An outsourced finance provider should do more than keep the books up to date. The real value comes from turning those records into information you can actually use to run the business.
The problem is that many businesses still do not have a complete view of their finances. Sage research published in September 2026 found that only one in ten UK SMEs can see their full financial picture in one place, while 42% regularly make financial decisions without all the information they need.
So, which numbers should your outsourced finance team be putting in front of you?
1. Keep a Close Eye on Cash Flow
Revenue and profit matter, but neither tells you exactly how much cash is available to cover payroll, suppliers, tax, and investment.
Cash-flow reporting should show what is coming in, what is going out, and where pressure could emerge over the coming weeks or months. Your provider should also flag material differences between expected and actual cash movements.
American Express's 2026 CFO Survey, published in September, found that 50% of finance leaders expect cash-flow management to demand significant attention over the next 12 months, while 55% identified growing working capital as a strategic priority.
2. Track Debtor Days and Overdue Invoices
A healthy-looking profit figure is less useful when customers are not actually paying.
Your provider should track overdue receivables, debtor days and the proportion of invoices moving beyond agreed payment terms. This provides an early warning when collections are slowing and helps the team focus credit control where it matters.
The latest Sage SME Performance Pulse shows that 47.4% of UK SME invoices were overdue in Q2 2026. At the same time, the UK's latest official payment data shows why this deserves attention. In 2025, large businesses paid 15% of invoices late, while the average payment time remained 32 days.
Debtor performance is therefore a core management KPI, not just an accounts receivable issue.
3. Monitor Gross Profit Margin
Turnover can increase while profitability quietly deteriorates. Gross profit margin helps show whether rising supplier, labour or delivery costs are eating into what the business actually earns from its sales. It should be tracked over time and, where useful, by service line, customer or product.
ONS data from September 2026 found that 29% of trading businesses reported higher input prices in August, while only 11% reported increasing the prices they charged.
4. Budget Versus Actual Performance
Budgets only become useful when actual performance is compared against them.
Your outsourced finance provider should track significant variances in revenue, costs, cash, and profitability, then explain why they occurred. The goal is not to flag every small difference. It is to identify the variances that could change a decision.
Turn KPIs Into Better Decisions
The value of outsourced finance is not simply receiving more numbers. It is knowing which numbers matter and what to do with them.
At Sanay, our remote financial controller and outsourced finance department services combine reporting with financial analysis, forecasting, and ongoing support, helping businesses turn financial data into clearer decisions.
Want more visibility into the numbers driving your business? Contact Sanay today to discuss the right level of finance support.
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