Overview

Make.com is a powerful automation tool designed to connect and automate tasks across various applications, with a more advanced and visual interface compared to other tools like Zapier. Its drag-and-drop style enables you to create and customize complex workflows, known as "Scenarios", easily.

Understanding Scenarios and Modules

• Scenario: A scenario is the comprehensive plan for your automation, laid out like a flowchart. This visual interface allows for a clearer understanding of the process flow and offers greater flexibility to create complex automations.
• Module: Modules are the individual steps within your scenario. These can be actions (like sending an email or updating a spreadsheet), triggers (like a new email in your inbox), or even operations (like performing a mathematical calculation).

Relevance of Make.com for Accountants

Here's some ways Make.com can prove valuable to accountants:

1. Intuitive Visual Interface: The drag-and-drop interface allows you to see your entire workflow, making it easier to design and adjust your scenarios quite quickly. It offers better transparency of the processes being automated, which is especially useful when dealing with complex accounting tasks.
2. Versatile Integrations: Make.com connects with a large number of apps commonly used in accounting such as QuickBooks, Xero, Google Sheets, and more. But they tend to have a lot more connection options than Zapier out of the box. This lets you seamlessly integrate and automate tasks across these platforms. Although Zapier does have an API connection for some apps, that’s a bit of a heavier lift and is a little easier to complete in Make.
3. Error Handling: With its advanced error-handling capabilities, you can specify what should happen when an error occurs during the execution of a scenario. This could be crucial in ensuring accounting processes run smoothly and accurately given volume of some automations (there’s nothing worse than an automation stopping when it didn’t need to stop).

Example Automations for Accountants

1. Creating Draft Quotes Based on Webform Data: Make.com can automate the creation of draft quotes in your accounting software (like Xero or QBO) whenever a potential client fills out a webform on your website. The quote could be populated with data from the form submission, including contact details and requested services.
2. Creating Entries in Multiple Xero or QBO Accounts for Intercompany Transactions: If you manage multiple entities within a business group, you can automate intercompany transactions. Whenever a sale or expense is recorded in one entity's account, Make.com can create a corresponding entry in the other entity's account, ensuring all intercompany balances are accurate and up-to-date.
3. Keep Xero/QBO Contacts Updated in Airtable for Other Automation Usage: To keep your CRM and accounting software synchronized, set up a scenario where every time a new contact is added in Xero or QBO, that contact is automatically added to an Airtable base. This helps keep all contacts in sync and readily available for other automations.
4. Fill Out PDF Forms Using Other Form Data: Whenever form data is collected (for example, a new vendor agreement), Make.com can automate the process of filling out a PDF form with this data. The completed form could then be automatically saved to a specified location or emailed to relevant parties.