The Future of WorkflowMax

More than a decade ago, Xero acquired WorkflowMax (WFM) to expand its practice tool offering and help accountants and bookkeepers run their practice seamlessly in the cloud. The launch of Xero Practice Manager (XPM) further realised Xero's early vision for WFM, eventually resulting in two independent products that required individual investments and focus.

However, Xero's current focus is on its XPM strategy, and it has become evident that WFM needs significant investment to meet the evolving expectations of customers. As a result, Xero has made the difficult decision to retire WFM on June 26, 2024. New WFM trials can no longer be initiated, and the product will no longer be available beyond the retirement date. Despite wanting to invest in WFM and offer new features, Xero has decided to prioritise its efforts as a business to meet customer needs.

To provide a solution for its customers, Xero has partnered with BlueRock, a tech-led business advisory firm, to offer a product with similar functionality to WFM. BlueRock plans to launch WorkflowMax by BlueRock in early 2024 as an alternate job management solution. As a long-time WFM partner, BlueRock will take over the WorkflowMax name, and existing customers will have the option to choose the solution that best fits their needs. BlueRock will develop a conversion tool to help existing subscribers transition to WorkflowMax by BlueRock, and Xero will have an ongoing revenue share arrangement with BlueRock in connection with the product.

It's bittersweet that the first cloud-based app for the accounting industry is being retired. As pioneers in the field, we remember fondly the challenges we faced and the invaluable lessons we learned from this ground-breaking app. It's where we all got our start, and we have a lot of nostalgia for it. This app paved the way for the entire industry to move forward into a new era of digitisation and automation, and we'll always remember the role it played in getting us to where we are today.

However, it's important to note that this retirement won't affect XPM on the accounting side. XPM has continued to lead the industry with innovative solutions, and there's no need for accountants to panic. As we look to the future, we are proud to have been a part of this historic moment, and we are excited to see what lies ahead for the industry and the future development of the Xero Practice Manager product.

For any accounting firms or WFM partners who have clients that need to migrate and require assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us. We can connect you with our app partners who can help with the transition process.

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