Maximising your move to a cloud accounting solution

The benefits of moving to a cloud accounting solution are well documented.

If you are ready to realise the benefits of cloud accounting to help you run and grow your business, our Digital Delivery Team are on hand to advise, support, guide and train.

Colin Whitehead, Partner at Azets, shares the benefits of engaging with a team who specialise in optimising your current platform, your processes, next steps and benefits of moving to the cloud.

Systems review and recommendations

A systems review documenting your key processes, interaction between workflows and requirements for improvement with clear and concise recommendations is a valuable project to undertake if you are truly looking to get the most benefit from your systems.

Trying to fit old processes into new ways of working can be a recipe for disaster and lead to inefficiencies as opposed to benefits. A systems review allows you to consider the scalability and future proofing of your systems.

Migration and implementation

Moving systems can be daunting. As such, many businesses put off a move and make do with inefficiency or pain points. Using a migration and implementation team will not only help you understand which system you are using is right for you, but they will also set up and design based on your specific circumstances for you to get the most from it.

A specialist migration and implementation team will work closely with your business to understand your business needs and requirements with the aim of making any move seamless. In-depth training and proactive support are important parts of this journey.

A cloud accounting system migration offering will typically follow the below basic steps:

Discover – Fact-finding and scoping your perfect solution

Design – Creation of your app stack and migrating your old financial data across

Deliver- Implementation of the new system and training of the end users

Support – Questions and queries supported whilst processes are embedded

Training

Training can easily be overlooked when implementing a new system or process and there could be an assumption that users will pick things up over time. Comprehensive training from the outset ensures that designated users within a business can utilise the system to the best of its capabilities and that any benefits are maximised.

Training should be tailored to these three keys areas:

People

• Users of the system
• Others who may interact with the system
• Bespoke based on current skillsets
• GAP between current and new way of working

Process

• The end to end process through the new ways of working
• Highlighting key areas of change and improvement
• Clear standard operation procedures (SOPs) and expected ways of working

Platform

• Introduce familiarity with the new system(s)
• Encourage best practice from the outset
• Focus on user roles – not everyone needs to know everything

Training should be seen as an investment in your new system change and enable you to gain the most benefit from the new efficiencies as soon as possible.

Post implementation support

Support is key when implementing a new system. Simply dropping in a new system or process and hoping for it to embed into the business is highly optimistic. If a business goes down the route of choosing a migration and implementation team, this specialist advice can get the best system return on investment.

Ultimately, having the support of a team post implementation is key to ensure bad habits don’t creep in.

App advisory

With the plethora of apps available today (e.g. over 1,000 in the Xero eco-system alone), it can be a challenge to know which are the most suitable.

By engaging with a team who spend their time reviewing, demoing and testing lots of different apps it takes away the pressure of the unknown. Whether it’s data inputting, approvals processes, expenses or automated reporting, bringing in add-on app solutions at the right time is key so as not to overload users with lots of new shiny tech from day one. When we work with businesses on implementing cloud software, we create an app roadmap which aligns with the overall adoption timeline and objectives.

Data health checks

Once you have migrated and moved your data onto your new platform, it is critical to ensure you get the most from the new system and ways of working. By reviewing your data quality on a regular basis in order to ensure that it is free from errors, duplications or anything that may cause inconsistency or error in your reporting or insights is key to build into your overall system change.

Having a clear data score as well as a series of data checks providing insight into the following areas allows you to review, amend or retrain to continually improve your data quality:

• Numbers of unreconciled transactions
• Dormant accounts
• Duplicated contacts
• Inconsistency in postings or VAT treatments
• Key accounts to review

Reviewing key data points on a regular basis enables you to incrementally improve your data, your insights and ultimately the benefits you will see from your new ways of working.

We are here to help

Our dedicated Digital Delivery Team of cloud accounting specialists work closely with businesses at each stage of their journey to the cloud. As Xero’s ‘National Partner of the Year’, we have substantial experience in adding significant value to clients across the UK.

If you are interested in migrating to a cloud accounting solution, get in touch with Colin Whitehead, by emailing colin.whitehead@azets.co.uk or call 01274 733184