MRBM Consultants

14/10/2026

Does everyone on your team need full access to your accounting system?

The right Sage user permissions help protect sensitive financial information, reduce accidental changes and keep staff working efficiently.

A few practical checks can make a difference:
• Match each person’s access to their responsibilities.
• Limit administrator access to those who need it.
• Give everyone their own login instead of sharing accounts.
• Remove access when staff leave or change roles.
• Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication where supported.

One weak or reused password can put your financial data at risk, so secure logins are just as important as well-managed permissions.

Read our latest blog for practical tips on improving Sage security without slowing down your team:
https://mrbm.co.za/sage-user-permissions-data-security/

07/10/2026

📋 EMP201, EMP501 and IRP5: Do you know how they fit together?

For South African employers, payroll compliance means keeping declarations, payments and employee tax certificates aligned.

Here’s a quick reminder:
• EMP201: Your monthly declaration of payroll tax liabilities.
• EMP501: The reconciliation that checks your declarations, SARS payments and employee tax certificate totals agree.
• IRP5: The employee tax certificate showing remuneration, relevant deductions and PAYE deducted.

To make reconciliation easier:
✅ Check payroll figures against your declarations each month.
✅ Keep employee details and income tax numbers complete.
✅ Correct errors promptly.
✅ Prepare early and confirm that submissions have been processed successfully.

Need help with Sage payroll or your payroll administration? Contact MRBM to discuss support for your business.

Read our practical guide:

Make sense of your payroll obligations with a practical guide to declarations, reconciliation and employee tax certificates.

17/09/2026

📊 Moving Beyond Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are useful, flexible and familiar...
But as a business grows, relying on them for important processes can start creating unnecessary risk.

When quotations, stock records, expenses, reporting and other business-critical information are managed in separate spreadsheets alongside your accounting system, you may start seeing:

🔹 Duplicate data capture: entering the same information into spreadsheets and Sage adds extra work and increases the chance of errors.

🔹 Formula and version-control errors: one incorrect formula or outdated file can affect calculations and decisions.

🔹 Limited visibility: it can be difficult to know who changed information, when it was changed, or whether everyone is working from the latest data.

🔹 More time spent reconciling: staff may spend hours checking that figures across different files and systems agree.

🔹 Important information sitting outside Sage: making it harder to get a clear, reliable view of the business from one central system.

The answer isn’t to stop using spreadsheets altogether. Excel remains an excellent tool for analysis, modelling and planning.

The key is recognising when a spreadsheet has moved beyond supporting your business and has started running a core business process.

👉 Read our latest article to discover the warning signs — and where moving more of your processes into Sage could help: https://mrbm.co.za/moving-beyond-spreadsheets/

Spreadsheets are useful... until they start running critical business processes. Discover the warning signs and where moving more into Sage could reduce risk and manual work.

03/09/2026

If your payroll administrator became unavailable tomorrow, would employees still be paid accurately and on time? ⏰

Payroll often depends on knowledge held by one person - from monthly inputs and approvals to payment files and statutory processes. Without documented procedures and authorised backup support, an unexpected absence can quickly disrupt the business.

Our latest article explains how to reduce payroll key-person risk and build a more resilient process: https://mrbm.co.za/payroll-administrator-unavailable/

27/08/2026

Strong sales do not always mean strong cash flow, especially when too much revenue is tied up in unpaid invoices.

Discover how clearer credit terms, faster invoicing, regular debtor reviews and a structured collection process can help your business reduce debtor days and get paid sooner.

Read our practical guide to better debtor management using Sage Accounting:

Improve cash flow by using Sage to invoice sooner, monitor aged balances and manage customer follow-ups more consistently.

23/07/2026

Choosing the right accounting software can have a big impact on your business efficiency and future growth.

In this article, we compare Sage accounting features across Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Sage 50cloud Pastel Partner, Sage 200 Evolution, and Sage 300cloud to help you identify the solution that best fits your business needs:

Not all businesses need the same accounting software. Compare Sage accounting features to find the right solution for your business today and as you grow.

02/07/2026

Successful Sage projects start long before implementation begins ✅

Whether you're planning an upgrade, adding new functionality, integrating third-party systems, or migrating to a new solution, clearly defining your requirements upfront can help you avoid delays, unexpected costs, and scope creep.

A well-scoped project should consider:
➡️ Business objectives and process requirements
➡️ Integration and reporting needs
➡️ User roles and responsibilities
➡️ Data cleansing and migration requirements
➡️ Testing and training plans

Read the full article to learn more, or contact our team to discuss your upcoming project: https://mrbm.co.za/scope-sage-accounting-project/

At MRBM, we help businesses plan and scope Sage projects effectively, ensuring implementations and migrations are set up for success from day one.

Discover the key steps to successfully scope your Sage accounting software project and avoid costly delays, scope creep, and data migration issues.

23/06/2026

Where your software runs can have a major impact on security, performance, scalability and long-term costs.

Whether you're using on-premise systems, considering hosted environments, adopting SaaS applications or managing a hybrid setup, making the wrong choice can create unnecessary complexity and limit future growth.

Our online guide explores the key considerations, including why API-based integrations are often the preferred approach for modern business systems.

See our guide here:

Understand the differences between on-premise, hosted, hybrid and SaaS environments, and how API vs direct database integrations impact your systems.

08/06/2026

With February year-ends now behind us, audit season is fast approaching for many businesses.

Now is the time to make sure your financials are in order: from fixed asset registers and VAT reconciliations to debtor/creditor balances and income statement reviews.

A well-prepared file doesn’t just make life easier for auditors, it helps reduce delays, avoid unnecessary queries, and keeps the year-end process running smoothly.

Read more in our latest blog on preparing for AFS 👉

With audit season approaching, now is the time to ensure your financial records are fully reconciled and ready for review. This guide highlights the key checks businesses should complete before auditors begin their fieldwork.

03/06/2026

Many businesses use Sage every day, but few take full advantage of the features designed to save time and improve efficiency.

Did you know that pressing F1 can often provide the answer you're looking for without needing to log a support call? Or that customising layouts, setting up reusable reports, and using batch processing can significantly reduce repetitive work?

In our latest article, we explore 5 practical Sage tips that can help you:
✔ Work more efficiently
✔ Reduce manual tasks
✔ Improve reporting processes
✔ Get more value from your Sage investment

Whether you're working in Sage Accounting or Sage Payroll, these simple changes could make a noticeable difference to your day-to-day operations.

Read the full article here: https://mrbm.co.za/sage-productivity-tips/

Are you getting the most from your Sage software? Discover five simple tips that can help improve efficiency, reduce manual work, and save valuable time in your daily accounting and payroll processes.