What Good Looks Like: The Modern SME Accounts Function

When the numbers matter more – so does the structure behind them. Here’s how modern CFOs are rethinking their accounts teams.

Finance is no longer a back-office box-ticker.

For growing SMEs, a well-structured accounts function is a critical lever – supporting decisions, safeguarding compliance, and underpinning investor confidence.

But what does a modern accounts function actually look like?

Here’s what good looks like in 2026:

When transactions are entered and reconciled daily, your data is always live. That means accurate bank balances, up-to-date cash flow views, and no end-of-month panic. It’s also what enables clean reporting within 10 working days.

Numbers aren’t just for finance. Each department or location manager should see the P&L that reflects their area – so they can own performance, control costs, and act quickly.

Repetitive tasks (like invoice matching, bank recs, and supplier statements) should be handled by bots. The human team adds value through reviews, insight, and judgement – not data entry.

Board packs should be forward-looking. That means tracking against forecast, surfacing trends, and giving decision-makers the confidence to act.

Accounting treatments and classifications should be reviewed before the year closes – avoiding audit-time surprises that undermine all your monthly reports (and any decisions made off the back of them).

A modern accounts function is a control centre, not a cost centre.

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