Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been making waves for several years now. But what exactly lies behind this concept? And more importantly, what impact do these technologies have on the work of an accounting team and on your company’s financial management? In this article, let’s demystify the concept.
Differentiating AI from robotization
Artificial intelligence is often confused with robotization. Yet, process automation is nothing new - we’re actually talking about RPA (Robotic Process Automation). But how can we distinguish between these two notions?
🔧 RPA = A robot that follows instructions
When a task is “robotized,” a software program follows well-defined rules. It is programmed to perform a task in the same way every time. The software does not think, does not adapt - it simply does what it’s told.
Your batches of automatic payment reminders? That’s RPA.
The automatic integration of your financial files from Isabel? Also RPA.
Here are a few concrete examples of RPA in Adfinity:
- Dashboard Demat: For incoming invoices, robotization checks for a purchase order, extracts data for 3WM verification (supplier – reference – amount…), and encodes the invoice based on available information. If no purchase order is found, Adfinity can suggest supplier imputations based on existing models.
- Automatic report generation: For example, monthly generation of a general ledger or trial balance.
- Recurring contract invoicing: This task can be automated without manual intervention.
RPA is precise and allows for reliable automation of many cases. If properly configured, the software will always act the same way. However, it does not handle unexpected situations - human intervention is still needed for anything outside the “script.”
🧠 AI = A system that learns and adapts
Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, can analyze, learn, recognize patterns, and make autonomous decisions. It can improve over time and handle new situations, but it’s essential to provide it with a clear framework and rules to follow to ensure the relevance of its interpretations.
Here are some examples of AI-based features in Adfinity:
- Smartmodels: This feature uses machine learning. Smartmodels analyze your encoding habits and offer personalized suggestions.
- New OCR engine: The complexity lies in interpreting recognized information. Thanks to this new engine, we’ve integrated generative models capable of leveraging data for various uses (purchase orders, invoices, insurance documents, etc.).
What role will AI play in the future of accounting?
At Easi, we believe in the power and potential of artificial intelligence. However, as finance professionals, we remain cautious: data security and accuracy are essential. It’s therefore crucial to stay in control.
Our vision of AI combines three key aspects:
- Automation: Automate as many tasks as possible (encoding, linking, reconciling, deducing…)
- Alerting: Draw attention to “anomalies”
- Correction: Allow humans to remain in control
RPA already automates many simple tasks. AI will enable the handling of more complex tasks. Combined, they offer intelligent automation. They won’t replace humans, but they will ease repetitive work, allowing you to focus on value-added tasks.
What if we dreamed a little?
Monitoring tasks to automate
💭 What if Adfinity could detect repetitive tasks you perform and directly suggest an RPA to create?
Integrated chatbot
💭 What if an intelligent chatbot could answer your questions, guide you to the right documentation, or redirect you to the right contact?
💭 And why not integrate it directly into your Adfinity solution?
Reporting
💭 What if predictive AI enabled better cash flow monitoring? By analyzing past flows, it could anticipate your cash needs or detect trends invisible to the human eye.
Line-by-line Peppol
💭 What if tomorrow’s Peppol could recognize and pre-encode each line of an invoice using the associated purchase order — even without a purchase order?
💭 What if… it happened sooner than expected? 😉
In conclusion
Artificial intelligence is a powerful lever to simplify your processes, increase your efficiency, and deliver more value. We move forward cautiously, but always with ambition and a clear goal: to offer you reliable and useful solutions, while keeping you in control of the technology.
