PurposeFit AI · AI Tool AuditExample: a 6-person Leeds bookkeeping firm
1. Summary
You listed 6 tasks. For each one we’ve picked one tool that fits your setup, plus an alternative. Three things shaped the picks: you already pay for Microsoft 365, you handle client financial data every day, and half the team is less comfortable with new tech. So we’ve leaned on tools you already have or that need very little setup, and we’ve kept client data out of anything that doesn’t need it.
Biggest win: AI meeting notes for client review calls (task 2) and email drafting in Outlook (task 1).
Estimated time saved across all 6 tasks: about 6–7 hours a week across the team ESTIMATE
Estimated extra spend to start: £0. Every pick has a free plan or is something you may already have. If the trials work, expect roughly US$25–50 a month, mainly Otter Pro for 3–6 people (see each task).
| # | Your task | Recommended tool | Alternative | Time saved EST. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chasing clients for missing records | Microsoft Copilot (Outlook) | ChatGPT | 1–1.5 h/week |
| 2 | Writing up client review calls | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai | 2–3 h/week |
| 3 | Building and fixing Excel formulas | Formula Bot | Microsoft Copilot (Excel) | ~1 h/week |
| 4 | Setting up new clients (re-keying details) | Zapier | Make | ~2 h/month |
| 5 | Monthly client deadlines newsletter | Claude | Microsoft Copilot (Word) | ~1.5 h/month |
| 6 | Proofreading client letters | Grammarly | Microsoft Copilot (Word) | ~1 h/week |
Time-saved figures are our estimates, based on the frequency and duration you gave us. They are not measured results. Track them in your first month (see the rollout plan).
2. Task-by-task recommendations
Task 1
Chasing clients for missing records and receipts
You said: weekly, about 3 hours a week across two people. Done now in Outlook, written from scratch each time.
- Recommended
- Microsoft Copilot, used inside Outlook (copilot.microsoft.com)
- Why it fits you
- You already work in Microsoft 365, and Copilot works inside Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams, so the team doesn’t need a new app. It drafts a polite, firm chaser from a one-line prompt, in your tone.
- Alternative
- ChatGPT (chatgpt.com): good all-round drafting if your Microsoft plan doesn’t include Copilot in Outlook.
- Rough cost
- Freemium. Which Copilot features you get inside Outlook depends on your Microsoft 365 plan and any Copilot add-on, so see current pricing. ChatGPT: Freemium, see current pricing.
- Time saved
- 1–1.5 hours a week ESTIMATE
- Check whether Copilot appears in your Outlook ribbon. If it doesn’t, use the free web version for drafting and paste the result into Outlook.
- Write three saved prompts: “first reminder”, “second reminder (firmer)” and “final reminder before the deadline”.
- Give the AI the deadline and the missing item types only. Leave out bank details, UTRs and NI numbers.
- Always read the draft before you send it. You are responsible for every date and figure in it.
Task 2
Writing up client review calls
You said: about 8 calls a week on Teams, 20–30 minutes each to write up notes and actions afterwards.
- Recommended
- Otter.ai (otter.ai)
- Why it fits you
- It records, transcribes and summarises meetings, works with Teams, and has a free plan big enough to trial with one person. Your write-ups become a quick check and edit instead of a 25-minute job.
- Alternative
- Fireflies.ai (fireflies.ai), if you want notes sent into other tools automatically. If clients don’t want a bot joining, look at Granola, which uses your device’s audio instead.
- Rough cost
- As listed on 17 Oct 2026: Otter Basic is free with 300 transcription minutes a month. Otter Pro is US$8.33 per user a month billed annually (US$16.99 monthly). Fireflies Pro is US$10 per seat a month billed annually. UK VAT may be added. See current pricing.
- Time saved
- 2–3 hours a week across the team ESTIMATE
- Trial it on internal team meetings first, for one week.
- Add a line to your meeting invites: “We use an AI notetaker to record and transcribe this call. Tell us if you’d rather we didn’t.”
- Turn off auto-join for every meeting. Add the notetaker only to calls where the client has agreed.
- Copy the summary and actions into the client file, then delete recordings you don’t need (see GDPR notes).
- Step-by-step setup: our guide How to take AI meeting notes.
Task 3
Building and fixing Excel formulas for reconciliations and templates
You said: several times a week, around 30 minutes each time, often searching forums for the right formula.
- Recommended
- Formula Bot (formulabot.com)
- Why it fits you
- It writes and explains Excel and Google Sheets formulas from plain English. The explanations help less-confident team members check what a formula does before they rely on it.
- Alternative
- Microsoft Copilot in Excel, if your Microsoft 365 plan includes it. It keeps the work inside your existing files.
- Rough cost
- Freemium. See current pricing.
- Time saved
- About 1 hour a week ESTIMATE
- Describe the layout, not the data, for example: “Column A is date, B is supplier, C is amount. Sum C where B is ‘HMRC’ in March”.
- Don’t upload client workbooks. Paste only column headers or made-up example rows.
- Test every new formula on a copy, with a total you’ve already checked by hand.
- Keep a shared “formula library” sheet so nobody solves the same problem twice.
Task 4
Setting up new clients (re-keying details from the enquiry email)
You said: about 3 new clients a month, roughly 1 hour each to create folders, tasks and a row in your client tracker.
- Recommended
- Zapier (zapier.com)
- Why it fits you
- It’s a no-code automation tool that connects thousands of apps. One “Zap” can take a new enquiry (for example from a Microsoft Form) and create the OneDrive folder, the task and the tracker row automatically.
- Alternative
- Make (make.com), a visual builder that can work out cheaper for complex flows. pricing unverified
- Rough cost
- Freemium. The free plan has task and step limits. See current pricing.
- Time saved
- About 2 hours a month ESTIMATE
- Write down your onboarding steps in order. Automate only the ones that are pure copying.
- Check Zapier’s app directory for each tool you use (Microsoft Forms, OneDrive, Outlook, your practice software) before you build anything.
- Build one Zap and test it with a made-up client. Turn it on only once it works end to end.
- Keep ID checks and engagement letters manual. Automation should fill in forms, not make decisions.
Task 5
Monthly client newsletter on deadlines and changes
You said: monthly, about 3 hours to write and format.
- Recommended
- Claude (claude.ai)
- Why it fits you
- It’s strong at long-form writing and careful editing. Give it your bullet points and last month’s issue and it drafts in your style. It’s also good at rewriting technical points in plain English for clients.
- Alternative
- Microsoft Copilot in Word, if your plan includes it. For the header graphic, Canva (Freemium) is the easiest option for non-designers.
- Rough cost
- Freemium. See current pricing.
- Time saved
- About 1.5 hours a month ESTIMATE
- Start from your own bullet points. Don’t ask the AI to tell you what the deadlines are.
- Check every date, rate and threshold against GOV.UK before sending. AI tools can state old or wrong figures confidently.
- Save a “house style” prompt (tone, length, sign-off) and reuse it every month.
Task 6
Proofreading client letters and engagement letters
You said: several times a day, 5–10 minutes each, mainly for the two newer team members.
- Recommended
- Grammarly (grammarly.com)
- Why it fits you
- It checks grammar, spelling, tone and clarity as you type in Outlook, Word and the browser, with no change to how people work. That suits the less-confident team members.
- Alternative
- Microsoft Copilot in Word, for rewriting whole paragraphs if your plan includes it.
- Rough cost
- Freemium. See current pricing.
- Time saved
- About 1 hour a week ESTIMATE
- Install the free version for the two newer team members first.
- Set the language to British English.
- Keep engagement-letter wording that your professional body or insurer has approved. Don’t let the tool rewrite it.
3. Your 30-day rollout plan
4. GDPR and data notes
- You are the controller of your clients’ personal data. When an AI tool processes it for you, that provider is usually your processor. Before you put client data into a tool, check it offers a data processing agreement (DPA) and tells you where data is stored.
- International transfers: several of these providers are US-based. Check which safeguard they rely on, such as the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the ICO’s IDTA or Addendum, and record it.
- Model training: check each tool’s settings and terms for whether your inputs are used to train its models. Turn this off where you can, and prefer business plans for anything involving client information.
- Recording calls: tell clients before recording. Give them a simple way to say no, and set a retention period for recordings and transcripts (for example, delete recordings after the notes are filed).
- Keep identifiers out: leave bank details, UTRs, NI numbers and ID documents out of general-purpose AI chats.
- Update your own privacy notice to mention AI notetaking and any new processors. Check your ICO data protection fee is up to date.
- Your anti-money-laundering supervisor and professional body may have their own guidance on technology and record-keeping. Follow it where it is stricter than this report.
5. What to skip (for now)
- A website AI chatbot (for example Tidio or Chatbase). You get only a few web enquiries a week, so a chatbot adds cost and risk (wrong answers about tax) for little gain.
- A paid AI email client (for example Superhuman, a paid tool). It overlaps with Outlook plus Copilot, and switching email clients is disruptive for a mixed-confidence team.
- Uploading client ledgers to general AI data-analysis tools until you’ve checked their DPA and data location. Use your existing Xero reports for client numbers.
- Buying every seat on day one. Prove each tool with one or two people first, then upgrade.
6. About this report
Independence: our recommendations are never influenced by affiliate commissions. Any affiliate link in a report is marked Ad, and the order of picks never changes because of one. This sample contains no affiliate links.
Prices and features are as shown on each provider’s own website when we checked (17 October 2026), or marked “see current pricing” where they vary by plan. Prices change, may be shown in US dollars, and UK VAT may be added at checkout. Tools marked pricing unverified could not be checked automatically, so confirm on their site.
Time saved figures are estimates based on what you told us, not guarantees.
General guidance only: this report is general information about software tools. It is not legal, financial, tax or data protection advice. Check anything important with a suitably qualified adviser.