An Accountant’s Journey: Embracing Cloud Technology and Automation

Introduction

At CBS, our story is deeply intertwined with the experiences of small businesses. We understand the excitement of launching a business, the struggles that come with growth, and the challenges of staying on top of everything. Like many of our clients, we started from the ground up, navigating the same highs and lows. Our mission has always been to help people achieve financial independence and live the life they want.

What makes us different is our commitment to staying true to our roots. We are not a corporate giant. We are a team of real people who are passionate about helping small businesses succeed. We understand the unique challenges you face because we have been through them ourselves. This shared experience has shaped our values and the non-traditional culture we are proud to maintain at CBS.

As any business owner knows, running a successful company means adapting to change. The business landscape is always evolving, and embracing new technologies is no longer optional; it is essential. For us, that meant exploring cloud technology and automation. Our goal was to simplify processes, reduce errors, and focus on delivering even more value to our clients.

The Power of Automation: Transforming Accounting

At CBS, accuracy and efficiency have always been at the heart of what we do. In the past, routine tasks like transferring data between accounting and tax software meant hours of manual work. This approach was time-consuming, prone to human error, and offered little value beyond compliance.

Today, automation has changed everything. What once took hours is now done in a matter of minutes. Automation allows us to focus on what really matters: providing strategic advice and insights to help our clients grow. By leveraging technology, we can deliver smarter, faster, and more accurate services—giving us more time to build meaningful relationships with our clients.

Choosing the Right Tools: Specialisation Over Generalisation

At the beginning of our digital journey, we hoped to find one tool that could do it all. However, we soon realised that specialising in the best tools for each task would give us more control, better results, and a smoother experience for our clients. Whether it was managing accounts, tracking compliance, or handling payroll, each tool we selected was chosen because it was the best fit for that specific job. This focus on specialisation helped us create a more integrated, streamlined process that ultimately benefits our clients.

A Smooth Transition: Minimising Disruption

We understand that introducing new tools can be daunting, so we took a thoughtful, steady approach. Over the last two years, we’ve gradually integrated tools for anti-money laundering compliance, practice management, and accounts submission—ensuring that the changes didn’t disrupt our services.

We prioritised making sure our team became comfortable with each new tool before it was fully rolled out. This careful process meant that we could maintain the high level of service our clients expect while we modernised our systems behind the scenes.

Engaging with Our Team: The Key to Success

At CBS, we know that technology adoption can be challenging, so we made sure to involve our team at every stage. We engaged with them early on, gathering feedback and incorporating their ideas into the decision-making process. This inclusive approach ensured buy-in from the entire team, making the adoption of new tools smoother and less daunting.

By giving our team a voice in the process, we created a stronger sense of ownership. Instead of seeing digital transformation as an external pressure, our people viewed it as a shared opportunity for growth.

Our Digital Transformation: The Tools That Made It Possible

• Practice Management: BrightManager

We moved from manual tracking on spreadsheets to BrightManager, a cloud-based practice management system. This tool helps us stay organised, track deadlines, and automate reminders for VAT, accounts, and tax returns—reducing the administrative burden and ensuring we never miss a deadline.

• Accounting Preparation: TaxCalc

Final accounts preparation is a key task, and we upgraded to TaxCalc, which integrates with our bookkeeping system to reduce errors and streamline the process. TaxCalc ensures compliance with Companies House and HMRC standards and keeps us informed of any legislative changes.

• Bookkeeping: QuickBooks Online (QBO)

QuickBooks Online has revolutionised our bookkeeping process. Automation pulls in bank data and processes transactions, saving time and reducing errors for VAT reports and year-end financials.

• AML Compliance: Biometric Checking via AplyID

AplyID uses biometric checks to streamline our compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, ensuring quick, accurate identity verification.

• Payroll: Capium

Payroll processing has become a breeze with Capium, which automates payslip creation, submission to HMRC under Real Time Information (RTI), and distribution to employees. This has saved hours of manual work each month.

What’s Next: Embracing AI

We’re excited about the future, and we know our journey isn’t over. At CBS, we’re currently exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance our automation processes even further. With AI, we see the potential to gain deeper insights, provide more personalised services, and deliver even greater value to our clients. Stay tuned, there’s more to come!

How Our Clients Benefit

Our digital transformation isn’t just about improving our operations, it’s about making things easier for you, our clients. With more efficient systems, we can focus on what matters most, helping you grow your business. Whether it’s automating bookkeeping, ensuring compliance, or streamlining payroll, we’ve got the tools and the expertise to help you succeed.

At CBS, we’re committed to providing smarter, faster, and more accurate accounting solutions. If you’re ready to simplify your operations and focus on what matters most, contact us today. Let’s work together to take your business to the next level.