The problem
Wholesaler invoices, packaging bills and fuel receipts pile up in the van and get keyed in weeks later. If a florist has 50 documents a month and each takes 4 minutes to key in and code, that's 200 minutes, 3.3 hours a month, and stem costs stay a guess until it's done.
What the AI does
Dext is bookkeeping software. Its site says you can send receipts and invoices by mobile, email, WhatsApp or desktop, it reads the supplier, line items and due date, categorises them by rules you set, and publishes them to your accounting software, with you reviewing and approving. Its FAQ names Xero as one integration. Photograph a wholesaler invoice at the market, forward supplier emails, check what Dext read, and approve into Xero. Line item extraction is a paid option and isn't needed to start.
A worked example
A florist in Cheltenham with a shop and one assistant has about 50 documents a month: 15 wholesaler invoices and 35 receipts for packaging, ribbon and fuel. She already pays for Xero Grow (£39 a month) and photographs each document the day she gets it.
Before
4 minutes per document to key in and code: 50 x 4 = 200 minutes, 3.3 hours a month
After
About 1.5 minutes per document to check and approve: 50 x 1.5 = 75 minutes, 1.3 hours a month
What it's worth
About 2.1 hours a month saved (125 minutes), worth around £52 if your time is worth £25 an hour. Without Xero Grow, the two together cost more than this saves. Dext's default of 250 documents and 5 users is £24.17 a month excluding VAT, billed annually at £290; monthly billing isn't shown on the page; estimated at roughly £30. A smaller allowance may be cheaper if the slider offers one. Xero Grow at £39 is assumed already paid; Ignite allows only 10 bills.
How to set it up
- Check with your accountant or bookkeeper that you'll send documents to Dext and that they use your Xero file.
- Start a Dext free trial and connect it to Xero.
- Set rules for your regular suppliers, such as the wholesaler and packaging firm, so they land in the right cost category.
- Photograph invoices the day you get them and forward supplier emails to your Dext address.
- Each week, check what Dext read against the paper and approve into Xero.
What goes wrong
- Xero says smart document capture is included on all plans (xero.com/uk/accounting-software/store-files). Try that first on your trial and pay for Dext only if it saves real time.
- Dext can misread amounts or dates. Check each figure before you approve.
- Dext is priced by documents and users; past 250 documents a month you need a higher band, so count yours.
- Ask your accountant how to code flowers and other items for VAT rather than trusting the automatic category.