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As of 26 January 2019, Xero will no longer be “supporting” (pun intended), the ability for their customers, yes both business and their accountants, to email in a support request. Instead Xero will now be utilising a portal that is housed within their Xero Central support platform.
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Welcome to 2019 and we trust that all our followers and readers had a superb break and if you’re back at work now, that you’re pumped for an exciting year ahead!
Before the break and in our previous blogs, we discussed the core applications and Reporting Applications of our App Stack which we think are vital to the operation of a cloud based accounting firm. This week we discuss the additional compliance applications that help you as the trusted advisor around corporate affairs and self managed superannuation funds. Last week we discussed the core applications of our App Stack which we think are vital to the operation of a cloud based accounting firm.
This week we discuss the compliance and reporting applications that help you as the trusted advisor, to produce both your compliance and business reporting advisory work. Last week we left you with a visual teaser of our currently preferred App Stack for an accounting firm, which we hope you found insightful.  Accountech.Live is the new and revamped ATSA with some fresh new ideas and the batten being passed from Smithink to National Media, who have done a terrific job with Australian Business Expo (ABE). Clarity Street focused on two tracks during the event, the round table discussion groups and the apps live track being the most relevant.
First impressions were that Accounttech.Live wasn’t as impressive as ABE. It didn’t seem to have as much foot traffic as its sister event, perhaps the venue was larger or accountants are getting a bit over all the tech conferences??? Our key takeaways from the event are: Wow, what a fantastic webinar we were part of yesterday with the wonderful Jack Kay of Practice Protect!
We took a deep dive into the secrets of a cloud integrator <insert shameless plug for Clarity Street!> and how they can assist accounting and bookkeeping firms transition to the cloud. Not only that, there were some fantastic tips presented by Jack, around the real security risks that are out there in this ever changing landscape of technology within business. He talked a lot about how to mitigate those risks with some simple tips around passwords and your downloads folder. I would say that easily 95% of the calls we receive at Clarity Street from prospective clients begin a little like this: “Hi, I’m having difficulties getting the answers I need out of the software we’ve implemented, I just can’t seem to get clarity on the reports and things just don’t seem to be working as well as they should”....
What’s interesting about this statement is that most of the time, the software element is only a small piece of the issue they are experiencing. Usually the software isn’t working because of the way it’s being used, which is related to the people and processes in your organisation. This either stems from how much research was carried out to begin with about the relevancy of the product or, how it was initially implemented and what training was carried out, that is leading to the software being a problem. You may have heard the new buzz saying “app advisory” and wondering what in the world this actually means for you as an accountant or bookkeeper?
App advisory in our opinion is advice, guidance, implementation, training and change management, of the correct line of business applications to help run an SME. It involves understanding what your client is actually trying to achieve (their pain point), which you should know already as their trusted advisor… and what line of business application/s will achieve that result for your client. If you take it to the implementation stage, it also involves change management, changes in processes and procedures, nurturing the team and business through change and most importantly, training on how the systems work, but also integrate into the daily workflow or operation of the business. Don’t think that just because you have used business advisory applications, that this means you are now a business advisor. Software on its own does not provide business advisory services to your client.
Xero has created an environment over the past 10+ years of whereby they preached that Accountants can be business advisors now. Software vendors have followed suit by developing software that creates advisory talking points based on a client’s financial position.  Some may say that I’m a Xero love child. Back when I was an senior accountant when Xero exploded into the Australian market, I fell in love with it’s ease and simplicity of the single ledger, and what that meant then and still now for small business accounting.
Now I don’t think that Xero has all the bells and whistles that some other platforms have, or that it suits every business, in fact, I’ve spent a bit of time affectionately bagging it at times, all in the name of future improvement...and that’s what I love about this software so much. Xero listens to the constructive feedback of the industry and continues to develop the platform, to make beautiful accounting software. They also like to keep the industry and it’s clients up to date in one of the biggest and brightest event’s of the year, that would be #Xerocon with just over 3700 delegates, 40+ speakers and some very wild pre and after parties! |
AuthorClarity Street was conceived from years of engaging with Accounting firms on a daily basis and a constant desire to make Accounting firms & SME’s more efficient and profitable. Archives
February 2021
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