Most organisations use their accounting software the same way they always have.
But small updates and new features can quietly make life easier — or highlight where a process could be improved.
We’ve pulled together a few recent developments from Xero and Syft that might be useful, especially if you’re managing invoices, bills, or forecasts.
1. Xero Invoice Templates – What You Can Actually Change
Xero have published a straightforward guide explaining how invoice templates work and where the limits are.
It’s helpful if you’ve ever tried to adjust spacing, add fields, or tidy up branding and wondered why Xero won’t let you.
A quick look can save a lot of trial and error.
https://central.xero.com/s/article/Invoice-templates-explained
2. Faster Bill Processing with Xero’s New Quick‑View
Xero have introduced a small but genuinely useful feature: you can now preview and manage bills without fully opening each one.
This is particularly handy if you process a lot of supplier invoices.
It won’t transform your workflow, but it can shave off a bit of admin time.
https://blog.xero.com/product-updates/quick-view-manage-bills/
3. Xero’s New AI Tools – Mostly for Developers, but Worth Knowing About
Xero have released a set of AI tools aimed at developers and integrators.
Most organisations won’t use these directly, but they give a sense of where automation is heading — especially around data extraction and document handling.
4. Syft Rolling Forecasts – Could This Replace Spreadsheet Forecasting?
Syft now offers rolling forecasts that update automatically as actuals come in.
In theory, this could help organisations who currently:
- add actuals into spreadsheet columns each month
- update forecasts by hand
- rebuild formulas when something changes
Our view is simple: if it’s intuitive and saves time, great. If it’s fiddly, it’s not worth forcing.
We’re happy to sense‑check whether it could help your setup.
A simple takeaway
Small software updates don’t always justify changing your processes — but occasionally they highlight an easier way of doing things.
If you’d like us to review your current workflow, we’re always happy to take a look.