Jack from Dains: How Copilot for Finance Transforms My Day-to-Day Accountancy Work

As an accountant, staying on top of things is everything. My days are packed with deadlines, numbers, and making sure every detail is spot on. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for tools that can make my life easier and help me get more done in less time. When I was introduced to Copilot for Finance, I quickly realised it was going to be a game-changer.

Saving Time and Reducing Stress

Copilot for Finance saves me an enormous amount of time. One of its main features, “Reconcile Data,” is hands down one of the most powerful tools available to accountants today. The ability to reconcile thousands of lines in an Excel file within seconds is completely unheard of, but that’s exactly what Copilot for Finance does.

Reconciling data sets has never been easier. For instance, I recently reconciled bank accounts, sales day books, purchase day books, and wages control accounts with ease. My biggest win was reconciling sales from Xero to a fuel distribution software over three years—roughly 6,000 transactions. Manually, this would have taken at least a day and a half, but with Copilot for Finance, it took me an hour. It handled most of the bulk work and left me with only around 200 lines to match manually. This turned what could have been a costly job for my client into a quick, budget-friendly task, giving me extra time to focus on more valuable work.

Day-to-day tasks like reconciling a bank account, which usually takes at least half an hour, now take minutes. As long as the data is set up correctly, Copilot does most of the heavy lifting. I always ensure dates and descriptions are formatted consistently to guarantee accuracy in the reconciliation report. Copilot in Excel also helps clean data—like prompting to remove unnecessary parts of bank descriptions, saving even more time.

Using Copilot has not only boosted my productivity but also made my workdays much less stressful.

Joining a Supportive AI Community

I first discovered Copilot through T-Tech, and during one of their presentations, I was introduced to T-Tech’s AI Academy. When I showed it to our CTO, he suggested I join. With no expectations going in, I was surprised by how energised I felt after. I realised I had a whole support network of peers working together to explore Copilot’s potential, and I came away with a clear sense of direction on how to get the best out of it.

In our accounts advisory department, we deal with all sorts of reconciliations—bank, sales ledger, purchase ledger, and wages—and Copilot for Finance has proved invaluable for every step. With high transaction volumes, we can use Copilot to power through these tasks in record time.

Going Beyond Financial Reconciliation

One thing that has surprised me is how much I now use Copilot as a research assistant. Rather than googling and hunting through multiple sources, I go straight to Copilot for answers. It references information right there, which saves me the hassle of double-checking sources, and speeds things up considerably.

I’ve also found Copilot brilliant for handling my notes from industry seminars. At events like Accountex, I used to jot down notes, scan them, and then manually pull together summaries. Now, I scan my handwritten notes, upload them, and let Copilot turn them into a report. As someone who’s more of a maths person than a writer, this has taken away the pressure of drafting long reports, making it easier for me to share my insights with the team.

Looking Ahead: Exciting New Features

Right now, Copilot for Finance has the Reconcile Data feature, but I’m excited about the upcoming Analyse Variances tool. This will allow us to take our work a step further, moving into advisory and strategic analysis, which is a big plus for us and our clients.

Conclusion

Integrating Copilot for Finance into my daily workflow has transformed how I work. It streamlines my processes, simplifies complex reconciliations, and even acts as my research assistant. For any accountant looking to improve efficiency, reduce stress, and focus on high-value tasks, Copilot for Finance is invaluable.

 Written by Jack Deeming & Daniel Teacher