Example · fictional company · Accountancy firm · Netherlands · 26 staff
De Boer & Visser Accountants
Bringing AI into bookkeeping and client reporting while a third of the bookkeepers near retirement, and payroll depends on one person.
The company and its numbers are made up, to show what goes in and what comes out. Dates are set as if it were filled in this quarter.
What they entered
Everything the form asked, step by step. About ten minutes of answers, with no names of staff.
Step 1: Your company
Netherlands · 26 staff · Accounting and bookkeeping
Step 2: Your plan
- Start using AI in our work: AI for bookkeeping and client reports · working by Q3 2027
- Replace people who will retire or leave
Step 3: Your teams
Team Closest occupation People 55 or older Know-how held by one person Hard to find Needed in 1 / 3 years Bookkeepers Accounting and bookkeeping clerks (4311) 12 4 No No same / same Accountants Accountants (2411) 7 2 No Yes same / same Payroll Payroll clerks (4313) 2 not asked Yes Don't know same / same Office and reception Receptionists (general) (4226) 5 1 No Don't know same / same Step 4: What the plan needs from each team
Team AI for bookkeeping and client reports Replace people who will retire or leave Bookkeepers Can't happen without Needed Accountants Needed Needed Payroll — Needed Office and reception Helps — Step 5–6: New skills, and who can already do them
Skill For Team People Needed by Can already Partly Using AI tools safely at work AI for bookkeeping and client reports Bookkeepers 12 Q2 2027 2 6 Checking and correcting AI output AI for bookkeeping and client reports Accountants 7 Q3 2027 1 4 Step 7: Stress test and assumptions
Two experienced people in your most critical team leave next year. All assumptions left at their defaults.
What they got
Example · De Boer & Visser Accountants · Netherlands · 26 staff · calculated Q4 2026
Your plan needs 4 actions to start this quarter.
- Start using AI in our work: AI for bookkeeping and client reports · Q3 2027
- Replace people who will retire or leave
How sure: 2 sure, 6 fairly sure, 4 unsure. Each action says which of its numbers are assumptions you can change.
What must start when
Everything that has to start within the next twelve months.
Show the roadmap as a table
| Action | Needed | Takes | Start by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan hand-overs before retirements in Bookkeepers | now | 2 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Hire 1 for Accountants | Q4 2027 | 4 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Pass on the know-how only one person in Payroll has | now | 2 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Using AI tools safely at work: train 4 new to it | Q2 2027 | 2 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Hire 1 for Bookkeepers | Q4 2027 | 3 quarters | Q1 2027 | start by Q1 2027 |
| Using AI tools safely at work: train 6 who can partly do it | Q2 2027 | 1 quarter | Q1 2027 | start by Q1 2027 |
| Checking and correcting AI output: train 2 new to it | Q3 2027 | 2 quarters | Q1 2027 | start by Q1 2027 |
| Checking and correcting AI output: train 4 who can partly do it | Q3 2027 | 1 quarter | Q2 2027 | start by Q2 2027 |
Each action, and how we worked it out
- start this quarter
Plan hand-overs before retirements in Bookkeepers
Bookkeepers · Pass on know-how · fairly sure
Needed as soon as possible: start now, 2 quarters of overlap
How we worked this out
- Aged 55 or older
- 4 of 12
- Your answer
- Overlap needed to pass on know-how
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: SLIM mkb, can also fund learning and development activities in SMEs, in the same application windows. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Hire 1 for Accountants
Accountants · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2027 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2026
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 7
- Your answer
- Needed in a year
- 7 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 0.6 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.2 (2 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Assumption
- Expected in a year
- 6.3 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: UWV employer services and EURES, public employment service help with recruiting, including from other EU countries. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Pass on the know-how only one person in Payroll has
Payroll · Pass on know-how · fairly sure
Needed as soon as possible: start now, 2 quarters of overlap
How we worked this out
- Know-how held by one person
- yes
- Your answer
- Overlap needed to pass on know-how
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: SLIM mkb, can also fund learning and development activities in SMEs, in the same application windows. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Using AI tools safely at work: train 4 new to it
Bookkeepers · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q2 2027 − 2 quarters to train = start Q4 2026
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 12
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 2
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 6
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q2 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone new to it
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: SLIM mkb, can also fund learning and development activities in SMEs, in the same application windows. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2027
Hire 1 for Bookkeepers
Bookkeepers · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2027 − 3 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q1 2027
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 12
- Your answer
- Needed in a year
- 12 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 1.0 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.3 (4 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Assumption
- Expected in a year
- 10.7 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: UWV employer services and EURES, public employment service help with recruiting, including from other EU countries. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2027
Using AI tools safely at work: train 6 who can partly do it
Bookkeepers · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q2 2027 − 1 quarter to train = start Q1 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 12
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 2
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 6
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q2 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone who can partly do it
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: SLIM mkb, can also fund learning and development activities in SMEs, in the same application windows. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2027
Checking and correcting AI output: train 2 new to it
Accountants · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q3 2027 − 2 quarters to train = start Q1 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 7
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 1
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 4
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q3 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone new to it
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: SLIM mkb, can also fund learning and development activities in SMEs, in the same application windows. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q2 2027
Checking and correcting AI output: train 4 who can partly do it
Accountants · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q3 2027 − 1 quarter to train = start Q2 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 7
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 1
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 4
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q3 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone who can partly do it
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: SLIM mkb, can also fund learning and development activities in SMEs, in the same application windows. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
Later: 2 actions starting in a year or more
- start by Q4 2028
Hire 1 more for Accountants by year three
Accountants · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2029 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2028
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 7
- Your answer
- Needed in three years
- 7 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 0.6 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.2 (2 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Assumption
- Expected in three years
- 4.8 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: UWV employer services and EURES, public employment service help with recruiting, including from other EU countries. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2029
Hire 3 more for Bookkeepers by year three
Bookkeepers · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2029 − 3 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q1 2029
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 12
- Your answer
- Needed in three years
- 12 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 1.0 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.3 (4 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Assumption
- Expected in three years
- 8.1 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: UWV employer services and EURES, public employment service help with recruiting, including from other EU countries. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
Already in place
- Using AI tools safely at work: 2 people in Bookkeepers can already do this. Use them first.
- Checking and correcting AI output: 1 person in Accountants can already do this. Use them first.
Stress test: two experienced people in your most critical team leave next year
- Hire 3 for Bookkeepers (1 before the stress test).
Your teams
Bookkeepers
CriticalISCO-08 4311 · Accounting and bookkeeping clerks
- Your plan can't happen without this team (AI for bookkeeping and client reports).
- 4 of 12 are 55 or older.
Where new equipment or AI frees up time in this team, use it first to hire fewer people later, then to retrain. This roadmap never suggests cutting jobs.
Accountants
CriticalISCO-08 2411 · Accountants
- Your plan needed this team (AI for bookkeeping and client reports, replacing leavers).
- 2 of 7 are 55 or older.
- You said people for this team are hard to find.
Where new equipment or AI frees up time in this team, use it first to hire fewer people later, then to retrain. This roadmap never suggests cutting jobs.
Payroll
CriticalISCO-08 4313 · Payroll clerks
- Your plan needed this team (replacing leavers).
- Only one person knows how to do something critical here.
Considered, no actions: Office and reception (supporting).
Assumptions used
| Assumption | Value | Where from |
|---|---|---|
| People leaving each year, other than retirementAssumption, not data. Use your own figure if you know it. | 8 | Assumption |
| Usual retirement ageState pension age 67, linked to life expectancy. | 67 | Assumption |
| Time to train someone who can partly do itAssumption. Time until they can do the work to the standard needed, not course length. | 2 | Assumption |
| Time to train someone new to itAssumption. Time until they can do the work to the standard needed. | 3 | Assumption |
| Time to hireAssumption. From deciding to hire to the person starting. | 2 | Assumption |
| Time for a new hire to become productiveAssumption. | 1 | Assumption |
| Extra hiring time where people are hard to findAssumption, applied where you said a team is hard to hire for. | 1 | Assumption |
| Overlap needed to pass on know-howAssumption. | 2 | Assumption |
Who could help you plan this
- SLIM mkb. 60% of the costs of analysing training needs or setting up a way of learning and developing, often with an advisor, up to €24,999. Two short application windows a year (in 2026: April–May and August–September). Details
From our research, September 2026. Schemes change: confirm with the scheme before you rely on it.