ProBuFisc is experiencing an exciting digital evolution to the benefit of clients and employees. The digital transformation of the firm has been enhanced by automating advisory services, thus deepening relationships with clients. Entrepreneurs receive insightful reports that accurately represent the essence of their figures. Bart Van Geyt believes that sharing insights on numbers is a significant role of accountants. He tells us how entrepreneurs are looking forward to the Bizzcontrol advisory package, which even encourages them to send invoices promptly. Read along to see which insights matter according to Bart and how he strengthens human value and client relationships in his firm.
Human value in a digital office.
ProBuFisc has cultivated an impressive blend of clients consisting of service-oriented entrepreneurs and construction companies. Along with the team, accountant Bart Van Geyt has consistently fostered strong client relationships, grounded in mutual respect, a willingness to challenge, and providing valuable advice. Previously, this primarily involved traditional discussions on annual financial statements, dividends, investments, and pension planning. However, with digitalization, it has evolved into automated, insightful reports that clients now eagerly anticipate. We inquire with Bart on how the firm gradually navigated this evolution, the challenges it faced, and what insights are most favored by their clients.
Immediately focused on providing consultancy.
ProBuFisc has been working with Exact Online since 2007. Clients can submit their documents in four ways. Those who work directly in Exact - including many construction companies - have direct access to the accounting software. Others use Billit or have their own cloud link where they upload invoices. Some still historically work on paper, but that is now a small minority. The office from Temse likes to focus on a strong client relationship with mutual respect. Entrepreneurs are asked to submit their documents on time so that the employees can get to work. “If you have to beg for documents quarter after quarter, it shows little respect," Bart tells us. However, he now has a surprising tool to motivate entrepreneurs to embrace a continuous digital flow: the proactive advice tool from Bizzcontrol.
“We've been focusing on advisory services for a while now, where we like to brainstorm with our clients, challenge them, dare to be critical, and at the same time offer constructive advice," Bart tells us. Previously, this was mainly done the traditional way based on the annual accounts. “Three years ago we started with Bizzcontrol. As a result, our advisory services have evolved significantly and we now create bundles at the push of a button that guide clients through their results in understandable language.”
Bart admits he was initially cautious. “You always want your software investment to pay off, and moreover, advisory services only become valuable when clients regularly submit invoices that we can quickly process." But these two concerns were unnecessary. In fact, significant time savings have been made in preparing, for example, the annual forecast. Clients now look forward to a very understandable report and are motivated to consistently upload their invoices with a view to their reporting. “Customers used to sometimes tell me that the report was not correct, but then we would bounce back: it is correct, but you did not provide your documents correctly”. And so the challenge of regular submission became the motivator to ensure timely and adequate input for Bizzcontrol's software and Bart and his team's work. “We gain time, our clients are grateful and tell us that they really understand the numbers now, that they are more aware of what they need to pay attention to. That is what we stand for as an office: creating more human value with digitalization.”
Important for the entrepreneur and the office: time savings and valuable insights in human language.
An important ingredient of the success is, of course, the content of the report. When we discuss it, Bart gets straight to the point. “Bizzcontrol delivers a very clear and understandable report at the push of a button, which immediately highlights essential matters for entrepreneurs in plain language.” Previously, the financial statements, balance sheet, and results were reviewed with the client in the traditional way. These contain important matters, but an entrepreneur cannot extract them without explanation. With Bizzcontrol's software, we save a tremendous amount of time and immediately focus on the essentials.
“We have further professionalized: instead of a conversation based on traditional financial statements, we now discuss results based on a bundle in understandable language that guides you directly to the desired outcome.” An example? Instead of a traditional sequential order, costs with the most impact are listed at the top, allowing you to quickly get to the essence. This way, you can quickly get to the core with your advice.” Bart says you shouldn't expect an entrepreneur to have an understanding of financial analysis and terms like EBITDA. At the same time, they provide important insights into the numbers and are an important tool. There is an abundance of coaches, but it is the accountant's job to guide you. “This is achieved with an understandable report where you quickly see, for example, whether you have sufficient margin, how your liquidity is... People need to understand it, focus on that,” advises Bart to his fellow accountants.
Bart's tips for your consultancy:
Use digital tools like Exact and Billit to automate the delivery of documents. But don't worry about timely delivery: the reports actually motivate your clients to engage.
Send reports that meet the client’s needs and ensure uniformity in reporting methods.
Use reports that the entrepreneur can easily understand. For example, focus on the income statement that provides a clear overview of revenue and costs to give a clear picture of the gross profit margin, the EBITDA, and the net result.
Offer proactive advice and regularly consult with the client. Entrepreneurs who proactively request reports are more engaged and positive.
It is the accountant’s role to assist the entrepreneur in gaining financial insight.
Clients of ProBuFisc respond very positively and provide feedback that the report is insightful. They appreciate the visual representation of the balance sheet and, for instance, the liquidity ratio, which is explained very clearly. “Many clients say they really understand it now and are grateful because they are more aware of what to pay attention to,” says Bart. “They now ask me when they will receive the report.” And he finds this very meaningful: when entrepreneurs are interested in the interim results and you discuss the options, they are closely involved in important decisions.
How is the implementation progressing?
At ProBuFisc, both the directors and employees are closely involved in all decisions. They enjoy maximizing their work and contribute to preparing the Bizzcontrol bundles and annual forecasts. The introduction of the new software, the integration with Exact, and the internal training were well managed by Bizzcontrol. "The software is very user-friendly, so intensive training is not necessary," Bart tells us. Wim Hoornaert, Founder and CCO of Bizzcontrol, confirms this: "Recently, we organized the Bizzgames together with Liantis for the final-year students of economic and financial disciplines. With this, we aim to show future finance professionals how valuable the role of accountants is and the wealth of information hidden in available accounting data. It was surprising to see how quickly the students were able to navigate Bizzcontrol after the introduction." Wim also tells us how he and co-founder Nicholas De Nil enjoy remaining involved in customer onboarding. Even after implementation, the contact remains intense, with interim discussions with Customer Success Manager Kerensa to discuss new ideas and possibilities.
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