Professional service firms move increasingly to subscription model

More flexible, simpler subscription management and other new features of Exact’s Spring’21 Release

Delft, 7 June 2021 – As many as 37% of professional service firms choose to offer their services through a subscription model, as this provides more predictable revenue and enhances customer loyalty and flexibility. These were the findings of the SME Barometer*, a study of SME trends and developments that Exact has carried out every two years. Exact is introducing the Spring’21 Release, which includes a number of important improvements to subscription management. This is a translation of a Dutch press release.

Flexible subscriptions are the future

The independent SME Barometer*, released at the beginning of May, shows that adapting services to fit the subscription model can be far from simple. Most of professional service firms’ revenue is still based on costing (38%), but subscriptions (16%), and to a lesser extent, pre-paid plans (11%), are clearly gaining ground. As many as 37% of service firms are already using or experimenting with subscription models. That makes the automation of, and insight into, cash flow from the subscription plans they offer their customers more relevant than ever. This Exact Online release offers even greater flexibility in subscription administration. Interim changes are now much easier to implement, which also improves the services’ benefits for end users.

Joep Hoeks, Chief Product Officer at Exact: “Subscriptions make for more predictable revenue and offer entrepreneurs greater flexibility. A lot can change over the course of a subscription. For example, a customer may wish to extend their subscription or suspend it temporarily. To facilitate such interim changes, we have made quite a few improvements to Subscription Management. This offers businesses greater stability in these uncertain times, when cash flow and revenue may fluctuate significantly. Exact can also use smart algorithms and debtors’ payment behaviour to predict payment dates. The Exact Spring’21 Release improves entrepreneurs’ insight into their cash flow and revenue and allows them to streamline recurring subscription and membership invoicing. This is a major step forward in our mission to make the data work for you and meet the demand for insight.”

Spring’21 Release highlights

Exact’s Spring’21 Release introduces innovations to support customers’ current needs. A complete overview of all the new features can be found here. Highlights from this release include:

Exact for Accounting: Automation with Mollie

Exact customers who use Mollie can now have Exact Online process and reconcile received payments immediately. The software retrieves Mollie’s payment data each day and incorporates this into the accounts automatically. No Hands Accounting also helps customers make more informed decisions, as the software handles their accounting tasks for them. This can save entrepreneurs up to 73% of their valuable time.

Exact Globe+: The right figures, anytime, anywhere

You want access to the right figures, at the right time, both now and in the future. Exact has developed the latest version of Exact Globe+ to answer that need. Our first customers started working with Exact Globe+ in late 2020. Their response to the maximised display, the financial modules and the input screens' readability is enthusiastic.

Discover the full list of innovations here.

*The SME Barometer survey is conducted every two years by Pb7, an independent IT research firm. In the first quarter of 2021, they used a web survey to collect responses from an impressive 1030 companies in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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About Exact
Exact was founded in 1984 and has its headquarters in Delft. Exact develops financial management, ERP and HR salary administration software for small and medium enterprises. The company has over 1,850 employees. Exact’s customers mainly operate in the fields of accountancy, manufacturing, professional services, wholesale distribution, logistics and construction. 

Exact offers the most comprehensive portfolio of SME business software on the market. More than 500,000 companies in the Benelux rely on one or more of Exact’s solutions– Exact Online, Exact Globe, Exact Synergy or ExactFinancials. Ninety percent of customers make use of Exact’s cloud services. For medium-sized organisations, the software is also available on-premise.