Business automation: benefits, use cases and getting started with AI
AI in business refers to technologies that simulate human cognitive abilities to take over repetitive tasks on their own. This lets employees focus on work that creates value, reduces sources of error and allows companies to grow without adding staff at the same rate.
What does AI mean in business?
AI in business is not a future scenario, but a tool that takes over repetitive tasks today so that you can focus on what machines cannot do. Specifically, AI describes technologies that simulate human cognitive abilities to solve complex tasks autonomously. The goal is not to replace humans, but to act as a co-pilot, freeing them from time-consuming, tedious routine work. AI applications range from process automation and data analysis to intelligent customer service.
Because these technologies are ready for practical use today, Swiss research partners such as ETH Zurich, the ETH AI Center, HSG (University of St. Gallen), Innosuisse, and LMU Munich show that adoption for SMEs requires far fewer prerequisites than it often seems. Anyone who organises accounting, payroll, or customer communication digitally has already laid the foundation. AI takes care of the rest from there.
Where AI specifically tackles work in your company today
From VAT receipt processing to automatic bank reconciliation, there are clear tasks today where AI can step in immediately for Swiss SMEs. Data entry and invoice processing are the routine activities with the highest automation potential. According to DIHK surveys, a growing share of companies is using AI technologies for administration and customer service. The six tasks to start with directly in your own business look like this:
Receipt capture and pre-accounting
Task: Capture paper receipts, PDF invoices, and cash slips, and assign them to the correct account.
How AI helps: Receipt content is automatically recognized, VAT rates are assigned, and booking suggestions are generated without anyone typing.
Swiss relevance: The FTA (ESTV) stipulates clear VAT accounting obligations; incorrect assignments create extra work with every quarterly return.
Setup effort: Low. Ready-to-use SaaS solutions with integrated receipt processing can be used immediately.
Anyone looking to dive deeper into AI accounting for Swiss SMEs can find more under AI accounting for Swiss SMEs.
Bank reconciliation and payment processing
Task: Import bank statements, match incoming payments to open invoices, and flag discrepancies.
How AI helps: Automatic bank reconciliation matches transactions based on rules; manual rework is limited to true exceptions.
Swiss relevance: Multi-bank connections and QR references are Swiss standards; automatic reconciliation significantly reduces manual rework.
Setup effort: Low to medium, depending on the number of bank accounts and existing data quality.
Invoicing and dunning
Task: Create and send outgoing invoices, monitor payment deadlines, and trigger payment reminders.
How AI helps: Recurring invoices run automatically; payment reminders are sent according to defined deadlines without manual intervention.
Swiss relevance: Since October 2022, the QR-bill has replaced the previous payment slips (ESR/ES); AI-enabled platforms generate compliant QR-bills with payment references.
Setup effort: Low. One-off setup of invoice templates and dunning intervals.
Customer communication (chatbots, auto-replies)
Task: Screen incoming queries, answer standard questions, and forward escalations.
How AI helps: Chatbots answer frequent questions around the clock; automated replies confirm receipt and provide status updates without anyone sitting at the desk.
Swiss relevance: A multilingual customer base requires consistent communication; AI systems can maintain templates in multiple languages.
Setup effort: Medium. Platforms such as Microsoft 365 Copilot or standalone chatbot tools can be configured without programming knowledge.
Payroll processing (OASI/ALV/BVG declarations)
Task: Calculate wages, generate payslips, and submit declarations to social insurances.
How AI helps: Payroll runs are carried out rule-based; declarations to OASI (AHV), ALV, and BVG are automatically generated and submitted for approval.
Swiss relevance: Swiss social security law is complex and changes regularly; automated payroll systems update rates and forms without owners needing to research them themselves.
Setup effort: Medium. One-time setup of employee master data and wage types.
Data analysis and reporting
Task: Evaluate financial key metrics, create reports for fiduciaries or internal decision-making, and identify trends.
How AI helps: Dashboards update in real time; a trading company used AI demand forecasting to optimise inventory levels based on sales data and trends—directly applicable to revenue and cost evaluations for any SME.
Swiss relevance: Quarterly and annual financial statements can be prepared significantly faster with current data; ChatGPT and similar tools are suitable for simple text evaluations, but not for handling confidential financial data.
Setup effort: Low to medium, depending on how digital the underlying data already is.
What are the tangible benefits of automation? The main advantages
Automation in business does not only save time, but also transforms how effectively your company manages growth. Because these tasks can now be automated, the benefits can be stated plainly:
Error reduction: Consistent, rule-based execution eliminates typos, overlooked steps, and costly rework. What used to be prone to human error runs reliably when automated.
Time savings: Tasks that previously took hours are completed in minutes. Customers wait less, and deals close faster.
Scalability: Automation immediately absorbs growth and peak workloads without needing to post new job openings. Microsoft 365 Copilot shows how deeply this approach is already integrated into existing platforms.
Round-the-clock availability: Automated processes run at night, on weekends, and on public holidays—without breaks, sick days, or overtime.
Cost reduction: Fewer errors mean fewer costly corrections. Simple automation steps can be set up using existing SaaS solutions at manageable monthly costs.
Focus time for employees: Those who do not have to type out receipts gain time for consulting, strategy, and customer relationships. That is the core of how nextesy AG is positioned as a platform: taking over the busywork so humans can handle what machines cannot. The IBM Institute for Business Value shows in its research that operational benefits such as time savings and error reduction appear earlier than financial metrics.
Compliance logging: Automated processes log every step traceably and auditably. This significantly simplifies audits and protects against gaps in documentation.
Faster response times: Automated workflows shorten the time between receiving an enquiry and responding to the customer.
Which concerns are justified and which are not?
Not all scepticism about AI is unfounded, but most fears dissolve once you know how to remain in control. Seeing these benefits, people still ask typical questions about artificial intelligence in Switzerland and voice concerns regarding job loss and loss of control. Here is what actually applies:
Unfounded:
Job loss: Roles are shifting towards more creative, strategic activities, rather than disappearing. Final decisions remain with humans. The ETH AI Center emphasizes precisely this point in its work with industry partners: AI complements human judgement.
Loss of control: Human-in-the-loop checkpoints ensure that critical decisions require human approval. Employees can review, adjust, or override any recommendation.
Data protection violations: Swiss FADP-compliant solutions like nextesy AG process data within defined protective frameworks. The most important principle: Internal documents and customer data do not belong in free public chat services; entering them there means losing control over how they are further used.
Complexity: Modern SaaS solutions require no prior IT knowledge. No-code integrations are now standard, and most platforms can be used within hours.
Entering too late: Starting in a structured way now builds a knowledge advantage. The EU AI Act defines risk classes for AI applications; the minimal risk category applies to most SME processes. This provides planning certainty.
The opportunities of artificial intelligence for companies only become apparent when two genuinely justified reservations are taken seriously:
Justified:
Poor data quality: Poor data produces poor results, no matter how powerful the model is. Garbage in, garbage out. Anyone with unstructured or outdated data must clean it up first.
Lack of strategy: Success is determined not by the technology, but by data quality, process clarity, and employee involvement. An AI project without clear success criteria rarely delivers measurable value. Employees must be involved early on—not as a final step, but as a prerequisite for operations.
Getting started: How to start with AI in your company
A successful entry into AI is not achieved through the boldest first step, but through the right one. Because the legitimate reservations regarding data quality, strategy, and employee involvement can be resolved, there is a clear five-step path. ETH Zurich and Innosuisse guide Swiss companies on precisely this question: How do you achieve a structured entry into AI automation without unnecessary risks?
Check AI readiness
Goal: Find out whether the foundations for AI automation are in place.
Typical question: Is my data available digitally and centrally? Is there a designated person responsible within the company?
Result: A clear picture of the baseline situation and gaps before money or time is invested.
Identify bottlenecks
Goal: Find the single process that takes up the most time or causes the most frequent errors.
Typical question: Where do I lose the most time, and which task would I prefer never to do manually again?
Result: A concrete starting point instead of an abstract search for technology. Not "Which AI suits us?", but "What is our biggest bottleneck?"
Select a quick win
Goal: Immediately tackle a use case with high impact and low effort.
Typical question: What can I set up tomorrow without launching a massive project? No-code tools enable initial automations without programming knowledge.
Result: A visible result in a short time that builds internal confidence.
Involve employees
Goal: Ensure acceptance before the pilot runs. AI integration and employee acceptance determine whether a pilot goes into production or remains at an experimental stage. Employees who help shape the process from the beginning actively support the pilot rather than passively tolerating it.
Typical question: Do my employees know what is changing, and do they have the opportunity to ask questions?
Result: Employees who actively support the pilot rather than passively tolerating it.
Implement the pilot and measure
Goal: Implement the quick win as a clearly defined pilot project and measure the benefits directly.
Typical question: How much time did I spend before, and how much am I spending now? Ready-to-use SaaS solutions such as Microsoft 365 Copilot are suitable for standard processes; configurable platforms cover more specific requirements.
Result: A clearly defined pilot project can be implemented in a few weeks, and the figures speak for themselves afterwards.
The next step after the pilot is described in detail in the article Introducing AI into your company.
How nextesy integrates AI directly into your accounting and administration
nextesy automatically handles the bulk of administrative work so you can concentrate on your core business. As an AI-native platform, nextesy is built from the ground up for the reality of Swiss SMEs: receipt processing, bank reconciliation, and VAT returns run without manual configuration, fully compliant with the FADP (DSG) and without requiring prior IT knowledge. Simple automation steps can thus be established at manageable monthly costs, starting from CHF 29/month for SMEs and CHF 19/month for fiduciaries, with a 14-day trial period without requiring a credit card. Anyone switching from another system pays CHF 1/month as a bridge during migration.
What nextesy covers directly:
Payroll: OASI (AHV), ALV, BVG, and withholding tax are integrated; payroll runs operate on a rule-based basis and are submitted for approval.
Fiduciary module: Real-time collaboration across client mandates without manual handovers. Fifth Quarter Ventures recognised this early on as a structural advantage when investing.
CRM with Zefix integration: Contacts are imported directly from the Swiss Central Business Names Index; Zefix provides up-to-date company data without manual typing.
Thanks to AI, nextesy takes care of the vast majority automatically—you only handle exceptions. Swiss SMEs can get started today with receipt processing, bank reconciliation, and payroll declarations without IT knowledge and without the risk of job loss, because FADP-compliant SaaS solutions take over these processes from day one, while humans retain approval over every critical decision.
