Accounting & taxation, Blog, HR & Payroll: 05.09.25Accounting & HR: Succeeding in the Restart to Master the Final Stretch

September is much more than just a return to routine. For companies, it’s the tipping point toward the final stretch of the year. The moment to take stock, realign priorities, and ensure the reliability of both financial and HR data.

Too often, businesses endure year-end rather than manage it: overload, stress, unexpected issues, errors, or delays. At Synergix, we believe September is the opposite — an opportunity. The opportunity to structure, steer, and anticipate, so the restart becomes a lever for performance.

In this article, we share our vision of effective year-end management in accounting and HR, along with concrete actions you can implement now to gain peace of mind later.

Starting September without a clear view of your financial situation is a bit like hitting the road without fuel or a GPS. You might move forward… but for how long, and in which direction?

At the start of September, companies often face a series of overlapping deadlines: closing summer cycles, relaunching projects, budget adjustments, internal communications, managing absences and returns from vacation, etc. Not necessarily peaks in social charges or massive investments, but rather a succession of financial flows which, if poorly managed, can weaken both cash flow and managerial responsiveness.

Here are 3 key reflexes to adopt:

1. Update your cash flow forecasts

Forecasts set before the summer may already be outdated. But with accrual accounting — as used at Synergix — you have a faithful snapshot of expenses and revenues recorded, whether paid or not. This makes it possible to compare forecast and actual figures without waiting for bank flows.

The real issue? Managing open items, particularly customer receivables. A business can run at full speed… but if too much money remains “outside,” the consequences can be severe: inability to pay salaries, suppliers, or fixed charges. Regular analysis of customer balances is therefore vital, especially in the restart period.

2. Rely on the income statement to spot pressure points

Not all flows are linear. By reviewing the income statement updated in real time via IODD, you can quickly identify sensitive periods: salaries, 13th-month payments, tax prepayments, etc. This clear view, based on booked accounting entries rather than just bank transactions, allows you to anticipate future cash flow pressures.

You can then make informed decisions: prioritize certain payments, postpone an expense, or adjust your budget. Actively managing these critical points can significantly strengthen your room for maneuver heading into year-end.

3. Work hand-in-hand with your fiduciary

You’re not alone in this equation. Synergix supports you in building a budget forecast that accounts for upcoming flows, recurring expenses, planned investments, and potential risks. Thanks to our collaborative tools like IODD, you gain clear, structured, and updated insights into your data — essential for making well-informed decisions.

Many companies only look into their financial situation in December. Yet by then, the room for maneuver is often limited.

The balance sheet is a snapshot of your company at a given moment — usually at year-end — showing what you own (assets) and what you owe (liabilities and equity). The income statement reflects the company’s activity over the year, comparing revenues with expenses to determine whether the business is generating a profit or incurring a loss.

Preparing for closing as early as autumn allows you to validate, adjust, or correct certain accounting entries, identify possible inconsistencies, and above all, make the right decisions in time. With Synergix by your side, you gain visibility, discipline, and peace of mind to finalize your fiscal year.

1. Wrap up the summer period

Summer months are often synonymous with delays or oversights: unrecorded invoices, expense reports left aside, missing receipts… Now is the time to catch up. Conduct a full review of July–August sales and purchasing cycles, close open entries, and follow up on missing documents. It’s essential to provide your fiduciary with all outstanding elements accumulated during the summer.

2. Start preparing next year’s budget now

September is the right time to begin building the budget for your next fiscal year. By leveraging up-to-date data — interim results, committed expenses, open customer and supplier items, HR forecasts — you lay the foundation for a structured, realistic, and above all useful budget to guide your decisions.

At Synergix, we support you in this process by combining accounting, HR, and operational perspectives. Whether you’re planning new investments, recruitments, or simply seeking better cash flow visibility, we help you build a tailored budget that evolves with you. By anticipating now, you gain clarity and agility — and avoid last-minute trade-offs at year-end.

A fiduciary as a strategic partner

Your fiduciary is a true strategic partner, provided it is involved early enough. The clearer, more up-to-date, and structured the data you share, the more your fiduciary can focus on what matters most: advising you, optimizing your decisions, and anticipating potential risks.

Even if you’re already in regular contact with your Synergix team, autumn is when certain discussions take on a strategic dimension. It’s the ideal moment to review your upcoming projects — hiring, investments, reorganizations — and ask the right questions. Together, we can transform this phase into a genuine decision-making lever, helping you approach both year-end and the new fiscal year with clarity and confidence.

The last quarter brings together many HR challenges: 13th salary, leave, performance reviews, role adjustments, salary preparations…

1. Preparing year-end payroll… and next year’s payroll

December payroll is often the most complex: bonuses, adjustments, unused vacation balances, overtime, new tax rules… To avoid errors or delays, it’s essential to identify as early as September all known or foreseeable variable elements through year-end.

Discuss internally about potential bonuses, long absences, departures, or upcoming hires. On our side, Synergix provides you in advance with key deadlines for submitting the documents needed to process payroll smoothly.

Regarding December salary payments, you naturally remain in control of the execution date, depending on your preferences or internal constraints. By working in coordination, we ensure together a smooth, secure, and compliant process.

This is also the right time to prepare your projected payroll for the coming year. By identifying staff changes, contractual adjustments, or planned salary increases, you make it easier to build a consistent and realistic HR budget.

2. Updating personnel files

A quick audit of your HR files can save you from many complications: missing documents, unsigned amendments, expired authorizations, or work permits not renewed. It’s also an opportunity to check personal details, banking information, or pension beneficiaries, ensuring reliable data in the event of an incident or urgent declaration.

Don’t forget to update documents related to withholding tax scales for affected employees. The form must be signed by the employee, in line with tax requirements. This point is often overlooked, yet it is crucial for ensuring full compliance with the authorities.

It’s also the right moment to review your social insurance contracts (pension fund, loss of earnings, accident insurance, etc.) and make sure they still fit the size, profile, and actual needs of your company. If you wish, Synergix can connect you with an insurance broker to explore potentially more advantageous solutions.

Keep in mind: termination and renewal deadlines must absolutely be respected — which is why anticipating these steps in autumn is essential to keep all your options open.

There’s no effective steering without data. And there’s no useful data without structure.

1. Centralize management data

In many companies, information is still scattered: an Excel file here, an email there, an HR tool on the side… The result: wasted time, risk of errors, and lack of an overall view. Centralizing means creating a single foundation for analysis and decision-making.

With IODD, you have a collaborative space to gather your key indicators. Data is structured, automatically updated, and accessible to all relevant stakeholders. This gives you a clear, actionable, and shared dashboard that supports your year-end strategic decisions.

2. Use dynamic dashboards

Static spreadsheets are a thing of the past. At Synergix, we design customized dashboards with Qlik Sense, our Business Intelligence platform. These dynamic dashboards let you visualize your data in real time, combine multiple dimensions (projects, clients, cost centers, geographic areas…), and explore KPIs on the fly through a fluid, interactive interface.

Each client benefits from a tailor-made solution, aligned with their objectives and management rituals — whether SME, NGO, or international group. In just a few clicks, you can answer complex questions: How is performance tracking? Which projects are over budget? Which cost items weigh on margins? And above all, what adjustments should be made?

Use Case: NGOs & Decentralized Management
An NGO operating across several West African countries uses a Qlik Sense dashboard to monitor budgets in real time by mission, donor, and activity. Thanks to dynamic filters and consolidated data, it can anticipate variances, generate reports compliant with each donor’s requirements, and make quick decisions in case of field emergencies. The result: greater responsiveness, increased transparency, and stronger alignment between headquarters and field teams.

3. Involve all stakeholders

Steering should never rest on one person alone. Organize a back-to-business meeting with your key stakeholders: management, accounting, HR, operations — and your fiduciary. Together, identify the 3 to 5 indicators that really matter for year-end: cash flow, margins, headcount, billing, critical expenses…

It’s also the right moment to clarify roles, assign responsibilities, and ensure that everyone uses the right tools to track the agreed priorities. A well-structured internal governance, supported by Synergix, is the foundation of smooth and responsive steering all the way through to year-end closing.

Entering the last quarter on autopilot is risky. Taking advantage of September to set a clear course, however, gives you the means to finish the year with control, peace of mind, and performance.

And above all, you’re not alone. At Synergix, we’ve already helped dozens of clients turn this period into a true performance lever.

Need a status check? Your Synergix team is here for a catch-up call, a review of your accounting, or a year-end HR check-up. Schedule it now — we’ll take care of the rest.