How to track your financial indicators via your invoicing software
Introduction
Every invoice issued generates valuable data about your business: turnover, payment terms, most profitable clients, VAT collected. Yet many entrepreneurs simply use their invoicing software as a document generator, without exploiting this information to manage their business.
Tracking your accounting KPIs directly from your invoicing tool saves you from juggling between multiple Excel spreadsheets and gives you a clear view of your financial health. No need to be an accountant: a few well-chosen indicators are enough to measure your performance, identify trends and anticipate cash flow difficulties.
In this guide, you'll discover how to transform your invoicing software into a genuine financial dashboard. We'll look at which indicators to track as a priority, how to configure them in BePaid, and above all how to interpret this data to make concrete decisions. You'll also understand the limitations of this tool and when it becomes necessary to export your data to other financial analysis solutions.
The objective: manage your business with reliable figures, without unnecessary complexity.
📌 Summary (TL;DR)
Your invoicing software contains the essential data to manage your business: turnover, payment terms, breakdown by client, VAT collected. By configuring a simple dashboard, you transform this information into actionable indicators to improve your cash flow and profitability.
BePaid allows you to track these KPIs without complexity, but doesn't replace complete accounting software for in-depth financial analysis.
📚 Table of contents
Why track your financial indicators from your invoicing software
Multiplying Excel files to track your accounting KPIs creates errors and wastes time. Centralising invoice tracking in your software offers a consolidated real-time view.
Your data is automatically updated with each invoice issued or payment received. No more manually re-entering amounts or cross-referencing multiple sources of information. You reduce the risk of errors and gain responsiveness.
Invoicing software like BePaid transforms your operational data into exploitable dashboards. To go further on essential indicators, consult our guide on the 5 financial indicators to assess your SME's health.
Invoicing data: your foundation for financial analysis
Each invoice contains valuable information: amounts excluding and including VAT, issue and due dates, client details, VAT rates applied, payment statuses.
This data automatically feeds your indicators without re-entry. The software aggregates amounts, calculates averages, identifies payment delays and generates exploitable statistics.
Financial analysis becomes accessible without advanced accounting skills. Your invoicing database transforms into a strategic management tool for your business.
Key indicators accessible via your invoicing software
Modern invoicing software provides access to several essential accounting KPIs for managing your business. These indicators update automatically as you invoice and receive payments.
BePaid centralises the main financial metrics directly from your invoices. You can visualise in a few clicks the evolution of your turnover, the health of your cash flow and the performance of your client relationships.
Here are the indicators you can track without leaving your invoicing interface.
Turnover and revenue evolution
Tracking monthly, quarterly and annual turnover allows you to quickly identify trends. You spot quiet periods and activity peaks to better anticipate your needs.
Filter your data by client, by period or by type of service. Compare current month's turnover with the previous year to measure your real growth.
This global view facilitates commercial decision-making and adjustment of your pricing strategy according to observed performance.
Average payment term (DSO)
Days Sales Outstanding measures the average time between issuing an invoice and its actual collection. It's a crucial indicator for anticipating your available cash flow.
A lengthening DSO signals collection problems or clients who are paying later and later. You quickly identify bad payers and adapt your commercial terms.
Automatic calculation of this KPI saves you from complex spreadsheets. To understand the impact on your cash flow, read our article on the cash flow statement.
Unpaid invoice rate and doubtful debts
Tracking the percentage of overdue or unpaid invoices reveals the quality of your client portfolio. A high rate directly threatens your cash flow and profitability.
Quickly identify problematic invoices and repeat offender clients. This visibility allows you to act fast: chase payment, negotiate or adjust future payment terms.
BePaid's automatic reminders mechanically reduce this rate by systematically chasing overdue payments without manual effort on your part.
Turnover breakdown by client
Analyse the concentration of your turnover to identify your strategic clients. The 80/20 rule often applies: 20% of your clients generate 80% of your turnover.
This analysis also reveals risks of excessive dependency. If a single client represents more than 30% of your turnover, your business becomes vulnerable in case of losing that contract.
Use this data to diversify your client portfolio and secure your business model in the long term.
Analysis of VAT collected and payable
Track VAT amounts by rate (8.1%, 3.8%, 2.6%) to anticipate your quarterly payments to the Federal Tax Administration. This visibility avoids unpleasant cash flow surprises.
The software automatically calculates VAT collected on your issued invoices. You know in real time how much you'll need to pay and can provision the necessary amounts.
This functionality simplifies your administrative management and guarantees you're always compliant with Swiss tax obligations.
How to configure your dashboard in BePaid
BePaid integrates tracking and financial analysis functionalities accessible directly from your interface. No technical skills needed to exploit your invoicing data.
Configuration is done in a few clicks. You access reports, filter according to your needs and export data for more advanced analysis if necessary.
Here's how to fully exploit the analytical capabilities of your invoicing software.
Access reports and statistics
The reporting sections in BePaid centralise all your invoicing statistics. You visualise at a glance the evolution of your business and the status of your collections.
The interface presents essential data in the form of readable graphs and tables. No need to search through multiple menus: everything is grouped in a dedicated space.
Export your reports in CSV or PDF to share with your accountant or integrate into your presentations. Compatibility with Excel and Google Sheets facilitates complementary analyses.
Filter and segment your data
Use period filters to compare your performance: current month versus previous month, quarter N versus quarter N-1, or annual analysis.
Segment by client to identify your best contributors or by payment status to quickly isolate overdue invoices. These customised views adapt to your specific needs.
Create targeted reports according to your current questions: profitability of a client, evolution of a type of service, seasonality of your business.
Set up alerts and reminders
Configure automatic notifications to never miss an unpaid invoice. The system alerts you as soon as a deadline is exceeded without you having to manually consult your dashboard.
Set up payment reminders for your clients: first reminder at D+5, second at D+15, final before formal notice at D+30. Automation guarantees rigorous tracking without daily effort.
These alerts transform your software into an active assistant that monitors your critical indicators and warns you in case of deviation.
From data to decision: interpreting your indicators
Collecting data isn't enough. The value lies in interpretation and the actions you take from it to improve your management.
Your accounting KPIs reveal trends, signal risks and identify opportunities. Transform these signals into concrete decisions to optimise your profitability and secure your cash flow.
Here's how to move from passive tracking to active management of your business through your invoicing indicators.
Identify trends and anticipate
Spot weak signals before they become major problems: a gradual drop in turnover, a lengthening of average payment terms, growing concentration on a single client.
These trends allow you to act upstream. Boost your commercial efforts during quiet periods, tighten payment terms if delays accumulate, diversify your portfolio if dependency increases.
Anticipation transforms potential difficulties into controlled adjustments rather than suffered crises.
Optimise your profitability client by client
Analyse which clients are truly profitable by cross-referencing turnover volume, actual payment terms and order frequency. Some large clients who pay late may be less interesting than regular and punctual medium-sized clients.
Adjust your commercial strategy accordingly: focus your efforts on profitable clients, renegotiate terms with bad payers, charge late payment fees if necessary.
To deepen profitability management by assignment, consult our guide on project-based invoicing and margin management.
Improve your cash flow through data
Use your payment indicators to optimise your working capital requirement. Identify clients who pay quickly and offer them advantageous terms to maintain this discipline.
Prioritise collection according to impact: chase large old invoices first rather than small recent amounts. Negotiate deposits for major projects to reduce your exposure.
For a complete view of cash flow optimisation, read our article on managing purchase invoices and cash flow optimisation.
The limitations of invoicing software for financial analysis
Invoicing software offers a valuable but partial view of your financial health. It tracks your revenue and collections, but doesn't cover your entire accounting.
Let's be transparent: BePaid excels in invoice tracking and client flow analysis, but doesn't replace a complete accounting system or the expertise of a fiduciary.
Understanding these limitations allows you to build a coherent tool ecosystem and know when to seek external expertise.
What BePaid doesn't replace
BePaid tracks your issued invoices and received payments. It doesn't manage your complete accounting: operating expenses, salaries, depreciation, provisions, balance sheet or detailed profit and loss statement.
For an exhaustive financial view including all your expenses and accounting obligations, you must combine BePaid with accounting software or call upon an accountant.
Our role is to simplify your invoicing and optimise your cash flow tracking, not to replace accounting professionals.
When to export your data to other tools
Use BePaid's CSV exports to feed Excel, Google Sheets or your accounting software. This interoperability allows you to create more advanced customised analyses according to your specific needs.
Cross-reference your invoicing data with your expenses to calculate your real net profitability. Integrate them into your global dashboards that aggregate multiple information sources.
BePaid integrates into your existing tool ecosystem rather than trying to centralise everything. This modular approach offers you more flexibility and analytical power.
Your invoicing software already contains a wealth of information for managing your business on a daily basis. Turnover, payment terms, outstanding debts, breakdown by client: these indicators give you a concrete view of your financial situation without waiting for the annual accounts.
BePaid automatically centralises this data as soon as you issue your invoices. You visualise in a few clicks the evolution of your turnover, identify clients who pay slowly and anticipate your cash inflows. This immediate visibility helps you make the right decisions at the right time.
These indicators don't replace complete accounting tracking, but they constitute your operational dashboard. They quickly alert you to trends and allow you to adjust your commercial strategy or chase your unpaid invoices without delay.
Try BePaid for free and discover how to transform your invoicing data into exploitable information to manage your business. Free version with no commitment, then only 20 CHF/month.
