The company Sage has announced new partnership agreements with Microsoft aimed at improving operational efficiency and innovation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through integrated solutions and cutting-edge technology.
“Our collaboration with Microsoft aims to provide SMEs with the tools they need to succeed in today’s digital age. These updates offer new ways to enhance customer operations and increase productivity,” says Amaya Souarez, EVP, Cloud Services & Operations at Sage. “This collaboration is about combining our strengths. It shows our joint effort to drive innovation, support growth, and deliver the latest solutions for the ever-changing demands of the business world.”
Improved Financial Analysis with Sage Instant Analysis:
Sage Copilot has expanded its reporting and analysis capabilities with the integration of Sage Instant Analysis, a tool powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service designed to unlock data for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Integrated in Sage Active, this innovative tool allows quick access to financial data from various product forms, providing customers with a more comprehensive view of their financial situation.
With just one click, users can obtain practical information about the financial health of their company. This information includes detailed assessments of strengths and weaknesses, as well as analysis of critical areas such as balance, cash flow, working capital, and gross profit. The ability of Sage Instant Analysis to identify and highlight important financial data that may have gone unnoticed enables SMEs to make informed and strategic decisions.
This integration not only facilitates the management of business activities but also boosts productivity by streamlining routine tasks. By providing a detailed and real-time assessment of financial health, Sage Instant Analysis helps entrepreneurs stay on top of their finances and plan more accurately.
Unlike simple automation that uses a template requiring new data input from the customer, Sage Instant Analysis can delve into the financial performance details of a company year-to-date using accounting data already in the system. The service delves into financial reports, using advanced large language model (LLM) engineering through Azure OpenAI Service that not only reads the numbers but actually understands them, calculating key ratios and providing rich context for decision-making.
Sage Instant Analysis leverages engineering models with sophisticated prompts and chaining techniques for simple data processing and ingestion through Azure OpenAI Service. The smart cache remembers past calculations, eliminating unnecessary LLM calls. Additionally, detailed logs and analytics provide visibility into how and when the service is being used.
The results generated by Instant Analysis can be configured in the user’s native language (French, Spanish, German, or English) based on preferences stored in the user profile.
Developed on Microsoft Azure App Service, Cosmos DB, and Blob Storage, Instant Analysis functionality of Sage Active is available in France, Spain, and Germany, adapting to the changing needs of European SMEs, allowing them to automate accounting, manage sales and cash flow, and navigate the complexities of European legislation. Sage Active streamlines processes so that customers can drive growth and innovation in their businesses, helping them create and manage products, optimize sales flows, and generate professional invoices and budgets efficiently.
Sage Network – Connected Accounting:
Sage Network is transforming how businesses interact, automating workflows, and synchronizing financial transactions between entities, even those outside the Sage accounting software ecosystem. Sage Network seamlessly integrates into Microsoft’s broader ecosystem with connectors to Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. These integrations allow Dynamics users, along with users of other third-party accounting products and the Sage portfolio, to create an integrated global network. This enhances efficiency by reducing manual data entry and accelerating financial processes.
Sage Connect is the user interface that enables business interconnectivity within the Sage network, providing a simplified and secure platform for managing financial transactions and automating accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP) workflows, resulting in faster payments and better compliance, including e-invoicing.
For SMEs and the Sage partner ecosystem, this means accessing a unified platform that not only streamlines financial operations and digital AR and AP workflows but also opens up new opportunities for collaboration, efficiency, and growth within the Microsoft ecosystem.
HR and Payroll – Improved Workforce Management:
Sage continues to work with Microsoft on enhancing HR and payroll functions, aiming to provide SMEs with advanced tools for more effective workforce management.
The improvements include integrating HR tasks into the workflow through Microsoft Teams, starting with the widely used absence and leave function of Sage People. Now, employees can request various types of leaves directly through a chatbot in Microsoft Teams, with approvals managed through the platform and synchronized with Microsoft Outlook calendars to streamline processes.
Additionally, a new integrated interview scheduling feature with Microsoft Outlook allows hiring managers to quickly coordinate interviews, responding to the rapid demands of today’s competitive job market.
“Our collaboration with Sage is strategically designed to make operations simpler and more secure for SMEs, while leveraging Microsoft’s cloud and AI power to create a connected and efficient future. We are committed to the success and resilience of SMEs in a rapidly changing market,” says Álvaro Celis, vice president of global ISV business solutions at Microsoft.
Advantages for SMEs and Partners:
The integration of Sage with Microsoft brings significant advantages to SMEs and the Sage partner ecosystem, including:
Agility in operations. The integration of Sage and Microsoft services simplifies complex workflows, enhancing productivity and efficiency across all business functions.
Security and reliability. Sage products hosted on Azure benefit from Microsoft’s dedication to responsible AI by offering greater security, scalability, and reliability, ultimately enabling companies to operate confidently in a secure digital environment.
Innovative connectivity. Business efficiency is driven through connectivity, allowing a smooth flow of information and financial transactions.