Bexio (here’s a 40% discount for new customers) is the leading business software in Switzerland that is specially tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With an impressive customer base of more than 70,000 companies, Bexio offers a comprehensive range of services. These include accounting, invoicing, inventory management and customer relationship management (CRM).
Bexio is very popular among SMEs and start-ups, and for good reason: the software is characterised by a user-friendly interface that is easy to use even for beginners. In addition, Bexio automates many processes, from invoicing to VAT accounting, that would otherwise be manual and time-consuming. The ability to easily integrate with other tools and applications ensures a seamless user experience.
The blind spot in reporting – a decisive disadvantage for growing companies
Despite the many advantages that Bexio offers, there is one significant gap in its services: the limited options in the area of reporting. For many SMEs that are experiencing rapid growth or have more complex business models, this limitation quickly becomes a decisive disadvantage. In particular, a company’s specific needs can fail to be addressed due to the lack of adaptability of standardized reports.
This inability to create customised reports limits the possibilities for detailed business analysis, which is essential for strategic decision-making. This can act as a brake on growth as companies struggle to effectively measure and manage their performance. For companies that have reached a certain size or complexity, this lack of flexibility can even be a reason for not considering Bexio for continued use within the company.
What types of reporting are relevant?
In this section, we look at different types of reports that can be crucial for SMEs.
Cash flow statement
The cash flow statement is a financial report that shows all of a company’s cash flows over a certain period of time. It shows where the money comes from (income) and where it goes to (expenditure). This report is divided into three main categories: Operating, Investing and Financing activities.
Why is the cash flow statement so important?
Liquidity management: The cash flow statement provides information about a company’s liquidity, which is crucial for survival and growth.
Strategic planning: This helps entrepreneurs make informed decisions by showing which business areas are generating cash and which are not.
Financing: A detailed cash flow report can be crucial when raising capital or applying for loans.
Special circumstances in Switzerland
Although the cash flow statement should be an integral part of every annual balance sheet, there is no legal obligation to do so in Switzerland. As a result, many SMEs do not have a clear insight into their cash flow. This can be risky, as a lack of transparency in this area can lead to financial bottlenecks and even the failure of the company.
Important demarcation
It is important to understand that the cash flow statement is not the same as the income statement (profit and loss statement). While the income statement shows the profit or loss of a company, the cash flow statement focuses on the actual cash flow. This distinction is crucial because a company can be profitable but still have liquidity problems.
Cost centre
A cost centre is a company division that incurs costs but does not directly contribute to sales. Examples of cost centres are the IT department, human resources or administration.
Why are cost centres important?
Cost control: By identifying cost centres, companies can better understand where their expenses are incurred and control them more efficiently.
Budgeting: Cost centres facilitate budget planning and monitoring as they make it possible to allocate costs to individual departments.
Example
A growing software company may find that IT costs are increasing. By setting up the IT department as a cost centre, the company can analyze costs in detail and optimise them if necessary.
Profit centre
A profit centre is a company division that both generates sales and incurs costs. Examples include sales departments or product lines.
Why are profit centres important?
Profitability analysis: Profit centres make it possible to evaluate the profitability of individual business areas.
Strategic decisions: The analysis of profit centres can be helpful in making decisions for investments, expansion or product development.
Example
A retail company with several branches could consider each branch as a separate profit centre. This allows a detailed analysis of the profitability of each shop, which in turn can help with decisions such as location expansion or marketing initiatives.
Adapted balance sheet
The adapted balance sheet is a modified form of the standard balance sheet that is specially adapted to the needs and requirements of a company. It can contain additional items that do not appear in a conventional balance sheet, or certain items can be categorised differently.
Why is the adapted balance sheet important?
Specific requirements: Every company is unique, and an adapted balance sheet makes it possible to highlight specific financial information that is important to the company.
Investor Relations: An adapted balance sheet can give potential investors a clearer picture of the company’s financial strengths.
Example
A company in the renewable energy sector could include specific items for research & development or for long-term contracts with energy customers in its adapted balance sheet. In the standard balance sheet in Bexio, these strategically important items may have too little visibility.
Simplified income statement
The income statement, also known as the profit and loss account, is available in Bexio, but it is often more extensive than necessary for day-to-day use. It shows the financial performance of a company over a certain period of time and lists all income and expenditure.
Why is an adjusted income statement important?
Focussing on key figures: Many companies do not want to constantly go through their entire income statement. They want to focus on their five most important metrics to make quick and informed decisions.
Efficiency: Customised reports allow you to immediately see the information that is most important to your business without being distracted by a flood of data.
Example
An online shop could use a customised income statement that focuses only on key metrics such as sales, cost of goods sold, marketing costs, return costs and net profit. This allows management to focus on the essentials and make quick but well-informed decisions.
How does Tresio complement Bexio in the area of reporting?
Tresio is the ideal complement to Bexio. To better understand the advantages of Tresio in the area of reporting, a direct comparison with Bexio is helpful. We have compared some key features in the following table:

What does this mean for your company?
More control: Tresio allows you to customise reports according to your specific needs.
Deeper insights: Tresio allows you to analyse your finances in more detail, going beyond the standard Bexio reports.
Scalability: While Bexio may be sufficient for smaller businesses, Tresio offers advanced features that scale as your business grows.
Specific use cases
Case study 1: Profit centre view for an e-commerce company.
The company, let’s call it SwissTechShop, sells electronic products online. It has several product categories and wants to evaluate the profitability of each category individually in order to make informed marketing and inventory decisions.
By setting up profit centres for each product category, SwissTechShop can analyse the sales, costs and margins for each category individually.
This is how it is put into practice:
- Customisation of the chart of accounts in Bexio: SwissTechShop extends the standard chart of accounts in Bexio with special accounts for each product category.
- Daily accounting: When posting income and expenses, the new accounts are specifically assigned to enable detailed analyses.
- Setup in Tresio: After customisation in Bexio, Tresio is configured to pull the data from the new accounts and convert them into profit centres.
- Analysis and decision making: With the new profit centres, SwissTechShop can make targeted marketing campaigns and more efficient inventory decisions.
Result:
Targeted marketing campaigns: For example, the company realises that the “Smart Home” category has a higher margin and therefore focuses more marketing resources on it from now on.
More efficient inventory: The “laptops” category has lower margins and higher storage costs. Using the profit centre view, the company can use these findings to make its stock more efficient.
Case study 2: Profit and cost centre view for a medtech contract manufacturer.
Our example company, MedTechSolutions, is a contract manufacturer in the medtech sector that produces various plastic medical devices for major brands. The main difficulty is to track and manage the profitability and costs of each order.
By setting up profit centres for each brand and cost centres for different production areas, MedTechSolutions can analyse the profitability and cost structure of each order in detail.
In this way, the problem is tackled head-on:
- Adaptation of the chart of accounts in Bexio: MedTechSolutions is expanding the chart of accounts to include special accounts for different brands (profit centres) and production areas (cost centres). This corresponds to the standard chart of accounts for Swiss SMEs, but with additional sub-accounts for specific needs.
- Daily bookkeeping: The bookings are allocated to the new profit and cost centres. This required a small amount of training for the accounting team to ensure that the allocations were correct.
- Setup in Tresio: Once the accounts are customised in Bexio, Tresio is configured to use this specific data for reporting.
- Analysis and decision making: With the new profit and cost centres, MedTechSolutions can optimise its pricing strategy and identify inefficient areas of production.
Result:
Optimised pricing: The company identifies which brands offer higher margins and can adjust its pricing strategy accordingly.
Resource allocation: By analysing the cost centres, the company identifies inefficient production areas and can reallocate resources.
Negotiating power: With detailed profit and cost centre reports, MedTechSolutions can better argue its case in negotiations with brands and suppliers.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Do I have to completely change my chart of accounts in Bexio in order to use Tresio?
No, a complete change to the chart of accounts is not necessary. You can add special accounts or modify existing accounts to make the most of Tresio’s reporting functions.
How long does it take until I can see the first customised reports in Tresio?
Once your chart of accounts is customised in Bexio and the data is imported into Tresio, you can start creating customised reports almost immediately.
Can I set up multiple profit and cost centres?
Yes, Tresio offers the flexibility to set up multiple profit and cost centres so that you can analyse the profitability and costs of different business areas in detail.
How secure is my data when using Tresio?
Data security is a top priority for us. Tresio uses state-of-the-art encryption technologies to ensure that your data is safe and secure. We are officially “Swiss hosted” certified.
Is there a way to test Tresio before buying?
Yes, we offer a free trial so you can experience the features and benefits of Tresio for yourself before deciding to subscribe.
Can I integrate Tresio with other tools and software I already use?
Yes, Tresio offers live interfaces to a range of tools that SMEs frequently use. This enables seamless integration and facilitates data analysis.
Is there training or support available to help me set up and use Tresio?
Yes, we offer a range of resources, including online tutorials and customer support, to help you get started and ensure you get the most out of Tresio. And of course our popular Onboartding service.
Your next step towards maximum financial control with Tresio and Bexio
The ability to create customised reports is essential for modern companies. While Bexio provides a solid foundation for accounting, Tresio goes one step further. With Tresio, you can not only use standard reports, but also create specialised reports such as cash flow statements, profit and cost centre analyses as well as adapted balance sheets and income statements.
Customising your chart of accounts in Bexio and integrating it with Tresio is straightforward. Within a very short time, you will gain deeper insights into your finances that go far beyond the possibilities of Bexio.
If you’re ready to take your financial reporting to the next level, don’t wait any longer. Take advantage of our free trial and experience for yourself how Tresio can transform your business. Start your free trial now. Our team will be happy to advise you.
