Run a more efficient practice with Business Central for accountancy firms

Connect your finances, projects and operations in one place with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for accountants, so you can spend less time on manual tasks and more time advising clients.

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Why accountancy firms need Business Central

Growing firms cannot rely on disconnected tools and spreadsheets. Business Central helps accountants bring core finance, project and reporting processes together in one secure system.

As your firm grows, the challenge is not only more clients. It is more entities, more service lines and more complexity in how work is delivered and billed. Many practices still rely on a mix of spreadsheets, legacy accounting systems and manual workarounds. This makes it harder to see the full picture, control margins and respond quickly to client demands.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central gives accountants a modern, connected finance and operations platform. It centralises your general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, jobs, timesheets and purchasing, and links them to familiar tools such as Outlook, Excel and Teams. With real time data in one place, partners and finance leaders can see how the practice is performing, manage cash more effectively and make decisions with confidence.

The benefits of Business Central that help accountants work smarter

Discover the practical benefits of Business Central that go beyond core bookkeeping, helping your firm save time, reduce risk and improve profitability.

One connected view of your practice finances

Business Central brings your key financial data into a single system, from general ledger and cash flow to jobs, retainers and expenses. This gives partners and finance teams one source of truth for firm performance, so you can see revenue, cost and margin by client, service line or partner without stitching reports together from multiple tools.

Automated processes that remove manual effort

With Business Central you can automate everyday processes such as purchase approvals, recurring billing, revenue recognition and month end journals. This reduces the time your team spends on repetitive tasks and helps cut errors that can occur when data is re-keyed between systems. The result is a smoother close process and more time to focus on client work.

Real time reporting for partners and clients

Business Central provides built in financial reports and dashboards, and connects easily to Microsoft Power BI for more advanced analysis. This allows you to monitor key metrics such as utilisation, work in progress, debtor days and project profitability in real time. When numbers are always up to date, you can answer client questions faster and support more informed decisions.

Stronger controls, compliance and audit trails

Controlling access to sensitive data is critical for any accountancy firm. Business Central includes user permissions, approvals and audit trails that help you demonstrate good governance. Combined with Microsoft’s cloud security, encryption and regular updates, it supports your efforts to meet regulatory obligations and client expectations on data protection.

A scalable platform that grows with your firm

As your firm takes on more clients, opens new offices or expands into advisory services, Business Central scales with you. You can manage multiple companies, currencies and localisations in one solution, and extend the platform with additional Microsoft and third party apps as your needs evolve. This means you can invest in a system that supports your long term strategy, not just short term fixes.

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Discover how Microsoft Dynamic 365 Business Central works

Why your business needs an ERP

82%

of businesses are utilising an ERP

1 in 5

businesses are dissatisfied with their current ERP

96%

of businesses say using an ERP has contributed to achieving business outcomes

Data taken from a survey we commissioned in December 2024

How Business Central empowers accountancy firms

Business Central is designed to support the way professional services firms operate, from time based and fixed fee work to retainers and projects. Its familiar Microsoft interface helps teams adopt it quickly, while integration with tools such as Outlook and Teams creates a connected workspace for your whole practice.

The platform can be configured to match your processes, whether you focus on compliance services, outsourced finance, advisory projects or a blend of all three. With Business Central, accountancy firms gain a unified system that improves visibility, supports better decisions and helps teams deliver consistent client service. The capabilities of Business Central extend across key areas of accountants’ work:

Practice and client profitability

Track revenue, costs and margins by client, service line, office or partner. Business Central makes it easier to see which engagements are performing well and which need attention, so you can adjust pricing, resourcing or scope before profitability is eroded.

Resource planning and utilisation

Use Business Central data to understand how your team’s time is used across clients and services. By analysing utilisation and capacity, you can plan workloads more effectively, avoid bottlenecks during peak periods and ensure your most skilled people are focused on high value work.

Streamlined project and job management

Manage jobs, tasks, budgets and timesheets in one place. By linking time and expense entries directly to jobs, Business Central gives you accurate work in progress and supports smoother billing, whether you charge by time, fixed fee or milestone.

Multi-company and multi-currency consolidation

For firms with multiple entities or international operations, Business Central simplifies consolidation and currency management. You can handle intercompany postings, local tax and reporting requirements, then bring everything together into a single group view without complex manual work.

Why accountants choose Business Central

End to end visibility across the finance function

Accountants need to see the full story behind the numbers. Business Central connects transactions, projects, approvals and reporting, so you can follow a clear trail from source documents through to financial statements. This helps teams answer questions quickly, investigate issues and support more confident decisions.

Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and Power Platform

Business Central works closely with tools your people already use, including Outlook, Excel, Teams and Power BI. For example, you can raise purchase orders from within Outlook or analyse financial data in Excel while keeping the information governed in Business Central. This reduces duplication, improves adoption and helps your team work more efficiently.

Support for diverse services and billing models

Modern accountancy firms deliver more than year end accounts. Business Central helps you manage recurring compliance work, outsourcing engagements and project based advisory services in one place. You can support time and materials, fixed fee and retainer models, with billing schedules that match how you work with each client.

Built in controls for approvals and spend management

With configurable approval workflows, spending limits and posting controls, Business Central helps you keep a close eye on firm expenditure. This is particularly valuable when managing large numbers of small purchases or staff expenses across multiple offices, as it reduces the risk of overspend and improves cost control.

Cloud access for flexible and hybrid working

Business Central is a cloud solution, which means your team can access the system securely from the office, at home or on client site. This supports flexible working arrangements and makes it easier to collaborate on engagements, without relying on on-premises servers or VPN connections.

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Download our report

The Dynamics of Success

Get a better understanding of the benefits of using a CRM system - allowing businesses like yours to overcome fragmented systems and disconnected workflows. Don't just read about them either, our report provides you with actionable insights and practical recommendations so that you can begin to make data-led decisions.

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Download our report

The Dynamics of Success

Get a better understanding of the benefits of using a CRM system - allowing businesses like yours to overcome fragmented systems and disconnected workflows. Don't just read about them either, our report provides you with actionable insights and practical recommendations so that you can begin to make data-led decisions.

the-dynamics-of-success-report-download-1

Supercharge your practice with an ERP made for accountants

Accountancy firms need more than basic bookkeeping software. Business Central is a modern ERP for accountants that unifies finance, jobs, purchasing and reporting in one connected platform. It gives you the control, visibility and flexibility you need to support clients and grow your firm with confidence.

To learn more about Business Central for accountancy, or to see how ERP for accountants works in practice, get in touch via this short form.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for accountants?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a cloud based business management solution from Microsoft. For accountants and accountancy firms it brings together core financials, jobs, purchasing, inventory and reporting in one system, so you can manage your practice finances and operations more efficiently.

Is Business Central an ERP or just accounting software?

Business Central is an ERP, or enterprise resource planning solution, designed for small and mid sized organisations. It includes full accounting capabilities, along with functionality for projects, supply chain, sales and service. For accountancy firms this means you can go beyond a traditional ledger system and connect the wider processes that affect client and firm profitability.

How can Business Central help our accountancy firm improve profitability?

Business Central gives you clear visibility of revenue, costs and margins at client, job and service line level. By linking time, expenses and purchasing to jobs and the general ledger, it helps you spot underperforming engagements early, improve utilisation and reduce write offs. This supports better pricing, resourcing and commercial decisions.

Is Business Central suitable for smaller accountancy practices?

Yes. Business Central is designed for small and mid sized organisations and can work well for growing accountancy practices that have outgrown entry level accounting tools. You can start with core financials and add more capabilities as you need them, so the system can scale with your firm rather than forcing you into a large enterprise solution before you are ready.

Can Business Central integrate with our existing tools?

Business Central integrates closely with Microsoft 365 tools such as Outlook, Excel, Teams and Power BI. It also supports connectors and APIs that allow integration with other applications, including practice management, payroll or specialist tax software. This means you can keep using tools that work well today while bringing key financial and operational data into a single platform.

How secure is client and financial data in Business Central?

Business Central runs on the Microsoft cloud, which includes enterprise grade security, data encryption and regular updates. You can control access using user roles and permissions, enforce approvals for sensitive actions and maintain detailed audit trails. These features help you protect client information and demonstrate strong governance to regulators and clients.

Does Business Central support UK accountancy and tax requirements?

Business Central is available with local functionality for the UK, including features that support VAT, local reporting and integration with other solutions that handle Making Tax Digital and payroll. Your implementation partner can help configure the system to match your specific compliance processes and ensure it fits your existing workflows.

How does Business Central improve reporting for partners and finance leaders?

Business Central includes standard financial statements and management reports, along with role based dashboards. You can analyse performance by client, office, service line or partner, and connect to Power BI for more advanced visualisations. This makes it easier for partners and finance leaders to see how the firm is performing and to act on insights quickly.

What is the implementation process for Business Central in an accountancy firm?

A typical implementation involves understanding your current systems and processes, designing how Business Central will support them, migrating data, configuring the system and training your team. Many firms start with core financials and job management, then extend the solution over time as they become more familiar with it and their needs develop.

How much does Business Central cost for accountancy firms?

Business Central is licensed per user on a subscription basis. The total cost will depend on how many users you have, which licence types you need and the scope of your implementation. It is important to look at the overall return on investment, including time saved on manual processes, improved visibility of profitability and reduced reliance on multiple disconnected systems.