Management accounting is not just about Excel spreadsheets. It is a system that reveals the true state of a business: how much you have earned, how much you have spent, where your money is right now, and whether you will have enough until the end of the month.

Many business owners and financial directors face the problem of scattered accounting: service data is in one place, payments in another, and expenses in a third. When they need to quickly understand the financial situation, they have to spend hours reconciling figures manually.

In this article, we will explain how to organize financial accounting within a CRM system, automate routine processes, and gain real control over your company's finances.

Why You Should Keep Management Accounting in CRM

A CRM system is not only a client database and a sales pipeline. Modern platforms allow for comprehensive management accounting that unifies:

• Accounting for services provided and invoices issued
• Recording company expenses
• Controlling customer receipts/payments
• Automatic generation of financial reports (Cash Flow, P&L)
• Managing payment cycles

The main advantage: All information is stored in one place, updates automatically, and is accessible in real-time.

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How Financial Accounting Works in CRM: A Step-by-Step Overview

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1. Tracking Services Provided

Everything starts with client work. When an employee completes a task, they immediately record the time spent or the quantity of services provided directly within the client's task.

How it works:

• A service price list is created, specifying the price and unit of measure (hours, units).
• Services are logged directly in the client's tasks.
• The system automatically calculates the total amount.

Business Benefits:

• The client sees a detailed log of completed work.
• The project budget can be monitored in real-time.
• The total amount is automatically calculated at the end of the month.

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2. Automated Invoicing

On the first day of every month, the system automatically:

• Calculates the total amount of services for the previous month.
• Adds the subscription fee (if applicable).
• Generates the invoice and the act of completed services.
• Sends the documents to the client.

Integrations that simplify the process:

• Integration with "Vchasno" and Dubidoc for electronic document signing.
• Automatic sending via Telegram chats with clients.

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3. Payment Control and Cash Flow

The system automatically tracks the status of each invoice:

• Issued — the invoice has been sent to the client.
• Payment Expected — the payment deadline has not yet passed.
• Overdue — the deadline has passed, no payment received.
• Paid — funds have been received.

Automated Reminders:

• A polite reminder is sent one day before the payment deadline.
• A follow-up reminder is sent one week after the due date.
• A more insistent notification is sent two weeks later.

Bank Integration: By connecting Monobank, PrivatBank, or PUMB, information about incoming payments is automatically transferred to the system.

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4. Company Expense Accounting

Management accounting covers not only income but also expenses. The system tracks:

• Employee salaries
• Payments for software and services
• Marketing expenses
• Office rent
• Taxes and contributions
• Other operating expenses

Expense Categorization: Every expense is tagged with the corresponding category:

• Cost of Goods/Services Sold (COGS)
• Administrative Expenses
• Marketing and Sales
• Taxes

This allows for the analysis of the expense structure and supports informed management decisions.

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5. Automatic P&L Report Generation

The P&L (Profit and Loss) Statement is the key financial document for any business.

What the P&L report in CRM shows:

• Revenue:
  • Total revenue for the period
  • Revenue by service category
• Expenses:
  • Cost of Goods/Services Sold (COGS)
  • Marketing and Sales Expenses
  • Administrative Expenses
  • Taxes
• Key Metrics:
  • Gross Profit
  • Gross Margin (%)
  • Profit Before Tax
  • Net Profit
  • Profitability/Return on Sales (%)

The main advantage: All data is updated automatically. You always see an up-to-date picture of the company's financial status.

Process Visualization: Financial Kanban

For ease of management, all financial processes can be represented on a Kanban board with the following stages:

• Calculation — the system calculates the service total.
• Approval — data correctness is checked.
• Documents Created — the invoice and act are generated.
• Sent to Client — documents have been dispatched.
• Payment Expected — waiting for the payment.
• Paid — funds have been received.

This visualization allows you to immediately see how much money:

• You have already received this month.
• Is still expected from clients.
• Is overdue.

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Automation of Routine Processes

Automatic Reminders for Recurring Payments

For repetitive expenses (hosting, domain, unified social contribution, rent), the system creates automatic reminders without the need to manually create new tasks every month.

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Integration with Communication Channels

All financial tasks are linked to client Telegram chats:

• Invoices and acts are sent automatically.
• The system sends a thank you message after payment.
• Reminders are sent according to the set schedule.

This saves dozens of hours a month previously spent on manual communication.

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Practical Case Study: The Evolution of Management Accounting

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• Stage 1: Excel Spreadsheets Many companies start with Excel. The financier creates complex formulas and calculates P&L, but all data must be entered manually.
• Stage 2: Partial Automation Service data is stored in the CRM, but for financial reports, it still has to be exported to Excel.
• Stage 3: Full Automation All management accounting is handled within the CRM:
  • Services are recorded automatically.
  • Invoices are generated with a single click.
  • Payments are tracked via bank integrations.
  • Reports are generated in real-time.

Result: The business owner sees the current financial picture at any moment without hours of manual work.

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Advantages of Automating Management Accounting in CRM

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BenefitDescription

‍✅ Time SavingsRoutine processes are executed automatically.

✅ Data AccuracyMinimization of human error and mistakes.

✅ TransparencyThe entire team sees up-to-date information.

✅ ControlInstant understanding of the company's financial situation.

✅ ScalabilityThe system grows along with the business.

✅ Decision MakingAccess to analytics for strategic planning.

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Who Financial Accounting in CRM is Suitable For

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This approach works ideally for:

• IT companies and agencies working on a Time & Materials model.
• Consulting firms with hourly billing.
• Service businesses with subscription fees.
• B2B companies with regular clients.
• Any business where real-time financial control is critical.
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How to Get Started

Step 1: Define which specific financial processes need automation.

Step 2: Choose a CRM platform with flexible customization options (e.g., Planfix).

Step 3: Create a service price list and an expense structure.

Step 4: Set up automatic logging of services in tasks.

Step 5: Connect integrations with banks and document management services.

Step 6: Configure the P&L and Cash Flow reports.

Step 7: Automate client communication.

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Conclusion

Management accounting in CRM is not just convenient. It is a necessity for companies that want to control their finances and scale successfully.

Instead of spending dozens of hours on manually reconciling data in Excel, you get a system that works automatically. You will always know:

• How much you have earned.
• How much you have spent.
• Where your money is.
• The true profitability of your business.

Most importantly, you free up time for what truly matters: company development and client relations.

Need assistance with implementing management accounting in CRM? We have over 8 years of experience in business process automation and dozens of successful cases. We are ready to discuss your project →

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