Bramvia — Business Central Experts
Tariffs, rising labor costs and more regulation: what is worrying mid-sized companies now, how to respond in purchasing, sales, new markets, finance, compliance and operations, and how much time AI takes off your team. With a savings calculator.
Short answer: with tariffs, rising labor costs and more regulation, the answer is neither hiring more nor cutting blindly, but getting more done with the team you have. That means running the whole company on one system (purchasing, sales, inventory, finance and tax) and letting AI handle the repetitive work: reading supplier invoices, entering emailed orders, chasing payments, reconciling the bank and preparing reports. Use the calculator below to see how many hours a month that frees in your case.
Next step: replace the calculator's volumes with yours, and if the result is worth it, we can review your processes in a free 30-minute assessment.
What is worrying companies this year
- Tariffs. In the Duke University and Federal Reserve CFO Survey, tariffs remain US finance leaders' top concern, ahead of demand and labor.
- Costs and pricing pressure. In mid-market surveys, leaders expect higher operating costs from interest rates, tariffs and new regulation.
- Cost reduction comes first. In DHL's mid-year 2026 survey of US small and mid-sized businesses, reducing operating costs is the top priority, yet only a small minority name AI or automation as their first investment, often because it looks complex.
- AI for efficiency, not headcount. Mid-market companies that use AI mostly apply it to efficiency and automation, and CFOs do not expect big headcount changes from it this year.
In short: margins are under pressure, and the way through is productivity.
Purchasing and tariffs: know what each product really costs
When duties and freight change month to month, buying on last year's cost loses margin without anyone noticing. Your system has to calculate the real landed cost of every receipt and suggest purchases from forecast demand. See what your system must track for 2026 tariffs.
Sales: faster quotes, real margin per customer
A rep who takes two days to quote loses the deal. With prices, stock and customer history at hand, and AI drafting the quote, you answer the same day. And with the real margin per customer you know who deserves a discount.
New markets: sell abroad without doubling the work
A new country means another currency, other taxes and another way of invoicing. A system built for several countries and companies lets the same team sell abroad and consolidate the group without spreadsheets.
Finance: collect sooner, close in days
Automatic payment reminders, bank reconciliation and a month-end close prepared by the system. Days sales outstanding comes down and the close stops eating the first week of the month. See why month-end close is too slow and how to fix it.
Compliance: comply without retyping
Sales tax, e-invoicing in other countries and audit requests are admin work when done by hand, and almost none when they come out of the ERP as invoices are posted.
Where AI fits, and where it doesn't
AI pays off in repetitive tasks with clear rules: reading supplier invoices (accounts payable automation), entering emailed orders, chasing payments, reconciling the bank, preparing reports and drafting quotes. It proposes; a person reviews. Done well, the point is not layoffs: it is the team you already have absorbing more volume without hiring.
Each task, step by step: accounts payable automation, emailed orders entered automatically, automatic bank reconciliation, automated purchasing from demand forecast, credit control and month-end close.
How to start
- Measure how much time goes into repetitive tasks today: the calculator above gives the order of magnitude.
- Automate two tasks first that people will notice, usually supplier invoices and orders or collections.
- Expand to purchasing, the close and reporting once those work.
You pay for each phase only after it is delivered and you accept that it works.
FAQ
Do I need a new ERP to use AI? Not always, but AI is only as good as the data underneath. If purchasing, sales and finance live in separate systems, join them first.
Will AI replace my team? Much of the repetitive work, yes; the people, no. The usual result is the same team handling more volume without hiring.
How soon do savings show? The first automations, like supplier invoices or emailed orders, show within weeks.
Related: Business Central vs NetSuite and operating without AI in 2026.
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