(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
Let’s Recap:
- Intuit’s AI platform expands
- Microsoft’s Copilot app adds word and Excel
- SAP expands its AI offerings
- Gusto enhances its Claude connector
- A new application helps Xero and QuickBooks users with approvals
Intuit Intelligence is now available internationally — is it worth the price?
Intuit announced its international rollout of Intuit Intelligence — an AI-powered platform that helps small businesses and accountants automate financial tasks and improve productivity. The system uses a combination of AI models and technologies depending on the workflow or task. Features include automated bookkeeping; conversational financial reporting; AI-powered invoicing and enhanced accounting tools. According to Intuit, early users are saving an average of 13 hours monthly, while accountants are spending 30 percent more time providing advisory services to clients. The company emphasizes that users retain control over their financial decisions, with AI providing recommendations. (Source: Business Wire)
Why this is important for your small business:
My company is a QuickBooks user and when recently reviewing costs I was taken aback at the month fees for a single user, which are about $200. It seems high. But then again, we’re only using a small percentage of what the application does and Intuit Intelligence is a good example of that. I do believe that we can get more value of the platform if we spend the time really use the AI tools provided and that’s my goal for the next year. I think it should be yours too.
Microsoft brings the full Word, Excel, and PowerPoint experience to the new Copilot app
Microsoft is continuing to advance its AI strategy with the latest update that Word, Excel and PowerPoint will now be fully integrated into the Copilot app. Users can now create, edit and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets and presentations without switching between applications. The functionality up to this point was the addition of Copilot features to Office applications but now Copilot will operate as an extension of Office allowing users to ask it to generate Word documents, Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations using natural-language prompts; AI-assisted editing to modify content; centralized file management and all the core features of Microsoft Office. The new Office integration is available to customers participating in Microsoft’s Frontier early-access program, with wider availability expected later. (Source: Neowin)
Why this is important for your small business:
A growing number of companies are learning that to really use AI it’s important to lean into the AI capabilities of their existing Office platform. We know we’re using a small percentage of what Office or Google Workspace does. Get training. And while you’re getting your training, this is yet another capability that should be part of the agenda.
SAP enhances finance operations with embedded payments, new consolidation capabilities, and expanded AI
Global software company SAP announced new technologies at its Connect 2026 event in Las Vegas. Among the features unveiled were SAP Pay — a new embedded payment service that allows businesses to execute payments directly within SAP Cloud ERP. SAP Enterprise Financial Consolidation — a financial reporting and management solution; and expanded capabilities for SAP’s AI-powered Joule Assistants. Designed to help finance teams streamline their operations and automate payments, SAP has been laser focused on developing technologies that assist in the decision-making process. For example, the enhanced assistants can identify financial anomalies, resolve reporting exceptions and help prepare regulatory disclosures while monitoring risks. SAP Pay is available in the United States and United Kingdom. Early access to SAP Enterprise Financial Consolidation is planned for the first quarter of 2027. (Source: SAP News Center)
Why this is important for your small business:
If you’re a SAP user it’s important to reach out to your partner or contact and get training on these and other features that you’re likely not using.
Gusto enhances its Claude connector to simplify small business management
HR tech company Gusto has enhanced its connector for Anthropic’s Claude AI assistant allowing users to prepare tasks directly in Claude. The company shared data from their AI survey that showed increased utilization with 44 percent of new businesses using AI for ongoing operations, compared with 21 percent in 2023. Claude can retrieve employee hours, identify missing information and help businesses prepare timesheets. The connector allows businesses to analyze labor costs, update budget information and forecast cash flow. (Source: Small Business Trends)
Why this is important for your small business:
Gusto’s enhanced connector allows business owners to access the information stored on the platform and instruct Claude to prepare payroll, add employee bonuses, update hours and adjust deductions using natural-language requests. This is the future of payroll management and it’s here. Talk to your payroll provider and ask if they provide similar capabilities.
ApprovalMax Debuts AI agents to combat rogue spending for Xero and QuickBooks users
ApprovalMax — a financial workflow automation software provider — has introduced Approval Intelligence. This new AI-powered technology can spot suspicious spending, detect billing irregularities and improve financial oversight. The Approval Agent analyzes incoming supplier bills and compares them against historical transactions to find unusual spending patterns. (Source: Fintech Finance News)
Why this is important for your small business:
Important note: based on the data it reveals, the agent can automatically flag unexpected changes in invoice amounts, billing frequency, account coding and currencies. Unlike fully autonomous financial systems, Approval Intelligence cannot approve, reject or modify invoices — a key feature that ApprovalMax added by design to give human employees full control and safeguard against unauthorized actions by the agent.
Note: Have a technology story that small business owners should know about? Don’t mind me sharing my opinion? Share it with me on LinkedIn.
