Why reporting in Exact Online is slow
Exact Online offers built-in reports, but anyone who has tried to generate a custom management overview knows the limitations. Fixed report layouts, limited filtering, no cross-entity analysis, and exporting to Excel for further processing. By the time you have your numbers, the morning is gone.
What if you could simply ask: "What was our gross margin per product group last quarter?" and get an instant, structured answer? That is exactly what AI-powered reporting delivers.
How AI generates reports from Exact Online
When you connect an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Claude to Exact Online via Ledger Botje, the AI gains access to your live business data through the MCP protocol. You ask a question in plain language, and the AI:
- Interprets your request — determines which data is needed (sales orders, invoices, stock, accounts)
- Queries the right tools — calls the appropriate Ledger Botje tools to retrieve the data
- Analyses and formats — calculates totals, percentages and trends, then presents the results in a clear format
No dashboards to configure. No Excel formulas to maintain. Just ask and receive.
7 reports you can request right now
1. Revenue overview
"Show me total revenue per month for the past six months, broken down by product group."
The AI retrieves your sales invoices, groups them by period and product group, and calculates the totals. You get a structured summary that would take 30 minutes in Excel. For more on AI and accounting, see our article on AI in bookkeeping.
2. Debtor analysis
"Give me an ageing analysis of all outstanding invoices, grouped by 0–30, 31–60, 61–90 and 90+ days."
Instant visibility into your accounts receivable. The AI can also identify your biggest debtors and flag customers with a pattern of late payments. See also: retrieving outstanding invoices with ChatGPT.
3. Inventory valuation
"What is the total stock value per warehouse, and which items have the highest carrying cost?"
The AI combines stock quantities with cost prices to give you a real-time valuation — no need to run a separate report in Exact Online.
4. Purchasing analysis
"Compare our purchasing spend this quarter versus last quarter, broken down by supplier."
Identify cost increases, shifting supplier relationships and opportunities for consolidation. The AI handles the number crunching while you focus on decisions.
5. Order status overview
"How many sales orders are open, partially delivered and fully delivered this month?"
Get an instant pipeline overview without navigating through multiple screens in Exact Online.
6. Production overview
"What is the status of all open shop orders? Which ones are overdue?"
For manufacturers, this report provides a real-time view of the production floor — straight from Exact Online data.
7. Customer ABC analysis
"Rank our customers by revenue in the past 12 months. Which 20% generate 80% of revenue?"
The classic ABC analysis, generated in seconds. Use it to prioritise sales efforts, allocate resources and identify at-risk accounts. For more prompt ideas, see our 10 AI prompts for Exact Online.
AI reports vs native Exact Online reports
| Feature | Exact Online Reports | AI Reports (via Ledger Botje) |
|---|---|---|
| Customisation | Limited predefined layouts | Unlimited — ask any question |
| Cross-entity analysis | Difficult, often requires export | Built-in — combine orders, invoices, stock |
| Speed | Minutes to hours | Seconds |
| Follow-up questions | Start over with new filters | Natural conversation — just ask |
| Sharing | PDF/Excel export | Copy-paste, or ask AI to format for email |
Get started with AI reporting
Stop building spreadsheets and start asking questions. Connect your Exact Online to an AI assistant in under five minutes. Choose the plan that fits your business on the pricing page and try it free for 30 days.
Looking for more automation beyond reporting? Read our complete guide to automating Exact Online with AI. Running a wholesale business? Discover 6 AI applications for wholesale.