Categories / Admin & Back-Office
Dext + Sowerby: 1.8 min saved per invoice; client potential 15–20 hrs/week (~1,000 hrs/yr)
A UK accounting practice moved clients from desktop scanning to Dext and saves 1.8 minutes on every invoice; one client could save 15–20 hours a week.
- Task
- speed bookkeeping/invoice processing for remote teams stuck on desktop scanning workflows
- Result
- average 1.8 minutes saved per invoice; one client cited potential 15–20 hours/week (~1,000 hours/year); bookkeepers shift to higher-value work while admin handles scanning; seamless switch after trial of another tool
- Tools
- Dext Prepare (invoice/bank-statement scanning)
- Sage stack
- Dext training/support
- Setup
- start with bank feeds / easy wins → pilot Dext Prepare for invoice+statement capture → train admin to scan → bookkeepers review/coded items → expand automation once data hygiene is solid
Step-by-step setup guide + copy-paste prompt
Honest note: Dext reads receipts and invoices with automated extraction (OCR/machine learning) and applies supplier rules. It isn't generative AI. The gain comes from never typing invoice data by hand.
Prerequisites
- A Dext Prepare account, with Admin rights to connect accounting software.
- Sage Accounting (or Xero/QuickBooks; the steps are similar).
Step-by-step setup
Step 1. Connect Sage. In Dext: Business settings → Connections → under Accounting software select Connect → Sage Accounting → Connect → Connect software → log in to Sage → Finish. Your chart of accounts, suppliers, customers and bank accounts sync within a few minutes.
Step 2. Set publishing defaults. Business settings → Connections → Manage (next to Sage Accounting) → Settings. Choose the default destination for costs (Purchase Invoice or Other Expense) and set Default tax for costs.
Step 3. Start with easy wins. Turn on Sync bank data and Autofill payment in the Bank section, so receipts match bank lines automatically.
Step 4. Get paperwork in without a desktop scanner. Have whoever handles admin snap invoices in the Dext mobile app, or forward them to the account's email-in address.
Step 5. Teach it your suppliers. Set supplier rules (category, tax rate, payment method). For trusted, repetitive suppliers, set Auto-publish: Yes in Costs → Suppliers. Only complete documents publish.
Step 6. Review, then publish. A bookkeeper reviews the coded items and publishes them to Sage. Time 20 invoices before and after to get your own minutes-per-invoice figure.
Copy-paste prompt
I'm moving a small business's bookkeeping to Dext. From this list of last quarter's suppliers, draft supplier rules as a table: supplier, default category (from my chart of accounts below), tax rate, payment method, auto-publish yes/no (yes only for fixed, recurring bills).
Suppliers: {{paste}}
Chart of accounts: {{paste}}Sources
- CaseStudies.com: Sowerby Chartered Accountants with Dext. Credit: Sowerby Chartered Accountants.
- Dext Help: How to connect Dext to Sage Accounting
- Dext Help: How to publish items to Sage Accounting
Industries: AI automation for Accounting, Bookkeeping & Tax Firms
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