For care homes, hospices and other community-based non-profits, it has been a turbulent year with many unforeseen challenges. Now that restrictions are lifting care homes are looking to make 2022 a success, which includes finding ways of saving time and making things easier. For care providers using finance systems like Sage or Xero, there is potential to gain spend control while letting an accounts payable software complete time-consuming tasks for you. You may have seen this type of solution before and are not sure if it’s right for you, never heard of it at all, or have some questions. Here are some common questions, myths and answers:

• How can automation software make our processes more efficient?

Advances in cloud-based software for the accounts payable process brings more benefits than ever before, with more features being introduced to make tasks easier. Your trusted suppliers can have their invoices automatically received into a dedicated inbox where they are OCR scanned, sent to your approvers and then exported to your finance system automatically – no keying of data, no chasing managers for sign off, not a single touch required by the finance team.  Is your process that efficient? 

While that may sound great in theory, what about those other invoices that require closer scrutiny?  Well that’s the good news, you can set the system to present ad-hoc or unusual spend for review so you can keep control on every invoice.

• But we use Sage/Xero/QuickBooks already, and we’re happy with it.

A finance system is a huge asset and can handle a lot of your day to day processes.  However, whether you’ve had Sage 50 for a long time and you still love it, or even if you’ve just adopted a shiny new Xero set-up, there is still a lot more on offer. Integrating with an AP solution can bring premium features you don’t get with your accounting package, such as…

• A dedicated inbox for e-invoices
• All e-invoices auto checked for duplicates and fraud
• OCR scanning and auto matching to Purchase Orders
• Advanced PO features with budget information for informed decision making
• Multiple tailored approval workflows for different kinds of spend
• A mobile app for approval on the go

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, many care providers have seen a real difference from having such a clear overview on spend and spend much less time on administrative tasks.

• We have a low budget, is it still worth having a look?

This is a key point, especially as a care home where spending is always tight. With software sold as a service, entry level pricing can be very low for low user numbers or small document volumes. With more systems offering affordable monthly subscriptions, you can find very good solutions that require minimal initial pay out. Zahara offers a 30 day free trial so you can be totally sure it’s right for you before you spend. This gives you a great insight into how it works and what it can do, without any commitments.

• We outsource our Accounts Payable so it’s not a concern.

An easy assumption to make, but not always true. Cloud software is often resold via Accounting firms so they can be more effective in managing their clients, and software companies often offer a discounted rate, so you may want to ask your firm to take a look. 

For more information on solutions for care homes, you can explore the App stores available via Xero, and QuickBooks, or visit www.Zaharasoftware.com for more info.