Finance Outsourcing - How Outsourcing can help different Processes within Your Finance Function

Finance-as-a-Service and outsourcing of finance processes offer small and medium businesses (SMBs) an unparalleled competitive edge by providing significantly higher value for money spent. This trend is not limited to one function but rather it spans across functions such as accounting, accounts receivable, payable, month-end close, revenue recognition, and others. This allows SMBs to focus on their core competencies and business activities while leaving the management of their finance processes to experts. By outsourcing finance functions such as accounting, accounts receivable, payable, month-end close, and revenue recognition, SMBs can get significantly higher value for their money. This is because FaaS providers have the scale and expertise to deliver these services at a lower cost than SMBs could achieve on their own. As a result, SMBs are able to operate more efficiently and effectively, resulting in increased profitability. In addition, outsourcing provides SMBs with access to the latest technology and best practices in financial management, which would otherwise be inaccessible or too costly to implement internally. Here is the list of processes that can be outsourced to increase the efficiency of the business:

Processes that are outsourced - Accounting

Outsourced accounting covers all the finance functions including; bookkeeping, payroll, financial reports, management accounting, tax, accounts payable, accounts receivable, following up debtors, and other accounts-related services. Apart from the above-mentioned activities, accounting intercompany transactions and foreign exchanges is also increasingly common and beneficial to organizations with a global presence. The Implications of non-compliance can be significant, including reputational and monetary losses. This can be dealt with, ease by outsourcing this process to an outsourced Solution Partner.

Accounts Payable/Receivable

Accounts payable outsourcing can be helpful for some companies lacking the means, time, and automation software to manage that begins after procurement and receipt of goods or services. This is the most outsourced process. The benefits are Increasing efficiency, timely invoice processing and payments, eliminating the need to cover for absent employees, shifting roles of your business employees to higher-level tasks and processing invoices with AP automation software used by outsourcing providers. Businesses that want to improve their service levels while cutting down on hiring costs may benefit from partnering with accounts payable/receivable outsourcing providers.

Month-end Close

In today's fast evolving business environment, a quick close is a necessity even if it is considered a common measure in defining the capabilities of the finance team. These processes are usually heavy on both time and labour. SMB's cannot afford this. Neither should have access to custom technology solutions that make use of automation nor can they build analytical process workflows to get rid of redundant manual tasks. Outsourced Finance Partners can meet the needs of a month- end closing both technology-wise and compliance-wise, also well-versed in the flow of different activities that make up the month-end close process. outsourcing processes such as journal entries, reconciliations, variance analysis, financial statement preparation and financial review can be hugely advantageous in a highly competitive environment.

Revenue Recognition

This is an accounting principle that figures the particular conditions under which the revenue is recognized. The medium-sized businesses face countless challenges such as data aggregation, last minute contract modifications, estimating the standalone selling prices and contract related expenses along with ASC606/IFRS 15 compliance requirements. The Finance Partners help you deal with challenges below: Make you understand how the standard specifically relates to your business and contracts. Meet all the ASC606/ IFRS 15 compliance requirements. Determine the appropriate timing for revenue recognition. Use prescribed methods for significant estimates and judgments at contract inception and going forward. Understand the impacts of the approach on accounting processes and disclosures. This is an accounting principle that figures the particular conditions under which the revenue is recognized. The medium-sized businesses face countless challenges such as data aggregation, last minute contract modifications, estimating the standalone selling prices and contract related expenses along with ASC606/IFRS 15 compliance requirements. The Finance Partners help you deal with challenges below: Make you understand how the standard specifically relates to your business and contracts. Meet all the ASC606/ IFRS 15 compliance requirements. Determine the appropriate timing for revenue recognition. Use prescribed methods for significant estimates and judgments at contract inception and going forward. Understand the impacts of the approach on accounting processes and disclosures.

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

FP&A essentially crucial to every business's future. It analyses all-important cash flow to ensure the company can continue on its current path, predicts the probable success of various paths or projects, and considers all the numerous variables that affect the company, like economic, market, and business conditions. FP&A personnel build financial models and employ metrics to determine if the company's state is positive or negative. Depending on that result, FP&A can then determine which projects are most likely to succeed, including expected values of investments in each project. The importance of FP&A teams are huge and so is the impact they create for companies. It is challenging for SMBs to have such an expertise team on a payroll. Due to the highly-technical nature of this function, a team of experts is required for building models and workflows. outsourcing FP&A duties is a major trend in the Finance industry.as this model where you outsource finance function is both cost-effective and beneficial for small businesses.FP&A essentially crucial to every business's future. It analyses all-important cash flow to ensure the company can continue on its current path, predicts the probable success of various paths or projects, and considers all the numerous variables that affect the company, like economic, market, and business conditions. FP&A personnel build financial models and employ metrics to determine if the company's state is positive or negative. Depending on that result, FP&A can then determine which projects are most likely to succeed, including expected values of investments in each project. The importance of FP&A teams are huge and so is the impact they create for companies. It is challenging for SMBs to have such an expertise team on a payroll. Due to the highly-technical nature of this function, a team of experts is required for building models and workflows. outsourcing FP&A duties is a major trend in the Finance industry.as this model where you outsource finance function is both cost-effective and beneficial for small businesses.

Audit Support Services

Successful audits are key to advancing your business by creating value, mitigating risk, and maintaining investor confidence. They are an unavoidable part of doing business. But preparation can be overwhelming, and things can easily go wrong without a strategic plan. The Finance Partner understands exactly, which means less time spent on requests and quicker responses to auditor questions. Their services include managing relations between the management and auditors, preparation of financial statements, etc.

In Summary

Finance function generally struggles to provide start-ups and SMBs with reliable information and a clear understanding of how their businesses are performing. Without which, business leaders are unable to make the best choices to direct the growth of their organization. They require forward-looking reporting, a clear view into financial data, and the appropriate perspective on performance measures if they are to be able to adapt to a fast-changing business environment. However, they must also maintain control over issues like invoice processing, document automation, and cash flow management while abiding by compliance guidelines. Due to which, outsourcing finance and accounting is a practical way to suit each financial department's unique needs without breaking the bank. Finance-as-a-Service is a paradigm that goes beyond traditional outsourced accounting, which simply enables you to transfer some of the non-core business functions to your finance and accounting partner. As a result, the trend of FaaS and outsourcing of finance processes is one that is certain to rise in adoption and popularity among SMBs. Download from here



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