IRIS launches AI document management for accountants

IRIS Software Group has launched IRIS Document Management for accountancy practices and professional services firms in the UK and the US.

The cloud-based system is designed to store, file, find and share client documents in one platform. It uses artificial intelligence to search documents in plain language, read scanned files with optical character recognition, and tag documents automatically using a firm's own tag library.

The new product is aimed at firms still handling document work across separate storage tools, client portals and practice management systems. IRIS says that setup can create extra administration, multiple vendor relationships and compliance gaps.

Integrated workflow

IRIS Document Management works with the wider IRIS accountancy software portfolio, including IRIS Firm Management. Existing users of IRIS Firm Management can add it as a module on the same platform rather than adopt a separate connected service.

Through IRIS Firm Management, the system also connects with third-party platforms including Microsoft Business Central and Apxium. Features include automated filing rules, bulk actions for document handling, version control and browser-based editing of Microsoft Office files.

A branded client portal is included for two-way document exchange. Through the portal, clients can send and receive files and view the status of submitted documents.

The launch comes as accounting firms face pressure to improve efficiency, with more routine work completed faster through software and automation. At the same time, document handling remains manual in many practices, from chasing files by email to sorting and filing them by hand.

Jonathan Priestley outlined the commercial case for the launch.

"Efficiency now drives profitability in accountancy. Work that once took ten billable hours can take thirty minutes, so firms can't grow by billing more time. But time still matters. It's how firms plan their resources, and in the end, time is profit. IRIS Document Management uses AI to read, sort and file client documents as they arrive, and keeps them in one place alongside the client record. That gives firms time back to spend on client service and growth," said Jonathan Priestley, General Manager, Global Accountancy Solutions and Transformation, IRIS.

Security focus

IRIS says client data remains within each firm's own tenant and stays in the region where it is held. It adds that no client data is used to train AI models.

Firms can apply their own retention rules to decide when documents are deleted. Legal holds and audit trails are included as standard to support document retention processes.

Security features listed by IRIS include Okta single sign-on, two-factor authentication, role-based access controls and conditional access. The company presents those controls as part of a wider effort to address concerns about handling sensitive financial and client records in AI-based document systems.

Document burden

The product enters a market where many firms still rely on older portals, legacy software and spreadsheets to monitor records and retention. IRIS says increased client reporting requirements have added to the time spent reviewing documents and searching through email chains and files.

Its search function covers PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, while scanned documents can also be searched through OCR. The system can also auto-tag documents from a firm's own tag library to support classification across large volumes of files.

Priestley said the company sees document processing as one stage in a broader use of AI in accountancy workflows.

"The AI in IRIS Document Management takes on the manual work around documents: finding them, reading them and tagging them. The next step is AI that helps firms act on what's inside those documents, and helps their clients see what's needed from them and when. We'll keep building AI into the everyday workflow, so every hour saved is an hour accountants can spend growing their firms and delivering the advisory work their clients value most," he said.