Tech Lowdown: Banking, accounts payable, and MTD roadshow
Welcome to our weekly round-up of the latest news and updates from the accounting tech world.
This week, Tech Lowdown features a new banking app, an AP hub integration with QuickBooks Online and MTD and technology events.
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Slide: new SME banking and cashflow app
Virtual account management solution Cashfac has launched Slide, an SME banking and cashflow app. The Slide app offers small business owners a real-time view of their cash position by collating all financial data in one place.
The app also has online connectivity to banks, enabling businesses to automatically reconcile balances and payments and match receipts to expectations, clearing invoices from the forecast.
“Banking apps and technology have never reduced the rate at which small businesses fail in the UK. That didn’t sit well with us so we set out to tackle the problem,” said Simon Lyons, chief commercial officer at Slide.
“Small business owners have traditionally struggled to predict what their cash position will look like in the future. This means they are basing financial decisions on guesswork. We designed Slide to help these businesses get a step ahead to proactively predict and control their financial future. We believe this will help customers to evolve, survive and thrive.”
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IRIS MTD roadshows
IRIS has created a five-step programme to prepare practices for MTD which will be unveiled at the forthcoming IRIS MTD roadshows. As well as introducing the programme, the roadshows will detail the implications for practices and their clients, and demonstrate how MTD can be turned into a profitable revenue stream. The free-of-charge sessions will include presentations from MTD experts and product specialists.
The IRIS MTD roadshows take place in Southampton, Tunbridge Wells, Plymouth, Vale of Glamorgan and Leicester through November and December.
The roadshows will provide information directly from HMRC, practical examples and demonstrations of the tools and apps practices can use.
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Accounting Live
The event for accounting and finance professionals Accounting Live will take place in Glasgow on 21 and 22 November. Besides being a platform to show the latest industry innovations, the event includes a CPD accredited conference programme covering a wide range of topics including innovation, technology, pensions, MTD, the evolution of accounting, changes to legislation, growth and profitability.
“The digital transformation and the momentous upheaval it brings is offering the accountancy and finance profession a huge level of opportunity – and threat for those who are too slow to adapt,” explained Ceri Rogers, event director at Accounting Live. “Accounting Live is geared up to make sure that professionals take advantage of all of the new tools and processes that this thriving industry has to offer.”
The event will take place next door to The Scottish Business Exhibition, where attendees of Accounting Live get complimentary entry, with access to a further 80 seminars and workshops.
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Tipalti integrates with QuickBooks Online
Over in the US, supplier payments automation solution Tipalti has announced its integration with Intuit QuickBooks Online. The app, which enables businesses to execute multi-method bill payments is now available through the QuickBooks App Store.
The cloud-based solution enables businesses to automate their global accounts payable workflow. The app supports multi-method bill payments across 190 countries and 120 currencies and the new integration provides real-time payment status and reports and streamlines reconciliation directly within QuickBooks Online.
Tipalti’s AP Hub provides full control over the end-to-end payables workflow, from invoice approval to payment to reconciliation reports, with instant access to audit trails and payment details. The hub works as a self-service, white-labeled supplier portal that eliminates data entry with OCR and AI-enabled invoice automation. The portal simplifies vendor onboarding, communications and the process of paying vendors with built-in payment approval workflows.
QuickBooks Online customers can even enable early payment offers to their suppliers, to allow them to get paid earlier than their original net terms, without negatively impacting the customers’ working capital.
The pre-built integration allows customers to easily combine QuickBooks Online and Tipalti for one automated, powerful cross-border AP-enabled business flow, allowing vendor, bill, payment, payment term, fee, and GL account data to seamlessly sync.
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