Football is so much more than the 90 minutes you see on the pitch.

Beyond the drama you see on TV, there’s a much deeper story that demonstrates the real heartbeat of the English Football League.

Whether it’s the pre-game pub, the local café serving breakfast on matcha morning, or the local trades working in clubs week after week, small businesses have always been part of the match day experience. For as long as the football league has existed, they’ve been woven into the fabric of the EFL communities, sitting behind the magic of the matches fans tune into every week.

For over 40 years, Sage has been backing so many of these small businesses and now, through our partnership, we’re shining a spotlight on the people and businesses at the centre of each

Here’s what we discuss:

Who are the heroes of the EFL?

At the start of our EFL partnership, we invited millions of fans to nominate businesses at the heart of their community—with the chance to win sponsorship of their local club.

The response was incredible. Thousands of entries filled with stories of resilience, generosity, and creativity. They confirmed what we already knew, which is just how deeply local businesses, clubs, and fans are connected.

We’ve developed an interactive map of the UK that showcases some of these amazing stories and dubbed the businesses involved as Heroes of the EFL. Every supporter has their own heroes. All we want to do is tell their stories.

From plumbers offering free call-outs on match day to party organisers hosting end-of-season celebrations, these heroes will see their names in lights at stadiums, in press, and across social this season.

They’ll also receive free Sage software and tickets to their home club, and our top three winners have bagged themselves bespoke club sponsorships at Leicester, Bradford and Gillingham. 

Chris’s Fish & Chips’ story: Leicester City

Chris’s Fish & Chips has been serving up hearty meals and even heartier football support across Barwell and Leicester since day one.

Backing over six teams through sponsorship, the business runs inclusive football days, coaches youth sides, referees matches, and leads veterans’ teams that bring older players together through the beautiful game.

Its owner is Football Association (FA)-trained and passionate about mental health in sport, creating a football charity that offers buddy schemes, talking therapies, and safe spaces for connection.

Whether it’s kits, coaching or post-match meals, Chris’s Fish & Chips is proud to be part of something bigger than football.

Prime Time Plumbing’s story: Bradford City

Prime Time Plumbing is a reliable plumbing and heating service provider, based across West Yorkshire.

But beyond its core business, the team is committed to the community, sponsoring the local grassroots team, Soothill FC.

Prime Time Plumbing believes that quality service and community investment go hand-in-hand. It doesn’t just work to keep homes comfortable. It’s actively supporting the next generation through sport, creating new opportunities in the region.

Monarch Mortgages’ story: Gillingham

Based in Gillingham, Monarch Mortgages has been helping people secure their dream homes since 2020.

Beyond this, the business has been proudly backing grassroots football every step of the way. Whether it’s sponsoring youth teams with kits, training support, or hosting regular fundraising events, it’s built strong ties with the local football community.

From their financial literacy workshops to match day activities, Monarch Mortgages is helping fans thrive both on and off the pitch.

How do I use Sage’s interactive EFL Map?

Dive into the interactive map: pick your favourite club, explore your region, or zoom in on a story that sparks your interest.

Browse stories using the sidebar to handpick your location or click on a dot to open a story, picture, or video and read or watch more about the inspiring stories behind the EFL.

But the ambition for this map isn’t just for searching your own local heroes.

Visiting a new town on an awayday? Why not use Sage’s interactive map to seek out the top pre-match pub to visit on your way to the stadium. Scroll around the map to find the best businesses with the best stories.

Click onto each pin on the map and you’ll discover the businesses that share your passion and support the beautiful game.

Every pin on the map shows a new location, but it’s also so much more. You can see the bond between EFL clubs, businesses, towns, and the wider football community that unites them.

Sage’s interactive EFL map tells a story of pride and passion, a living archive of the community heartbeat that keeps football alive.

As new stories are added and local heroes of the EFL continue to emerge, the map will grow and evolve into a lasting tribute to the people and places that define what the EFL truly stands for: unity, resilience, and ultimately, a shared love of football.

MARCO STRANO

Psicologo e Criminologo è considerato uno dei massimi esperti di Psicologia connessa alla attività di polizia. Ha cominciato la sua attività professionale nelle Forze di Polizia nel 1981 come Ufficiale dei Carabinieri (Divisione Unità Speciali), poi, dopo alcuni anni, è transitato nel Nucleo Operativo Speciale dell’Ufficio dell’Alto Commissario Antimafia di Palermo occupandosi per 7 anni di operazioni di intelligence tattica e poi al suo scioglimento, nel 1991, ha operato per altri 10 anni come Agente Operativo in Italia e all’estero in una speciale unità dei Servizi di Intelligence della Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri (SISDE) nel contrasto alla criminalità organizzata e nell’analisi degli omicidi, maturando ulteriore esperienza sul campo dell’HUM.INT e nell’attività operativa tattica in ambiente urbano e in aree di campagna in Italia e all’estero. Nel 2001 è transitato a domanda nella Polizia di Stato come Direttore Tecnico Capo Psicologo (l’equivalente militare di Tenente Colonnello) dove ha inizialmente comandato per circa quattro anni l’U.A.C.I. (Unità di Analisi dei Crimini Informatici) della Polizia delle Comunicazioni, ottenendo brillanti risultati nel contrasto alla pedopornografia. In seguito, trasferito a domanda, è stato inquadrato nel comparto sanitario della Polizia di Stato, dove ha raggiunto nel 2018 la qualifica dirigenziale (Direttore Tecnico Superiore) prestando servizio presso il Comando Interregionale della Polizia di Stato (Lazio–Abruzzo–Sardegna) con compiti di Psicologia applicata all’attività di polizia. Dal 2017 al 2019 si è recato in USA per attività di collaborazione internazionale con la polizia californiana. Nel settembre 2019 ha lasciato la Polizia di Stato e ha cominciato a collaborare con un contratto triennale di consulenza (rinnovabile) con il C.S.U. Fullerton Police Department di Los Angeles, per organizzare esperienze di training congiunto tra operatori di polizia italiani e statunitensi e per sviluppare progetti di ricerca e formazione sulla psicologia degli operatori di polizia coinvolti in conflitti a fuoco e sul criminal profiling nei casi di omicidi irrisolti. Parallelamente all’attività operativa istituzionale, Marco Strano ha approfondito studi universitari di Sociologia dell’Organizzazione, di Psicologia e di Criminologia insegnando in diversi atenei ed effettuando alcune pubblicazioni scientifiche pionieristiche. È infatti il Presidente dello Study Center for Legality, Security and Justice (www.criminologia.org) un’associazione che dal 1999 studia tecniche innovative di investigazione e problematiche di psicologia degli operatori di polizia e dei militari e al cui interno è presente una equipe specializzata nello studio dei cold cases. É autore di 22 libri su tematiche criminologico–investigative e di più di 100 articoli scientifici in materie psicologiche e criminologiche. Nel 2004 ha partecipato come relatore al workshop “The Nature and Influence of Intuition in Law Enforcement: integration of Theory and Practice”, organizzato dalla Behavioural Science Unit dell’FBI a Quantico (Virginia) con il patrocinio dell’American Psychological Association, presentando un pionieristico studio sull’applicazione dell’intelligenza artificiale al criminal profiling.

SIMONE DE FRAJA

Avvocato, saggista e studioso delle fortificazioni medioevali. Si occupa prevalentemente della materia penale specie e scienza dell’investigazione e di alcune aree di diritto civile. Collabora alla Scuola di Formazione Forense di Arezzo, di cui è stato promotore e co–fondatore (oggi Fondazione Forense COA). Per la Camera Penale di Arezzo, della quale è stato Presidente, ha avuto parte, unitamente a magistrati e parlamentari, nel Convegno “Delitto e Castigo” (maggio 2005) con la relazione “L’impronta di Caino” con P. Margara ed è promotore di numerosi incontri relativi ai Corsi per Difensori di Ufficio nonché relatore o moderatore in convegni a rilievo giuridico e criminologico come, di recente, per il Convegno “La prova scientifica” (con L. Garofano, V. Saltarelli e S. Matone), 2015. Per la camera penale ha promosso ed ospitato la presentazione del volume “Lettere Francesca” a cura di F. Scopelliti (2016) nonché “Anatomia del potere giudiziario” a cura di di G. Guarnieri, G. Insolera, L. Zilletti (2017). Per l’Accademia Italiana delle Scienze Forensi è membro del Comitato Etico e durante il II Congresso Nazionale dell’Accademia ha partecipato con la relazione “Aspetti logico giuridici delle indagini e patologia del giudizio” (2018). É membro di associazioni culturali cittadine e nazionali, socio fondatore della Società Storica Aretina, di cui è Vicepresidente, per le quali ha tenuto conferenze ed interventi televisivi; collabora con il Quotidiano “La Nazione”. Consigliere della Fondazione Ferraguti Tomassetti. É stato Probo Viro e Consigliere della “Brigata Aretina Amici dei Monumenti”; per la Società Storica Aretina, di cui è socio fondatore e Vicepresidente (2018), è membro del Comitato Scientifico di redazione della rivista bimestrale e dell’area dedicata alla castellologia ed insediamenti medioevali. Collabora con il Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università degli Studi di Firenze quale co–relatore di tesi relativamente a progetti di recupero di fortificazioni medioevali. Oltre ai saggi apparsi in riviste scientifiche accreditate si ricordano, tra le recenti pubblicazioni, «Fortificazioni Medioevali in Valcerfone, ricognizione e censimento», Società Storica Aretina, 2011, con la prefazione di Aldo A. Settia; «Fortificazioni Medioevali in Valmarecchia, il Comune di Badia Tedalda», Società Storica Aretina, 2013 con la prefazione di A. Fatucchi; «L’Altra Istanbul», Phasar Edizioni, 2014; «Nepi. Fortificazione e immagine», Phasar, 2015; «Le fortificazioni di Clemente V», Phasar, 2017; «Assedi e fortificazioni», Società Storica Aretina, 2018, con la prefazione di Aldo A. Settia, vincitore del “Premio Tagete” per la saggistica nel 2019. Nel 2020 con Aska ha pubblicato, con una prefazione di Luca Berti, «1384, la presa della città. Arezzo nelle mani di Enguerrand de Coucy».

MARCO ROMANI

Nato a Rieti, fin da piccolo ha avuto un forte interesse verso la fotografia. La prima macchinetta fotografica fu una polaroid istantanea all’età di 11 anni. Dopo aver cambiato svariate macchine e con l’arrivo del digitale passò finalmente alla prima reflex digitale unendo alla foto anche una nuova passione la post produzione. Dal 2019 con l’arrivo dei Droni, con a bordo obiettivi in grado di realizzare riprese video in 4K e fotografie di grande risoluzione Marco Romani ha iniziato ad occuparsi di fotografia aerea. Grazie ai droni realizza una fotografia paesaggistica da una prospettiva completamente differente, grazie alle altezze e angolazioni che non si potrebbero mai raggiungere con una semplice reflex se non grazie l’aiuto di un vero elicottero. Il suo principale obiettivo è quello di trasmettere emozioni attraverso uno scatto diverso dal solito, ma anche di valorizzare il territorio della Sabina (dove risiede). Ha realizzato le bellissime immagini aeree di Poggio Catino del presente saggio.

PRISCILLA ZANUTEL

Archeologa e presidente dell’A.P.S. Rerum Memoria (Roma) si è Laureata col massimo dei voti presso il dipartimento di Scienze dell’antichità dell’Università la “Sapienza” di Roma con una tesi sperimentale e durante il suo percorso accademico ha partecipato a studi e ricerche in diversi laboratori, scavi e corsi in ambito antropologico, tra cui il laboratorio di antropologia presso il museo delle civiltà (MuCiv); il laboratorio di Antropologia della Sapienza; il laboratorio su reperti ossei incinerati presso l’associazione OsteoArch di Milano; il laboratorio di antropologia su resti archeologici e contemporanei diretto dalla prof.ssa C. Cattaneo; lo scavo antropologico presso le catacombe di S. Mustiola (Chiusi) diretto dall’università di RomaTre e la Pontificia Commissione di archeologia cristiana. Ha frequentato il corso di Alta formazione sulle nuove tecnologie applicate alla bioarcheologia presso l’Università la Sapienza di Roma e possiede una ottima conoscenza di usi e costumi dell’epoca medievale. Nel presente lavoro di ricerca è stata una delle studiose che ha svolto accertamenti finalizzati a determinare il sesso dello scheletro della Dama Bianca conservato al Museo Criminologico di Roma.

Nell’ambito del culto/interesse per la simbologia templare si trova una vasta tipologia di individui e di organizzazioni. Ovviamente ci sono studiosi e appassionati di storia medievale tra cui mi colloco anche io (da storico dilettante) come promotore, per hobby, di un progetto di trekking chiamato “Le tracce dei Templari” (www.camminodeitemplari.it).

Poi ci sono diversi Ordini Cavallereschi – non riconosciuti dalla Chiesa Cattolica – che sono interessati alla dimensione spirituale (senza tentare quasi mai di circuire nessuno) e che talvolta promuovono anche positive iniziative sociali e di carità.

Purtroppo, da una ventina d’anni si assiste, però ad un continuo incremento di sette neo-templari e l’incertezza per il futuro legato alla pandemia COVID ha ulteriormente aggravato la situazione. Ho una specifica esperienza professionale su tale argomento. Dal 2003, infatti, anno di fondazione dell’Ambulatorio Antisette Patrocinato dalla Regione Lazio) mi occupo come Direttore scientifico di studiare il fenomeno e di fornire una consulenza gratuita a coloro (ex adepti e familiari) che sono incappati in questo genere di culti distruttivi, ricevendo spesso anche minacce e intimidazioni.

Nel periodo in cui ero in servizio presso la Polizia delle Comunicazioni mi sono poi occupato di analizzare le tecniche di proselitismo che questo genere di sette attua attraverso internet.

In questa veste voglio sottolineare quindi il fatto che la simbologia templare è stata utilizzata storicamente anche da vere e proprie “sette esoterico-religiose”, realtà pericolose e distruttive come nel caso del famigerato “Ordine del Tempio del Sole (OTS)”, inizialmente detto Ordine Internazionale Cavalleresco di tradizione solare, che è un gruppo esoterico neo-templare fondato a Ginevra da Luc Jouret e Jo Di Mambro.

Questa setta (che si presenta come una sorta di ordine cavalleresco) è conosciuta principalmente per i suicidi di massa in Svizzera, Francia e Canada che hanno provocato 74 vittime nel 1994, 1995 e 1997 e per le controversie che sono scaturite da questi fatti. Proprio questa vicenda ha provocato un rafforzamento della lotta contro le sette in Francia. In Francia, l’OTS è considerato come una setta dal rapporto della commissione di inchiesta parlamentare francese del 1995.

Sempre di origine francese ma poi diffuso in altre nazioni, ricordiamo anche “L’Ordine del Tempio di Gerusalemme celeste” (OTJC), che in seguito ha cambiato nome come “Ordine dei Nuovi templari operativi” (ONTO), e che è stato ufficialmente sciolto su pressione delle autorità francesi alla fine degli anni ottanta. Più tardi il “rapporto Guyard” sullo stato delle sette in Francia, lo etichetterà in realtà come una “setta gnostico-esoterica” conosciuta anche come ECK (energo cromo kinesi o Energo Chromo Kinèse).

Marco Strano (Direttore Scientifico dell’Ambulatorio Antisette)

SITOGRAFIA DI APPROFONDIMENTO

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More business functions rely on payroll data than people realise. HR, finance, IT and compliance teams all need access, making coordination more complex than it once was.

From salary details to bank accounts, getting it wrong may lead to fines, employee mistrust and conversations with the ICO. In this guide, we’ll walk through what GDPR really means for payroll teams in the UK. 

Why payroll data is high-risk under UK GDPR

Payroll involves processing vast amounts of personal information every month. The breadth of data is staggering when you consider what goes into a typical payroll run. 

You’re handling salary and bonus figures that reveal earning patterns, National Insurance numbers that serve as unique identifiers, bank account details that provide direct access to personal finances, contact information and addresses that map out where people live and tax codes and pension contributions that expose financial circumstances and future planning decisions.

Each of these data points counts as personal information under UK GDPR. Collectively, they paint a very detailed picture of someone’s private life. Because of this, “GDPR payroll data” is considered high-risk. Employers and payroll providers have a duty to keep this personal information secure, accurate and only used for its intended purpose.

The compliance burden is significant. The ICO expects clear policies, lawful processes and strong technical safeguards.

Key GDPR principles payroll teams must follow

If you’re dealing with personal data under GDPR, everything starts with understanding the core principles that guide how you should handle that information. The GDPR sets out several principles that apply to any personal data processing:

Lawfulness, fairness and transparency

Payroll processing must be based on a lawful reason, such as a legal obligation to pay tax or a contractual need to pay wages. Fairness means employees should not be surprised by how their data is used. Transparency means explaining payroll processes in plain language in contracts or privacy notices.

Purpose limitation and data minimisation

Payroll data should only be collected for specific purposes. If you only need an employee’s bank details to pay them, don’t store copies of old accounts “just in case.” Data minimisation is about only holding what’s strictly necessary.

Accuracy and storage limitation

Mistakes in payroll can quickly cause serious harm. Data must be kept accurate and up to date. Storage limitation means you can’t hold onto payroll files forever. Once statutory retention periods have passed, securely delete them.

Integrity, confidentiality and security

This is the principle most people think of when they picture GDPR. Payroll data must be protected against unauthorised access, accidental loss or malicious attack. This usually involves encryption, secure logins, audit trails and controlled access permissions.

Who is responsible for payroll data?

Responsibility for payroll data can shift depending on whether you run payroll in-house or through a provider. Under GDPR, the key distinction is between controllers and processors.

Data controller vs data processor

Understanding these roles is crucial for compliance. The data controller decides why and how personal data is processed, for payroll, this is usually the employer who makes decisions about salary structures, payment schedules and what information to collect. 

The data processor acts on the controller’s instructions, this could be a software platform that calculates wages or a payroll bureau that handles the entire process on your behalf.

The employer doesn’t hand off all responsibility when using a processor. Controllers must ensure processors follow GDPR standards and have contracts in place to prove it.

In-house vs outsourced payroll: Roles and risks

The choice between internal and external payroll processing significantly impacts your compliance obligations. With in-house payroll, the employer is both controller and processor, meaning you have complete control over security measures and processes, but also carry full responsibility for every aspect of GDPR compliance. The risk is higher because all compliance safeguards rest internally.

With outsourced payroll, the provider processes data on the employer’s behalf. This reduces some risks by leveraging the provider’s expertise and security infrastructure, but adds new ones like vendor reliability, contract compliance and ensuring your provider meets GDPR standards.

If you’re considering outsourcing your payroll, Employment Hero provides comprehensive payroll software and support designed to help businesses navigate these compliance requirements. Our platform is built with GDPR considerations in mind, offering the security infrastructure and expertise that can help reduce your compliance burden.

What lawful basis applies to payroll data processing?

For payroll data, the lawful basis usually falls into two categories. Legal obligation covers situations where employers are legally required to pay staff, deduct tax and submit returns to HMRC. Contractual necessity applies when payroll fulfils the employment contract by ensuring staff are paid correctly and on time.

It’s important to document which basis applies in your payroll processes, which can serve as necessary evidence of compliance if the ICO ever comes knocking.

Maintaining a record of payroll processing activities

Under Article 30 of the GDPR, employers must keep a record of processing activities. For payroll, this creates a comprehensive audit trail that demonstrates compliance and helps identify potential issues before they become problems.

These records should be reviewed regularly. Responsibility usually sits with HR, payroll managers or data protection officers. You’ll want to be consistent. If an auditor asks, you need to show clear, up-to-date logs.

Payroll data breaches: Who notifies the ICO?

Data breaches happen, even with the best precautions. GDPR requires employers to report certain breaches to the ICO within 72 hours. As we’ve highlighted, payroll data breaches are particularly serious because they often involve financial information.

Common payroll breach scenarios

Real-world breaches often stem from seemingly minor mistakes that cascade into major incidents. For example, a payslip sent to the wrong employee. It might sound like a small mistake, but this exposes salary and personal details to an unauthorised person, potentially creating workplace tensions and privacy violations. 

Then there’s the lost or stolen laptop scenario, where a payroll administrator’s unencrypted device goes missing, creating a serious data security incident that could expose hundreds of employee records. Perhaps most concerning is the email phishing attack, where payroll staff are tricked into handing over login credentials, giving cyber criminals access to salary records, bank details and potentially the ability to redirect payments.

Who notifies the ICO and when

The employer, as the controller, is ultimately responsible for notifying the ICO. If a payroll provider discovers a breach, they must inform the employer immediately, but the employer carries the reporting duty.

What to include in a breach report

A GDPR breach report to the ICO must include the nature of the breach and categories of data involved, how many individuals are affected, the likely consequences and what mitigation steps are being taken.

Best practices to keep payroll data secure

Practical steps make the difference between proactive GDPR compliance and reactive damage control. The foundation of payroll security rests on multiple layers of protection that work together to create a good defence system.

Technical safeguards should include two-factor authentication for payroll systems, which adds a crucial second layer of security even if passwords are compromised. 

Access should be limited to those who absolutely need it, following the principle of least privilege, which simply means giving each person only the minimum level of access required to do their specific job.

Instead of emailing payslips directly, use secure portals that require employee authentication to access their information. All sensitive data should be encrypted both when stored on servers and when transmitted between systems. If we haven’t mentioned it already, leveraging payroll software can help you take your payroll digital for better security.

Beyond technology, regular security audits and security tests can help identify vulnerabilities before attackers do. A culture of security awareness is just as important as any software licence fee. 

Training staff to spot phishing emails, recognise social engineering attempts and follow secure procedures can prevent most common breach scenarios. Consider weaving security training into your Learning and Development programs.

Employee rights and payroll data

Employees have specific rights regarding their payroll data that employers must respect and facilitate. Under GDPR, employees can request access to their personal data, including historical payroll information, and employers must provide this within one month. 

They also have the right to correct inaccurate information, such as wrong bank details or issuing a change to tax codes, and in some cases, they can request deletion of their data once legal retention periods have passed.

The right to data portability means employees can ask for their payroll data in a machine-readable format when changing jobs, which can be particularly relevant for pension transfers or mortgage applications. Employers should have clear procedures for handling these requests and ensure payroll teams understand how to respond appropriately.

International considerations and data transfers

Many UK businesses operate across borders or use payroll providers with international operations. When payroll data crosses international boundaries, additional protections apply. 

Transfers to countries with adequate data protection (like those in the EU) are generally straightforward, but transfers elsewhere require additional safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or certification schemes.

This becomes particularly complex with cloud-based payroll systems where data might be processed or stored in multiple jurisdictions. Employers should understand where their data goes and ensure appropriate transfer mechanisms are in place. So, when considering payroll systems, be sure that the one you choose factors in global employment.

How to make GDPR payroll compliance practical

GDPR compliance for payroll can feel overwhelming, but it boils down to three things: document your processes, protect personal data and train your people. A simple checklist approach can help:

• Identify your lawful basis for payroll processing
• Keep accurate records of data and retention periods
• Review security measures regularly
• Establish clear breach reporting procedures

If you’re unsure whether your payroll setup meets the mark, consider an internal audit or consult with an expert. Our payroll team can help you move digital, implement secure processes and tailor advice specific to your business situation.

As many small businesses know, HR professionals are busy… and with a huge to-do list, it can be really difficult to find time to answer employee questions. Now, we’re not talking about important employee support, we’re referring to simple, repetitive questions like:

“How much leave do I have left?”, “Where can I find the expense policy?”, “Can you resend my payslip?”

This isn’t just inefficient, it’s holding your business (and your team) back. We all know that every repetitive task steals time from what really matters: building culture, developing people and driving strategy. It’s time to change that.

How? With HR chatbots. 

Chatbots in HR empower your people to get instant, accurate answers to their questions and take a huge administrative burden away from your human resources team. It’s a win-win.

We’ll dive into what they are, how they can support your business and some of the best on the market. 

What is an HR chatbot?

Starting off with the basics, a HR chatbot is an AI-powered virtual assistant that helps automate and streamline common human resources (HR) tasks and employee interactions. HR managers can think of it as an always-on assistant, ready to help your people whenever they need it. It’s an AI-powered tool built right into your daily workflow, giving employees instant answers to their questions and automating time-consuming admin.

It’s not about replacing people,  it’s about empowering them. A HR chatbot takes care of the repetitive, low-value tasks so your people team can focus on what really matters: supporting employees, developing culture and driving business growth.

Think of it as your first line of defence against admin overload,  one that keeps your team focused on the human side of HR. And with the right technology behind it, your HR chatbot becomes more than just a tool, it becomes a smarter, faster way to deliver an exceptional employee experience.

Rule-based vs. AI-powered HR chatbots: what’s the difference?

Chatbots in HR can be split into two categories and their capabilities are worlds apart. We’ll break them both down:

• Rule-based chatbots are the more basic of the two. They operate like a simple decision tree, following a pre-written script. If an employee asks a question, the bot looks for keywords and provides a standard, pre-programmed answer. They are effective for handling a limited set of highly predictable FAQs but will fail the moment a question is phrased unexpectedly.
• AI-powered chatbots are the real game-changers. These tools use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand the intent behind a question, not just the keywords. They learn from every conversation, becoming smarter and more accurate over time. It’s the difference between a static FAQ document and a truly intelligent HR assistant that can handle complex and personalised queries. This is the future of artificial intelligence in HR.

How HR chatbots can supercharge your employee engagement

According to Employment Hero’s Work That Works report, of 20 factors, job satisfaction has the strongest relationship to productivity. So it’s clear that disengaged employees are a direct threat to your productivity and profitability. One of the biggest drivers of disengagement? Frustration. The feeling of being ignored or having to wait days for a simple answer can quickly result in disengagement and a decline in productivity.  

HR chatbots tackle this problem head-on.

By providing instant, 24/7 support, you eliminate the friction and waiting times that kill morale. An employee can ask about their paternity leave policy at 10 PM on a Sunday and get an immediate, accurate answer. This simple act empowers your people, shows you respect their time and creates a more responsive and supportive culture where help is always available.

The real-world cost savings and efficiency benefits of chatbots in HR

Implementing an HR chatbot isn’t just a perk; it’s a strategic financial decision. The return on investment is clear and measurable. An HR chatbot crushes the mountain of repetitive tasks that bog down your people team, freeing them to become a strategic business partner rather than an admin function.

Think about the time saved. If your human resources team spends hours each week answering questions about holiday balances, automated tools can resolve those queries in seconds. This slashes the time spent on common queries, reduces the need for additional HR admin headcount and frees up thousands of hours for your team to focus on initiatives that actually grow the business. It’s a core component of any strategy to automate HR processes.

Automating recruitment and finding top talent faster

It’s not just people already working for your business that HR chatbots can help. It’s also beneficial for recruitment. 

The Work That Works report shows that three in four business leaders say recruitment is a challenge. And in a competitive talent market, the best candidates won’t wait around. A slow, unresponsive recruitment process is a guaranteed way to lose top talent to your competitors. 

Chatbots in HR can act as your 24/7 recruitment assistant, creating a seamless and impressive candidate experience from the very first touchpoint. A digital assistant on your careers page can instantly answer candidate questions about the role, benefits or company culture. It can pre-screen applicants against key criteria, collect essential information and even schedule first-stage interviews with your hiring team. This dramatically speeds up your time-to-hire and ensures every candidate receives a prompt, professional response, boosting your employer brand.

How to streamline employee onboarding with a chatbot

A clunky, paper-heavy onboarding process kills new-hire excitement and creates a poor first impression. A chatbot, on the other hand, can be a new employee’s best friend during their crucial first weeks.

Imagine a new starter being guided through submitting their paperwork via a simple chat interface. The chatbot can introduce them to key company policies, answer all their “silly” first-week questions, and proactively check in to see how they’re settling in. This creates a smooth, supportive, and highly organised onboarding experience that makes new hires feel valued and ready to contribute from day one. For a seamless setup, consider our expert HR implementation service.

Empower your people with self-service HR and instant answers

Stop forcing your employees to log a ticket or send an email just to find out their remaining holiday balance. HR chatbots put information and control directly into your employees’ hands, fostering a culture of autonomy and efficiency.

When employees can self-serve for common queries about leave policies, payroll dates, benefits information and more, everyone wins. Employees get the instant gratification of an immediate answer, and your HR team is freed from the distraction of constant interruptions. This is the foundation of modern, user-friendly HR software.

Beyond FAQs: powerful HR chatbot use cases

This is where it gets really powerful. While handling FAQs is a core function, modern HR chatbots can manage complex workflows and processes directly within the chat interface.

Here are some high-impact use cases:

• Processing time-off requests: Employees can request holiday or leave directly in the chatbot, which then routes it to their manager for approval.
• Managing employee referrals: A chatbot can manage your entire referral program, from submission by an employee to communication with the referred candidate.
• Conducting pulse surveys: Quickly gauge team morale by deploying short, conversational surveys through the chatbot to get real-time feedback.
• Facilitating performance check-ins: Use the chatbot to send automated reminders to managers and employees about upcoming performance conversations and help them prepare.

The importance of integrating other platforms

A tool that no one uses is worthless. The power of chatbots in HR lies in their seamless integration with the platforms your employees use every single day. They should live where your people work.

Whether your company runs on Slack, Microsoft Teams, or another internal messaging platform, your chatbot must be a native part of that ecosystem. This deep integration drives adoption and makes getting help as easy as sending a message to a colleague. It removes the friction of having to log in to yet another system and ensures that it  becomes a natural part of the daily workflow.

The top HR chatbots for 2026: a breakdown

Choosing the right tool is critical. Here is a no-nonsense breakdown of some of the best HR chatbots on the market for UK businesses.

Employment Hero

Key features: Fully integrated with a complete HR, payroll and benefits platform. AI-powered with deep customisation and workflow automation.

Best for: SMEs looking for an all-in-one, fully integrated solution to manage the entire employee lifecycle.

Pricing structure: Tiered subscription based on features and employee numbers.

Leena AI

Key features: Enterprise-grade AI, advanced workflow automation, and pre-built integrations with major HRIS systems.

Best for: Large enterprises needing a highly customisable chatbot to sit on top of their existing complex tech stack.

Pricing structure: Custom pricing based on modules and employee count.

Moveworks

Key features: Focuses on resolving all employee IT and HR issues from a single conversational interface. Strong NLP capabilities.

Best for: Mid-to-large companies wanting a single bot to handle cross-departmental support queries (IT, HR, Finance).

Pricing structure: Platform fee, typically for enterprise-level deployments.

Paradox.ai (Olivia)

Key features: Specialises in recruitment automation, from candidate screening and scheduling to answering questions.

Best for: Businesses with high-volume recruitment needs looking to automate their talent acquisition process.

Pricing structure: Based on recruitment volume and features.

Chatbot.com

Key features: A visual builder that allows you to create your own chatbot without coding. Integrates with many platforms.

Best for: Small businesses or teams wanting a simple, cost-effective way to build their own rule-based chatbots.

Pricing structure: Monthly subscription based on the number of active chatbots and interactions.

How to measure the ROI of your HR chatbot

Don’t invest on a whim. You must prove the business case with a clear framework for measuring the return on investment. Focus on hard metrics that demonstrate tangible value:

• Reduction in HR support tickets: Track the percentage decrease in queries logged via email or your ticketing system for topics the chatbot covers.
• Average time saved per query: Calculate the time saved for both the employee and the HR team for every interaction handled by the bot.
• Improvement in employee satisfaction (eNPS): Measure the impact on employee experience by tracking your Employee Net Promoter Score before and after implementation.
• Adoption rate: Monitor how many of your employees are actively using the chatbot. High adoption is a key indicator of its value.

Build vs. buy: should you create your own HR chatbot?

When considering a HR chatbot, you have two paths: build your own or buy an off-the-shelf solution. Here’s a breakdown of the two: 

• Buying a proven solution is faster, more cost-effective, and gives you immediate access to sophisticated AI and years of development. You benefit from a platform that is constantly being improved and maintained by experts.
• Building your own offers complete customisation but requires enormous investment in time, money, and specialist expertise (AI developers, conversation designers). It’s a high-risk path that distracts you from your core business.

For most organisations, buying a dedicated HR solution is the smarter, faster path to value.

The ethical considerations of using AI in HR

With great power comes great responsibility. Using AI in HR requires a thoughtful approach to ethics and data privacy.

You must be transparent with employees about when they are interacting with a bot versus a human. Ensure your chatbot provider is fully GDPR compliant and that employee data is secure. Finally, it’s crucial to regularly audit the chatbot’s logic and data to ensure its decisions are fair, unbiased, and compliant with UK employment law. For expert support, consider our HR advisory services.

It’s time to equip your HR team and your employees with the tools they deserve so they can do their best work. 

Still looking for more? Our Employment Operating System (OS) is designed to empower businesses, employees and job seekers alike and support teams through the entire employee lifecycle. Find and hire top talent, onboard, manage complex payroll, support compliance and more.

Welcome to the October 2025 product update from the Employment Hero team. We’ve got lots to share around custom workflows, API updates, timesheets, rostering and more. 

We’re here to make employment easier for everyone. If you aren’t on the Employment Hero platform and want to learn more, you can book a free demo today! 

HR

Leave Requests

Automatically block too many leave requests

Available to all subscriptions

Managers can now set rules to automatically block leave requests that overlap too much with team members, ensuring you always have adequate coverage. You can apply rules to specific teams and even target those with key certifications.

Learn more about overlapping leave rules

Choose to view leave balance with pending requests

Available to EOS Lite, Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Admins can now choose to include pending time off requests in the “Prevent negative time off balance” calculation. This smart update ensures employees do not oversubscribe their entitlement while requests are awaiting approval.

Learn more about negative leave rules

Recruitment

Improvements to One-Click Job Posting

Available to Classic Standard, Premium, Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Our One-Click Job Posting now features a smart, new Natural Language Processing search bar. Simply type what you need (like “casual barista in London”) and the system instantly auto-fills details and generates a tailored AI job description with a live preview.

Learn more about one-click job posting

Custom Forms and Workflows

New forms in Employee Files

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

The new Forms tab in the Employee File brings all of an employee’s completed submissions right to their record. It’s now searchable, sortable and includes status tracking, making compliance and admin a breeze.

New Linked Workflows to Custom Form Settings

Available to all subscriptions

Inside every custom form’s Settings tab, admins will find a new “Linked Workflows” section. This central view displays all published workflows using that form, helping you audit configurations, reduce duplication and troubleshoot with total confidence.

Configure my organisation’s form workflows

Introducing Quick Setup templates

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Get workflows up and running faster than ever with a guided, wizard-style setup that lets you configure fields like teams and categories. This expanded flexibility means more templates are now ready to use, helping you automate complex, unique organisational scenarios with ease.

See available workflow templates

CSS for Custom Forms

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Custom Forms now support Custom Security Settings (CSS), letting you decide exactly who can view, edit or delete forms and templates. Say goodbye to over-granting admin rights and hello to fine-tuned control over your form management.

Manage and complete forms

Custom Forms approval workflow

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Custom Forms now include an automatic approval workflow to enforce review and sign-off on submissions. You get a single-level approval process, email notifications and a clear audit trail.

Manage and complete forms

Two new Workflow templates

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Tired of complex form approval setups? We’ve rolled out two smart new workflow templates. Quickly select to route all or specific custom forms for approval. It’s now super easy to add the approval steps you need to streamline your HR and payroll processes.

Manage and complete forms

Custom Form approval chains

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Custom Forms just got a massive upgrade with multi-layer and parallel approvals. Now you can build sophisticated workflows, set backup approvers, and get crystal-clear visibility. Time to automate those complex, compliance-heavy processes.

Configure my organisation’s form workflows

New templates added to the Template Hub

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

We’ve launched 38 new workflow templates to the Template Hub, bringing our total to 72. You can now activate automation in seconds using One-Click or Quick Setup templates for key processes like Onboarding, Offboarding, Employee File Change, Leave and Expenses.

See available workflow templates

Enhanced Workflow Email Notifications

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Your workflow emails just got a major upgrade. The “Send Email Notification” action now supports sending rich text messages with hyperlinks and dynamic fields in the subject line to both internal and external contacts. Plus, you can notify multiple recipients in a single action, saving you hours of manual setup time.

Setup custom email notifications within a workflow

Employee and Contractor Management

Grant permission to the Work Eligibility tab

Available to all subscriptions

Admins can now manage Work Eligibility data with greater control. We’ve introduced three new permission levels (View, Modify and Use) allowing you to precisely define who can view, edit or initiate right-to-work checks via Zinc. This keeps your data secure and supports compliance.

Learn more about managing work eligibility

Grant learning access to contractors

Available to Classic Premium and Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

You can now enable Learning access for contractors directly from the platform via Settings. This automatically provisions their accounts, creating a consistent and unified learning experience for your entire workforce and supporting your compliance integrity.

Enhanced Employee Profile fields

Available to all subscriptions

We’ve added Primary Worksite and Position fields to the Employee Profile. This enhancement gives every employee a consistent ‘home role’ that automatically syncs data across rostering, timesheets, and reporting for clearer, more efficient workforce management.

Manage Primary Worksite and Position fields

New name for Requisitions and Onboarding Approvals

Available to Classic Premium and Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

We’ve made a small but mighty update to our platform. To clear up any confusion with our new Workflows engine, we’ve renamed the security setting for Requisitions and Onboarding Approvals.

Worksites and Positions CSV import

Available to all subscriptions

Our new CSV Import lets admins bulk-create Worksites and Positions, and assign employees or teams in one go. Say goodbye to manual entry and hello to lightning-fast onboarding with built-in data validation for perfect accuracy.

Import Worksites and Positions via CSV

Developer API Updates

Updated UI to Open API Developer docs

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

We’ve overhauled the OpenAPI Developer Docs with a polished UI, Dark Mode and powerful new tools. Use the new regional filter to focus on relevant fields and rely on our tidier versioning system for seamless API integration management.

Learn more about API references

Updated OpenAPI Rostering APIs (Time & Attendance and Leave)

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

We’ve added new fields to the Get Rostering Shifts APIs to enhance your Time & Attendance (T&A) and Leave integrations. You can now access detailed Work Site Name/ID and Position Name/ID, making it easier to capture and manage granular rostering data for greater accuracy.

Learn more about API references

Updated OpenAPI Rostering APIs (Shift Costs)

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

We’ve added a new API to help you manage costs! The Get Rostered Shift Costs API allows you to calculate labour costs using flexible filters. Plus, we’ve enhanced security by adding channels to employee audit trails and increased the maximum webhook URL limit for better integration support.

Learn more about API references

Updated OpenAPI Employee Fields

Available to Classic Premium and Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

We’ve added new API features that let you quickly add employees and contractors and manage employee documents with ease. Our updated developer docs make it simple to get started.

Learn more about API references 

OpenAPI timesheets update

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Our new T&A APIs let you bulk-create timesheets in a single request and retrieve granular break data. Plus, we’ve optimised employee retrieval, making API calls up to 10 times faster for large organisations.

Check out our Developer documentation

Expanded Leave request APIs and webhook

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Our leave request APIs and webhook have been updated with several enhancements. We’ve added the ability to create leave requests via API and improved data accuracy by providing a detailed hours-per-day breakdown for leave measured in days.

Check out our Developer documentation

Rostering and Time Management

Real-time shift costing for Rostering

Available to Classic Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Roster Managers can now view real-time shift costing directly in the roster, giving you full visibility into labour costs before publishing. Quickly spot overtime and compliance risks to create smarter, more cost-effective schedules and stay on budget.

Learn more about managing rosters

Roster Management on the EH Work app

Available to all subscriptions

Roster Management on the EH Work app is now available for all organisations using Work Sites and Positions. You can also copy multiple shifts to the next day with a simple tap. Manage your team’s schedule faster and easier, right from your phone.

Learn more about Roster Management

Empty shift creation made easier

Available to Classic Premium and Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

We’ve made a small but powerful improvement to Roster Management. Roster managers can now create empty (placeholder) shifts without needing to enable the Shift Bidding setting. Previously, you had to turn on Shift Bidding just to create placeholder shifts. This update makes the process simpler and faster.

Learn more about open shifts and employee features

Roster templates now available on Work Sites rosters

Available to Classic Premium and Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Tired of building rosters shift by shift? Say hello to roster templates for Work Sites and Positions rostering. Roster Managers can now quickly load entire shift patterns, dramatically cutting down on admin time and freeing you up for more important tasks.

Manage Worksites and Positions

Print rosters easily

Available to Classic Premium and Platinum, EOS Lite, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

The new Print Roster feature is here for Work Site and Position-based rostering. Managers can now effortlessly print offline copies for their on-site teams. Customise what you print, including date range and specific Work Sites, keeping everyone informed, online or off.

Manage Worksites and Positions

Expense Management

Automated receipt scanning for expense submissions

Available to Classic Premium and Platinum, EOS Plus and Unlimited subscriptions

Our new automated receipt scanning uses smart technology to instantly extract and pre-fill four key details from your uploaded receipt images. Simply snap a photo or upload, and watch the system do the work, making expense reporting quicker and easier than ever.

Learn more about expense claims

EH Work App and Platform Experience

EH Work app now offers “Quick Log Out”

Available to all subscriptions

The EH Work app now offers two options when logging out: “Quick Log Out” and “Full Log Out”. Quick Log Out ends your session while retaining settings for faster login, eliminating unnecessary passcode resets. Full Log Out clears all session data and user settings, and requires the full sign-in process to be completed next time, including authentication and passcode setup.

Learn more about navigating the EH Work app

EH Work app security enhancement

Available to all subscriptions

The EH Work app now automatically blocks passwords that have been exposed in known data breaches. When setting or changing your password, you’ll be prompted immediately if it’s compromised, ensuring your account always has a secure layer of protection.

Learn more about how we’re keeping employee data safe

EH Work app update

Available to all subscriptions

Make sure to update your EH Work app. Dive into Dark Mode for a comfortable viewing experience, and use our new Quick Log Out feature to keep your settings saved for speedy logins. Plus, we’ve boosted security to prevent compromised passwords. Simple, fast, and secure.

Learn more about how we’re improving the EH Work app experience

Improvements to Settings UI

Available to all subscriptions

A fresh new look has arrived to your Settings pages. This new look features a more streamlined design for a smoother and more intuitive experience. As part of the upgraded experience we’ve also given admins faster access to the settings they want, a clearer page structure and smarter search to manage platform configurations.

Learn more about Settings

Enhanced Company Feed 

Share more engaging announcements

Available to all subscriptions

We’ve given the Company Feed a major upgrade to make sharing updates and celebrating wins more engaging than ever. You can now add videos, multiple images and links to your posts, making it easier to tell your company’s story. And with a new “Regular Post” type, you can share everyday updates without needing to make a formal announcement, perfect for quick wins, news and highlights that keep everyone connected.

Learn more about the company feed

Reach your people better with updated Announcements 

Available to all subscriptions

We’ve made big improvements to how announcements reach your people. Now, all employees will always be notified when an announcement is posted, ensuring no important update goes unseen. You can disable comments to keep messages focused and enable read receipts to confirm who’s seen it, which will also pin the announcement to the top of the Feed and mobile Work dashboard until they’ve been acknowledged. Your company-wide communications just got a whole lot clearer.

Learn more about the company feed

Celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries easier

Available to all subscriptions

We’ve made it easier to celebrate the moments that matter. Birthdays and work anniversaries are now front and center in the Company Feed, helping teams celebrate their colleagues and strengthen company culture. Prefer to keep things private? No problem. Employees can easily opt out of displaying their birthday in their profile settings. A more connected, celebratory workplace is just a post away!

Learn more about the company feed

Timesheet submission is now easier

Available to all subscriptions

Say goodbye to daily timesheet data entry. Employees can now reuse their last submitted timesheet with a single tap. It’s the fastest way to log your hours. Just tap, quickly review, and submit. We’re making timesheet management effortless and error-free.

Learn more about timesheet submission

Payroll

Increased security with 2FA for EH Work App

Available to all subscriptions

You can now set up both an Authenticator App and SMS for two-factor authentication on the EH Work App. This dual-method option gives you more control and flexibility while keeping your data safe.

Learn more about two-factor authentication

Improved payroll account recovery process

Available to all subscriptions

We’ve streamlined the Payroll Account Recovery process to reduce lockouts and help you stay on schedule. New in-flow guidance clarifies verification steps, including mandatory checks for selfie submissions. Plus, new account creation now strongly advises using legal names to guarantee easy future access.

Learn more about Payroll account recovery

Jump into the Employment Operating System today 

Employment doesn’t have to be hard. Streamline every step of the employment lifecycle so you and your team can run ahead. Our world-first all-in-one Employment OS integrates HR, Payroll, Recruitment and Workforce Management to make employment easier for everyone. 

Not using Employment Hero yet? Book a free demo with our business specialists and unlock more time in your day.

AI is rapidly becoming the baseline for modern accounting practices.

Taking a wait-and-see approach might seem tempting, but this is technological change on the same scale as the move from horse and cart to motorised transport.

This is why Sage is joining forces with AccountingWEB to invite you to share your views and insights about AI within the profession.

Read on to learn more. Here’s what we discuss:

Shaping the future of AI in accountancy

Accountancy is a dichotomy. In a profession where change is a constant, its participants can be surprisingly conservative.

Some practices are progressive. Others, less so. Some accountants are already deeply embedded in AI, while others are peering in curiously through the window.

But the reality is that artificial intelligence has moved past being an emerging trend. It’s an integral part of the accountancy technological landscape.

The best time to adopt AI was yesterday. The second-best time is today.

That itself presents a dichotomy because, while AI is driving transformational change in the profession, it’s still in its nascent stages.

In short, what we have today is game-changing, but a mere hint of what we’ll see in the coming decade.

And this is where your input is needed. With the AccountingWEB and Sage survey you can help paint a picture of AI within the profession and share your insights and views on the future of AI.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win an Amazon voucher. You’ll also be among the first to get access to the results when they’re published. 

Why AI matters in accounting: Making Tax Digital

Why is AI so necessary?

You need only look at the introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, starting in April 2026.

What was once a yearly compliance touchpoint for many clients becomes quarterly. Furthermore, if a client has several businesses, the work at that quarterly touchpoint is multiplied.

AI a basic necessity for managing the increased workload. For some practices, it could even make the difference between sink and swim.

The Sage MTD Agent debuted at Accountex Manchester in October 2025 and it demonstrates how AI has arrived at just the right time for the accountancy profession.

Agents are proactive implementations of AI that work in the background, as well as alongside you. In this case, the Sage MTD Agent relieves the burden by automatically segmenting clients based on complexity, as well as setting up tasks and reminders, chasing documents, and flagging potential issues early.

It’s part of Sage Copilot and empowers an end-to-end workflow.

How AI lets you take advantage of MTD

It isn’t just managing the workload where AI can be deployed.

MTD brings with it the potential for closer client relationships. The fact that the data arrives with you more frequently provides space for predictive analytics.

Your role as the accountant is switched from looking in the rearview mirror, to looking at the road ahead.

You can use insights from the active and regular flow of data to warn your clients of upcoming cash flow pressures or opportunities for tax efficiency. Instead of reacting to deadlines, you can help your clients plan payments, manage reserves, and optimise timing of investments or expenses.

Natural language processing tools via tools such as ChatGPT can help convert complex tax data into client-friendly insights, as well as near-instantly create board packs or improvement plans.

When we talk of AI being a game changer, this is exactly what we mean. There’s no area of accounting and business management that AI won’t enhance. It’s there for the taking.

Your role as an accountant can fundamentally evolve, without the need to abandon traditional work. The Sage MTD Agent helps take care of compliance, while Sage Copilot helps daily tasks like writing emails for clients. This lets you exploit the stronger client relationship and the time freed-up by letting agentic AI take care of the details.

AI is amplification of the human in accounting

The human elements of judgment, ethics, and contextual understanding remain central to every financial decision.

AI process data. It even interprets and creates upon demand. But it can’t interpret client goals, business models, or risk appetite. It can’t see the human behind each client business.

Accountants will always provide the trust and perspective that clients depend on. AI simply clears away administrative noise so professional expertise can be applied where it matters most.

An intelligent implementation of AI within a practice automatically creates space for growth. Not only that, it’s also a growth plan that’s low-risk and runs on rails.

Accountants who are adopting AI are building are building resilience as well as a competitive advantage. They move closer to the heart of financial decision-making for their clients, where the value lies.

Final thoughts

So, do you agree with everything said so far?

Or do you see an alternative path for AI, or a unique way it can be implemented?

Share your views with AccountingWEB via its survey.

Imagine a dashboard as the control centre of your nonprofit organisation—a place where all of your key metrics, data, and insights come together in one visually appealing interface.

It is like having all the dials and gauges you need to monitor your organisation’s performance in real-time at your fingertips.

In this article, we will explain the purpose of dashboards for nonprofits and reveal why they are a powerful tool for executive insight.

We will present five examples of dashboards in Sage Intacct that provide nonprofit leaders with real-time, curated insights, and data visualisations that improve visibility and help with planning and decision-making.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is a dashboard?

A dashboard is a visual representation of data that makes it easy to track performance, monitor trends, and identify areas for improvement.

Cloud-based nonprofit accounting software, like Sage Intacct, enables nonprofits to quickly customise dashboards to deliver at-a-glance insights for specific roles, programmes, and reporting purposes.

With a well-designed dashboard, nonprofit leaders can quickly assess how well programmes are performing.

They can also track fundraising progress and identify areas for improvement.

Instead of sifting through endless spreadsheets or reports, dashboards present data in an easy-to-understand format that helps leaders make faster, more informed decisions.

But dashboards for nonprofits are more than just pretty graphs and charts.

They empower teams with immediate insights that drive action and impact.

By leveraging the power of data visualisation, nonprofits can transform complex data into decisions that deliver positive change and support the mission.

Let’s examine the types of dashboards available in Sage Intacct.

We’ll explore how each plays an important part in managing financial health, demonstrating impact and accountability, and achieving mission success.

1. Role-based dashboards

A role-based dashboard serves as a tailored tool that caters to the unique needs and responsibilities of different individuals within an organisation.

You can create a dashboard for your Executive Director, CFO, Controller, Programme Managers, even your Auditor.

These dashboards empower users to make informed decisions and take strategic actions that drive organisational success.

Rather than searching for information relevant to their job function or programmes, a role-based dashboard streamlines information delivery, displaying the most pertinent insights.

Ultimately, role-based dashboards help increase individual efficiency, enhance collaboration, improve decision-making, and align individual efforts with organisational goals.

As an example of a role-based dashboard for nonprofits, the Sage Intacct dashboard below was designed for a nonprofit CFO.

As you can see, this dashboard includes a mixture of report windows and data visualisations most pertinent to a nonprofit CFO.

It also includes a mixture of outcomes KPIs and financial performance data.

The CFO can see the big picture not only in terms of income/revenue and expense but also in terms of mission impact and results.

2. Outcome metrics dashboard

To make the biggest impact, it is essential to determine which programmes and activities produce the best outcomes.

Measuring outcome metrics allows you to determine whether the actions your organisation undertakes achieve the intended results.

Outcome metrics combine financial and operational data to provide an accurate picture of impact and programme efficiency.

Examples of nonprofit outcome metrics include:

• Number of meals served and cost per meal
• Number of patients seen and average cost per patient seen in different practice areas
• Number of clean water wells drilled and the number of people served with water per dollar spent

The above dashboard gathers useful outcome metrics on a single screen.

It helps nonprofit leaders keep an eye on mission impact at all times.

Having a similar outcome metric dashboard—tuned for your organisation’s mission—can benefit your organisation by helping you:

• Measure effectiveness
• Expand impact
• Demonstrate stewardship and provide accountability to funders
• Identify underperforming programmes to cut or change
• Win or unlock additional funding

3. Nonprofit Digital Board Book

Nonprofits need a holistic view of their organisation to drive mission impact and ensure good stewardship of financial resources.

The right dashboards can help nonprofit decision makers gain insights that will help guide planning, strategy, and fundraising efforts.

Additionally, comparing financial performance to nonprofit sector benchmarks and best practices can be especially helpful for nonprofit decision makers seeking to optimise impact.

Sage Intacct offers the Nonprofit Digital Board Book—a set of ready-to-use dashboards that incorporate industry standards to help nonprofit leaders gauge organisational financial health and sustainability against best practice metrics.

By integrating data from various sources such as balance sheets, income and expense reports, donor management systems, and budgeting software, the Nonprofit Digital Board Book offers real-time graphical representations of essential metrics for decision-making.

Nonprofits use these dashboards to monitor balance sheet performance, funding sources, and overall income mix, ensuring long-term stability.

4. Interactive dashboards

It is said a picture is worth 1,000 words.

Similarly, a good data visualisation can be worth 1,000 lines of an Excel spreadsheet in nonprofit finance!

One of the biggest benefits of cloud-based nonprofit financial management is the ability to explore data in real-time through charts and graphs, spot trends, and then drill deeper for more detailed analysis.

Sage Intacct Interactive Visual Explorer is an interactive visual analysis tool for nonprofits that helps decision-makers explore financial and operational data from multiple angles.

By visualising live performance data, leaders can identify trends quickly and adapt strategic plans to drive operational and mission success.

Featuring a library of more than 200 prebuilt visualisations, nonprofits can quickly create dashboards that incorporate visualisations tailored to their precise needs.

Choose from over 25 visualisation types and apply filters in just a few clicks to create the necessary visualisation.

You can even insert visualisations into reports to distribute at-a-glance insights to board members or other decision-makers.

5. Compliance dashboard

A compliance dashboard can help the finance team maintain compliance with charity accounting standards for financial statements.

In Sage Intacct, the Compliance dashboard displays real-time audit and tax information, including the Statement of Activities and Statement of Financial Activities.

The dashboard can enhance collaboration with an outside auditor and ensure financial transparency.

Final thoughts

Dashboards for nonprofits supply an ever-ready window into your organisation’s financial and operational health.

Real-time dashboards can help every member of your team spot trends, improve results, and perform more effective planning.

Dashboards are often more effective than reports.

Visualisations make information easier to consume and help derive meaningful insights.

Dashboards can be customised to include evergreen information specific to different roles and operational areas.

Dashboards enhance collaboration and provide a great way to:

• measure impact
• monitor outcomes
• demonstrate accountability with the executive team, the board, and funders.

Watsons Anodising has been giving metal its strength and shine since 1957.

Guided by steady hands and a craftsman’s patience, Watsons takes plain sheets of metal and make them more resilient, so they don’t rust or wear away. Then they add the extra details that give metal meaning: words, numbers, logos, and shapes, all formed with exacting care.

The results travel far. Some become signs in public places, helping local walkers find their way through Sheffield’s hidden river paths. Others find their place on machines in busy factories, where clear markings keep people safe at work.

The business stretches across three buildings in Barnsley—part laboratory, part workshop, part factory—where durability and detail are etched into every plate and panel that passes through with pride.

Over the decades, more tools have gathered around the heart of the workshop: one to ink, one to etch, one to carve and cut, while another joins pieces with bright sparks of welding light.

For all its machinery, the heart of Watsons’ work is still alive with the touch of its makers.

Neil Leach has watched Watsons widen its world: “I’ve been here 33 years now,” he reflects. “I started as a packer.” From the darkroom to the office, he climbed every rung until the day came when ownership was offered to him.

To go from the factory floor to owning the business is the kind of rise that gives every working dream a heartbeat.

“It was sleepless nights at first,” he says with a smile. “But I love what we do.”

That love met fresh ambition when he teamed up with Gareth Pedley. Gareth had joined from an accounting background—but quickly fell for the place. He tells us how empowered he felt stepping into ownership: “I got free rein to get my hands dirty, to change things.”

Here’s what we cover: