Introduction

“To have cash is to breathe. Lack of cash means suffocation”.
This phrase, often heard in the business world, sums up what’s at stake: cash flow is not just a financial indicator, it’s the company’s fuel.

Yet many managers of very small businesses still manage their cash flow by instinct or with the help of tedious Excel spreadsheets. The result: little medium-term visibility, decisions taken in a hurry, and sometimes costly mistakes.

With the advent of digitalization and new technologies, it is now possible to transform this constraint into a genuine management tool. Azopio is one of those solutions that make cash flow forecasting accessible, simple and fast – in just one click.

Why cash flow planning is vital for any business

Cash flow is not just a current bank statement: it is a dynamic snapshot of the company.
Predicting cash flow allows you to :

1. Anticipate cash flow shortfalls: for example, when customers pay in 60 days but suppliers demand cash payment.
   
2. Avoid bank charges: unanticipated overdrafts lead to charges that reduce your profitability.
   
3. Secure growth: know in advance whether you can invest in equipment, recruit or open a new outlet.
   
4. Strengthen relations with financial partners: controlled cash flow reassures banks and investors.

In short, forecasting cash flow means turning uncertainty into strategy.

Traditional methods: useful but limited

For a long time, Excel was the essential tool for monitoring cash flow. Flexible and accessible, it is still widely used. But it has three major limitations:

• Time spent: each movement has to be re-entered manually, which quickly becomes time-consuming.
• Errors: a simple miscalculated cell can distort any forecast.
• Lack of responsiveness: in the event of an unforeseen event (a large payment or a late customer), the table does not reflect reality in real time.

In today’s fast-paced world, these methods are becoming inadequate.

The pillars of good cash flow forecasting

Before talking about automation, let’s remember what makes an effective cash flow forecast. It must :

1. Rely on reliable data: customer and supplier invoices, tax and social security deadlines, fixed costs.
2. Be regularly updated: the information must reflect the reality of the moment.
3. Provide a clear vision: not just the current balance, but also a 30, 60 or 90-day projection.
4. Be easy to use: a manager needs to be able to understand his cash flow without being a chartered accountant.

Automation: a paradigm shift

Automation is the perfect answer to these needs. By connecting the various flows (banks, invoices, receipts), it enables you to :

• Eliminate re-keying: no need to copy and paste amounts from your statements.
• Continuous updating: each payment or invoice is automatically integrated.
• More reliable data: less human error, more confidence.
• Save time: monitoring is almost effortless.

Azopio: cash flow forecasting made easy

Designed for SMEs and accountancy firms, Azopio centralises and automates the entire process:

• Automatic collection of invoices and supporting documents (emails, scans, suppliers, tills).
• Secure bank connection for integrating financial movements.
• Intelligent recognition of key data (amounts, dates, due dates).
• Automatic reconciliation between invoices and payments.
• Real-time dashboards to view receipts, disbursements and forecast balances.

The result: in just one click, managers have a clear, up-to-date view of their cash position.

Case in point: SMEs gain visibility

Let’s imagine a service SME with around ten employees. Before Azopio, the administrative manager spent two days a month re-entering invoices and statements into Excel. Despite her efforts, the forecasts were never totally reliable.

After adopting Azopio :

• Invoices are automatically collected and filed.
• Customer receipts are reconciled directly with invoices.
• In just a few seconds, managers can see their projected cash flow over three months.

Result:

• Two days’ work saved every month.
• Less stress from unexpected financial events.
• Faster decisions when it comes to investing or recruiting.

Day-to-day benefits for managers

As well as saving time, Azopio offers real strategic value:

• Clarity: a clear, up-to-date cash flow statement.
• Confidence: decisions based on reliable data.
• Collaboration: simplified sharing with the chartered accountant.
• Serenity: the certainty that you won’t discover an overdraft by surprise.

Best practices to anticipate even better

Even with a powerful tool, there are certain habits that reinforce cash flow forecasting:

1. Regularly monitor customer payment times.
2. Negotiate with suppliers to stagger certain payments.
3. Build up a safety reserve to absorb unforeseen events.
4. Analyse the differences between forecasts and reality to improve the reliability of projections.

Conclusion

Cash flow forecasting is not a luxury reserved for large companies: it’s a necessity for all organisations, large or small. With automation, it’s now possible to save time, make your data more reliable and manage your business with greater peace of mind.

Azopio makes it easy: with just one click, managers know where they stand and where they’re going.
A clear vision, time saved and peace of mind restored.

Try Azopio today and transform your cash management into a true management tool.