Bristol Accountancy Firm: From Manual Chasing to Hands‑Free Finance Ops

In 4 weeks, we connected their CRM and accounting system, automated invoice chasing, and launched live dashboards—saving 6+ hours per week and cutting invoice errors by 90%.

Client

Independent accountancy firm based in Bristol, serving SME clients across Bath, North Somerset and Wiltshire. Team of 12.

Challenges

  • Manual invoice chasing consuming 3–4 hours/week.
  • CRM and accounting platform not synchronised—duplicate data entry and mismatched client records.
  • Weekly performance reports built by hand in spreadsheets.

Objectives

  • Reduce finance admin time by at least 5 hours/week.
  • Eliminate copy‑paste between systems and reduce mistakes.
  • Provide live visibility on debtors and workloads.

Region

South West UK — Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire & Somerset.

What We Built

  1. Power Automate flows that send polite, branded invoice reminders (email/SMS) with smart timing and escalation.
  2. Two‑way sync between CRM and accounting to keep contacts, invoices and status aligned.
  3. Power BI dashboard showing live debtors, WIP and aged receivables, refreshed daily.
  4. AI content helpers to draft payment reminder copy and summarise weekly finance highlights.

Outcomes (Measured)

  • 6–7 hours/week saved across the finance team.
  • 90% reduction in invoice matching errors.
  • Faster cash collection: average days‑to‑pay down by 18% within 60 days.
  • Happier staff: fewer repetitive tasks, more client-facing time.

ROI Snapshot

With a fully loaded staff cost of £25/hour, 6 hours/week equates to ~£7,800/year saved—from one workflow. Project cost was recouped in under 4 months.

Project Timeline

  • Week 1 — Process audit & data mapping.
  • Week 2 — Build flows, set up data sync, create dashboard v1.
  • Week 3 — User testing, refine copy, add escalation rules.
  • Week 4 — Go‑live, staff training, documentation.

Tech Stack

  • Microsoft Power Automate
  • Power BI
  • Microsoft 365 + Outlook
  • CRM & Accounting connectors (API based)
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Why This Matters Locally

SMEs across Wiltshire, Somerset, Bath and Bristol share similar challenges: too many tools, not enough time. IntelliFlow specialises in affordable automation that pays for itself quickly—so local teams can focus on clients, not admin.