reduce risk, and unlock real-time insights that support smarter, faster decision-making.
From April 2026, MTD for Income Tax will begin to roll out, highlighting the importance of accurate, digital-first finance systems. But the opportunity goes far beyond compliance. By combining cloud accounting platforms with powerful add-ons, you can future-proof your finance function, build scalable processes, and ensure your data becomes a true strategic asset.
At BHP, we help clients cut through complexity and harness technology in ways that make a measurable difference- whether you’re seeking quick wins in efficiency or building a long-term transformation journey.
The Basics: Online Bookkeeping and Data Capture
Switching to cloud-based software like Xero provides real-time data access, facilitates collaborative working, and enables time-saving automation through bank feeds and AI-powered transaction matching.
There are thousands of apps available for integration – AI can help with the management of payment collection, stock, time tracking, and more. Book-keeping add-ons like Dext can extract invoice details, and further time can be saved by setting up supplier rules, auto-publishing invoices into accountancy software and storing documents digitally for a paperless workflow.
Industry-specific apps are available to tailor a solution to your business needs. For example, Hammock focuses on streamlining financial management of rental properties and will help landlords stay compliant with upcoming MTD regulations.
The Add-ons: Streamlined Payments and Approvals
Apps like Modulr can automate payments to suppliers and employees, instantly reconcile transactions, and reduce manual errors.
For internal processes, tools like ApprovalMax replace paper-based approvals with digital workflows, while Chaser helps automate debt chasing, improving cash flow and reducing time spent on follow-ups.
The Output: Strategic Insights
Online tools offer powerful insights by transforming raw data into meaningful analysis, automating reports, and visualising key performance indicators. With the present taken care of, cashflow forecasting can give your business a clearer view of its financial future, helping you to anticipate challenges and plan with confidence.
Reporting tools, such as Fathom, allow you to model different scenarios, track inflows and outflows in real-time, and make informed decisions about spending, investment, and funding. With greater visibility, you can avoid surprises, manage working capital more effectively and align your financial strategy with your business goals.
The Future: Data-driven decision-making
Utilising online dashboards within apps like Power BI can provide a much deeper understanding of business performance. By integrating data from your accounting and project management systems, you can track job profitability in real time and compare performance across teams or projects. These insights enable strategic pricing, more effective resource allocation, and informed decision-making.
Beyond profitability, these tools are invaluable for monitoring team capacity, bottlenecks, and recruitment needs. Instead of reacting to issues after they arise, you can proactively manage your operations with data-led confidence.
For more information, please contact the Digital Finance team at
