“Bizzcontrol does what it needs to do, in a way that everyone understands. What more could you want?”
What started as a family business in 1987 is today a modern consultancy that guides entrepreneurs at every stage of their growth. With a combination of experience, personal guidance, and digital tools, they focus on advice that truly provides insight and assists progress. Partner Bart Bauwens explains how Bizzcontrol makes this possible, and how Abeka supports its clients in a concrete and personal manner.
Abeka has been around for more than thirty years. How does Bizzcontrol fit into your advisory services vision today?
“Today, providing advice is becoming increasingly important,” Bart begins. “Traditional accounting is under pressure, partly due to developments such as Peppol. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly crucial to truly guide clients, not only when things are going well, but also when challenges arise.”
Bart: “To do this, you obviously need the right tools. A traditional balance sheet is second nature for us as accountants, but for many entrepreneurs, it is simply too technical. The reports and insights from Bizzcontrol are presented in a language that entrepreneurs do understand. That makes a world of difference. It helps us bring clients closer to their figures and closer to their story.”
How does the understandable nature of Bizzcontrol translate into your customer conversations?
“With Bizzcontrol, we guide clients step by step through their results,” Bart explains enthusiastically. “We capture their attention, make numbers understandable, and truly bring the conversation to life. The beauty of it is that Bizzcontrol perfectly complements Silverfin. Thanks to Silverfin, we ensure accurate figures, while Bizzcontrol translates those figures into a language that entrepreneurs truly understand. Together, they enhance each other, making our client conversations even more valuable and concrete.”
You are now also using the annual forecast in Bizzcontrol. Previously, this was done in Excel. How significant is this difference in practice?
Bart smiles: “Yes, in the past, we indeed did all of that in Excel, like every ‘grey accountant’ did. We neatly typed everything over, which took more time and was obviously much more error-prone.
Now we do it via Bizzcontrol. The forecasts are linked to the actual figures from the accounting package, making the margin of error negligible. Furthermore, within the same forecast, you can also simulate various future scenarios for upcoming months or quarters so that we can respond to growth or changes with our clients.
Thanks to the trigger regarding prepayments, we can immediately see which files have priority. This way, we work focused and save time. That gives us immense peace in our planning,” Bart concluded.
Do you also use Bizzcontrol throughout the year, for instance, to discuss interim results?
“Certainly,” Bart nods. “We primarily use the report generator to discuss annual figures, but also intermittently when clients have questions about their numbers. In two mouse clicks, we bring up the correct data. It makes conversations much clearer.”
He adds: “We still have a few steps to take to share the reports more proactively, but that is absolutely the path we want to take. The tool offers everything we need to grow towards that.”
“We still have some steps to take in order to share the reports more proactively, but that is definitely the path we want to follow. The tool provides everything we need to grow towards that.”
Bart Bauwens
Partner
You just mentioned Peppol. Are there any other trends that you think Bizzcontrol is responding well to?
“Yes, Peppol forces us as accountants to reinvent our role,” says Bart. “Additionally, you see that AI is on the rise. The impact of it is not entirely clear yet, but we do notice that more and more firms are starting to work with it. It is just a matter of finding out exactly what is available on the market.”
He smiles briefly: “What I do know is that Bizzcontrol always focuses on simplicity, speed, and accuracy. So if AI is further integrated within the tool, I am confident it will be done according to the same philosophy. That is exactly what we are looking for in a partner.”
When you look at that collaboration, why would you recommend Bizzcontrol to fellow accountants?
“Honestly? Because it's a good product,” Bart asserts confidently. “Affordable, user-friendly, and it does exactly what it needs to do. We are convinced.”
“However,” he adds with a smile, “it goes beyond just the software. The people behind Bizzcontrol truly make the difference. The Sales team is passionate, and our Customer Success Manager, Kerensa, ensures we stay motivated to continue using it. For me, Bizzcontrol is not just a tool, but an experience.”
Finally: how did you find the experience of learning to work with Bizzcontrol?
“Super smooth,” says Bart without hesitation. “It is a simple, intuitive, and scalable tool. No unnecessary bells and whistles, just everything you need. Its use is child's play. If you want to offer some customization to your customer, that’s perfectly possible. That flexibility is really an asset.”
He concludes with a broad smile: “Bizzcontrol does what it needs to do, and in a way that everyone understands. What more could you want?”
Thank you for your time and insights, Bart. Or, to put it in his own words: “a good product doesn't need much explanation.” Your experience with Bizzcontrol proves that simplicity and ease of use are the best forms of persuasion.
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