How will SMBs benefit form Sage's new co-pilot?

Sage has unveiled AI-driven Sage Copilot for its Intacct platform. The feature, announced on December 3, 2024, will initially be available to early adopters in the US and UK markets.

The introduction comes at a time when 80% of corporate finance teams are turning to AI solutions to free up time for higher-value tasks, according to Sage’s recent research. The company’s report, “The Secrets of Successful CFOs,” also revealed that 89% of finance leaders have experienced significantly expanded responsibilities due to technological advances and global complexities.

“We know that finance leaders are looking for ways to save time, drive strategic initiatives, and support business growth. With the introduction of Sage Copilot, alongside our other enhancements, we are helping them take a major step towards that goal,” said Dan Miller, EVP Financials and ERP Division at Sage.

For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), the new AI-powered tools offer practical advantages in daily operations. Sage Copilot’s variance analysis feature provides real-time alerts on budget discrepancies, enabling faster financial decision-making without extensive manual review. The platform’s intelligent search help function allows users to receive direct, conversational answers to their queries, reducing time spent on routine tasks and increasing overall productivity.

The Release 4 update includes several key features beyond Sage Copilot. The platform now offers enhanced time management capabilities across multiple regions, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and South Africa. For utility companies, a new Continental Utility Solutions integration has been implemented to streamline billing and financial management processes.

In response to growing global demand, Sage Intacct has expanded its language support to include French-Canadian and Spanish (Spain) in open beta. The platform has also introduced specialized features for the French market, including manual lettrage for tracking general ledger accounts and a bank transaction assistant for financial reconciliation.

For developers, the release includes a new REST API built with Open API Specification 3.0, providing enhanced capabilities for custom integration development. This feature is currently available to early adopters across all regions.

These enhancements represent Sage’s continued effort to support small and mid-sized businesses in their digital transformation journey, with a particular focus on improving productivity and decision-making through AI-driven solutions.