Accounting Apps Podcast| formerly Cloud Stories | Accounting Technology

Today I’m speaking with Kelly Gonsalves, Founder & Chief Visionary of Totally Booked New York, Totally SEO, Ideation: Think Forward, & Leading Lady Machine Works In this episode, we talk about . . . After successfully co-founding three companies, Kelly shares advice for future co-founders. What is SEO? When accountants and bookkeepers should engage professional SEO support Transforming the accounting world through agreeing on the standardisation of what good books should look like The tech stack for an etsy store How working as a bartender and waiter lays a foundation for delivering excellent customer service (and always tip well when you are in a culture that relies on tipping!)  Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m sharing with you a webinar I hosted on behalf of Projectworks and WorkGuru that provides an overview of alternatives to WorkflowMax by Xero as it reaches end of life 26 June 2024. The panellists who joined me were: Heidi Seal Ops Consultant at Business Sense (NZ) Matthew Peng Founder at Business Continuum Matt Hayter Co-Founder at Projectworks Tony Harcourt Co-Founder at WorkGuru The panellists discussed the triggers for change, comparing features of the two solutions. They explored how each platform caters to different industries. The expert implementers shared case studies of successful migrations, highlighting challenges and opportunities clients faced. The presentation covered developing a migration strategy, including exporting data, mapping business processes, and change management. Attendees learned about assessing potential solutions by considering key questions, desired outcomes, and post go-live improvements. The session emphasised preparing early by testing new platforms and leveraging experienced partners for a smooth transition. Overall, the webinar helped attendees understand options for transitioning away from WorkflowMax by Xero to Projectworks or WorkGuru.   The Flow of the webinar Understanding the Transition Trigger for Change Market Reaction Comparative Overview of Solutions Common Features Target Industries Points of Difference Deep Dive into Migration Migration Strategy Case Studies Assessing Solutions Preparation for Transition  Relevant links  Heidi Seal Ops Consultant at Business Sense (NZ) L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiseal/   E: Heidi@BusinessSense.co.nz B: https://businesssenseconsulting.co.nz/    Matthew Peng Founder at Business Continuum L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-peng/  E : Matthew@BusinessContinuum.com.au  B: https://businesscontinuum.com.au/    Matt Hayter Co-Founder at Projectworks L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-hayter-9180037/  B: https://projectworks.io/    Tony Harcourt Co-Founder at WorkGuru L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-harcourt/  B: https://workguru.io/    Contact details: Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU   

Tyler Caskey, Partner at The Bean Counters joins me in this episode. Here are five interesting insights we talk about in the show: 1. Live Banking and Direct Digital Receipting: Tools like Weel and Airwallex enable real-time banking transactions, while solutions like Slyp and Tyro streamline payment processes by sending receipt details directly to accounting systems, reducing manual data entry. 2. Global Banking Solutions: Digital technology solutions like Airwallex, OFX, Paytron, and Wise facilitate international transactions with ease, offering competitive rates and near real-time transfers and bill payments in multiple currencies. 3. Google's Updates: Google is removing underutilised features across Android, including some related to voice controls, and shutting down its podcast app in favour of integrating podcasts into YouTube Music. This shift intrigued the author, who recently upgraded their device. 4. Updates in the Reporting Space: Various accounting software solutions have introduced updates, such as Calxa's unlinked accounts feature for cash flow forecasting, Fathom's improved KPI library experience, and G-Accon's introduction of automatic workflows within Google Sheets. 5. Xero's Invoices Changes: Xero is retiring classic invoicing in September 2024, prompting concerns from the community about missing features, like the ability to process an overpayment, inability to edit exchange rates, and inability to invoice bulk contact groups.  However, you can quickly switch back if you need features only currently available within classic invoicing. These insights highlight the ongoing technological advancements and changes within the accounting industry, offering both opportunities and challenges for practitioners and stakeholders alike.  Contact details: Tyler Caskey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercaskey/  Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU 

Today I’m speaking with Cassandra Scott, Director of Laurus Bookkeeping In this episode, we talk about . . . - Delve into how Xbert leverages AI to scrutinise client accounting data, spotlighting over 80 potential anomalies and risks. - Discover the power of automating routine tasks such as payroll, BAS, and bookkeeping with standardised workflows. - Learn how Cassandra efficiently mapped her first 10 workflows in just half an hour, enhancing consistency. - Explore Xbert's scheduling capabilities, enabling the assignment of recurring tasks to various cycles, from daily to fortnightly. - Understand the significance of using client notes to capture unique requirements for bespoke workflows. - Gain insights into data-driven reporting and analytics, offering a glimpse into staff performance and client engagements. - Uncover how customisable reporting allows practices to dissect data from diverse angles. - Get a peek at roadmap features like capacity management, utilising timesheet data for optimal scheduling. - Hear about the transformative impact Xbert has had on Cassandra's practice, facilitating work with global clients.   Contact details: XBert: https://www.xbert.io/  Cassandra Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandrascott/  Bookkeepers in Practice FaceBook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1652992464953692  Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

Today I’m speaking with Jonathan Gaunt, co-founder of of Socket Digital, Xavier Analytics & FD Works In this episode, we talk about . . . Jonathan's transition from corporate accounting to entrepreneurship, embracing new opportunities and control over his career. Insights from working with Dragon's Den investor Richard Farleigh, focusing on solutions over limitations. Practical tips for enhancing your LinkedIn profile to attract more followers and connections with engaging content. The importance of storytelling with numbers and identifying the pivotal "clunk moment" in business. The role of co-founding Xavier Analytics in improving data quality and introducing new workflow automation tools. Reflections on selling a business and fostering innovation within larger organisations. Development of innovative proposal software for accountants, driven by needs identification and process innovation. Advice for entrepreneurs: be courageous, focus on controllables, and enjoy the entrepreneurial journey. This episode is kindly sponsored by Fathom all in one reporting, analysis and forecasting. Contact details: Jonathan Gaunt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gaunt/ FD Works: https://www.fd-works.co.uk/  Xavier Analytics: https://xavier-analytics.com/   UseSocket: https://www.usesocket.com/  Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU   

In this episode, Tom Herbert, technology editor at Accounting Web, shares his insights on the British Post Office scandal, which has been ongoing for decades, ruining the lives of many subpostmasters. Heather and Tom discussed the problems with the Post Office's Fujitsu Horizon point of sale system implementation, leading to unbalanced reconciliations and accusations of theft against subpostmasters. The Post Office used its prosecution powers and prosecuted 700 subpostmasters between 1989 and 2015, resulting in jail time, financial ruin, relationship breakdown, lost homes, living in cars, and sadly much much worse. The scandal is discussed from the perspective of an accountant, the POS implementation, the forensic accountant who aided in uncovering the issues, the suspense account, the high tax hitting the subpostmasters when they received any compensation. The story behind this scandal, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, was broadcast on ITV in January 2024. We talk about the importance of storytelling in bringing this story into the narrative of the general public. Contact details: Tom Herbert  Contact details: Tom Herbert https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomherbert/  AccountingWeb https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/  Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

Today I’m speaking with Tyler Caskey, Partner at The Bean Counters In this episode, we talk about . . . Accounting industry trends in 2024  Crafting accounting stories for clients, marketing and career coaching. AI, Automation & ChatGPT in accounting.  Remote work trends and virtual teams in the accounting industry.  Pay raises, career progression, and work-from-home impact.  The role of accountants in strategic business planning and advisory Trends in practice management software for accounting firms.  This episode is kindly sponsored by Employment Hero: The All in One HR, Payroll & Benefits Platform  https://employmenthero.com/ Translucent The Multi-Entity Accounting solution  https://www.translucent.io/  Technology Mentioned Account-Kit https://www.account-kit.com/  AirWallex https://www.airwallex.com/au  Dashboard Insights https://dashboardinsights.com/  Employment Hero https://employmenthero.com/  FYI Docs : https://fyi.app/  Handisoft : https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-au/products/handisoft/  KarbonHQ https://karbonhq.com/  XBert https://www.xbert.io/  Xero Practice Manager https://www.xero.com/au/xero-practice-manager/  Weel https://letsweel.com/   Contact details: Tyler Caskey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercaskey/ The Bean Counters: https://www.thebeancounters.com.au/  "The Accounting Podcast," Blake Oliver's interview with Ben Richmond, the Country Manager of Xero USA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqSYir84htg   Weel Natalie Lennon https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalielennon/  Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

The biggest kept secret in the Australian accounting industry: The acquisition of Change GPS by Access Group. This episode is kindly sponsored by Employment Hero: The All in One HR, Payroll & Benefits Platform  https://employmenthero.com/ Translucent The Multi-Entity Accounting solution  https://www.translucent.io/  In this episode - David Boyar reflects on his upbringing in his father's accounting practice and early ambitions ( he was going to be CEO of Coca Cola!) - He discusses founding an association of CFOs and lessons learned from scaling advisory work   - Boyar shares how he joined Change GPS and their aligned values (with Timothy Munro) in transforming accounting firms - Insights are provided on data analytics in accounting tech companies and marketing approaches, including wearing a suit ! - Accountants take umbrage at people who've never had an accounting practice telling them what to do. - The acquisition of Change GPS by Access Group is explained as a strategic partnership - Client experience and standardised services are highlighted as priorities for the future Contact details: L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidboyar/  L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothymunro/ W: https://changegps.com.au/ Roadshow: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/changegps-2988249339    Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

The big news is I'm rebranding the Cloud Stories podcast to the Accounting Apps podcast (fingers crossed) In this episode, I talk about . . . Summer adventures with family and Chester the Border Collie in Elanora and Crows Nest Catching up on admin backlog and office makeover Website update with recent photos and videos Rebranding Cloud Stories podcast to Accounting Apps podcast Introducing advertising to the newsletter and podcast Clarification on ACCA Global Council election results Embracing "StoryTeller" as the theme for the year Upcoming speaking engagements in Birmingham and Cairns Preview of the next episode with David Boyar, CEO of ChangeGPS Contact details: Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting  X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU   

2023 has been a brilliant technicolour year for me, and I’m delighted to end it on yet another high, hitting 20 000 podcast episode downloads during the year. As an accountant I do like a nice round number.  Thank you to the many listeners, especially those who hit the subscribe button. Thank you to the many guests who graciously share their time with me on the Cloud Stories podcast over the last year.  Thank you to the conference organisers for providing me with the opportunity to meet fascinating individuals and enabling me to share knowledge with our accounting & bookkeeping community. The Cloud Stories Wrap of 2023 is as an opportunity to answer the following questions:   Which accounting technologies saw the most significant advancements this year? What were the top 5 most popular episodes of 20 How did the podcast evolve over the past year? What were the biggest challenges faced in podcasting about accounting technology in 2023? What feedback from listeners surprised you the most? What was the most unexpected topic or guest you had in 2023? What was the most controversial topic discussed on the podcast?  How do you plan to evolve the podcast in the coming year? What advice would you give to someone starting a podcast in the accounting technology niche? How did you celebrate reaching 20,000 downloads? What are your goals for the podcast in 2024?   Wishing you all health and happiness as we head into 2024. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Connect with Heather Smith here https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau/ 

Heather Smith delves into the transformative role of ChatGPT in the accounting sector. The discussion begins with an early adopter's perspective, highlighting the initial challenges and the evolving capabilities of ChatGPT. She explores its practical applications in tasks like email drafting and webinar planning, emphasising its ability to add creativity and efficiency to mundane tasks. The podcast then shifts focus to customise ChatGPT for more personalised and precise outputs. This includes tailoring the AI to align with specific language preferences, such as UK English, and ensuring the responses are concise and fit the intended audience's needs. Emphasis is placed on the tool's ability to mirror an individual's style and branding, making it a versatile asset in professional communications.   In the final segment, she discusses the importance of critically assessing AI outputs, acknowledging ChatGPT's limitations such as its tendency to "hallucinate" or provide incorrect information, and the inherent biases in AI based on its training data. This part of the conversation underscores the need for a responsible approach to using AI, balancing its remarkable benefits with an awareness of its pitfalls. Overall, the podcast offers a comprehensive look at ChatGPT’s role in accounting, providing listeners with insights into how this AI tool can be a game-changer in the industry while also cautioning them to use it judiciously. Then there is a surprise twist!! Connect with Heather Smith here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau/  Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM   

Michael Wood truly lives and breathes the title entrepreneur. Currently he’s Founder & CEO of Translucent. His LinkedIn profile reveals he’s also the founder of 4 other companies. The company that you’re likely to know him from is Receipt Bank. Michael was the original co-founder and was there till April 2021, when it was acquired by private equity group HgCapital. Please be aware I strategically partner with Translucent. I was an early adopter of Receipt Bank, and also am an early adopter of Translucent. I’m sure you will find this interview enlightening! In this episode, we talk about . . . Michael’s journey from pursuing a Bachelor of Science in zoology to founding a marketing and growth consultancy firm, Tweed London. The origins and evolution of Receipt Bank, a digital receipt management platform.  The impact of Xero's API on the accounting industry.  Michael discusses how his experience at Receipt Bank led to the launch of Translucent, a solution for multi-entity businesses to manage their accounting setup. How Translucent is using a compound startup approach to build multiple apps within one platform, aiming to launch four apps per year. Michael explains that Translucent is like a data warehouse, providing a single source of truth for users to easily search and find data across all their entities. Michael discusses upcoming features for their financial management platform, including bank consolidation and intercompany loans. The future of accounting, globalisation, and the need for a more unified toolset. Michael shares his views on the future of accounting and technology industry through 2030, emphasising the value of data and its journey towards maximisation. Michael highlights the increasing importance of data in the industry, and how firms and finance departments will need to surf the technology wave to keep up. Michael Wood : https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelwood/ Translucent : https://translucent.app/  Heather Smith : https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau/  If you enjoyed this podcast please share it with someone else who you think would benefit from it. For in-depth discussions about the ecosystem, do join the Xero Mastermind group on Facebook. I recommend subscribing to the Accounting Apps newsletter for a comprehensive insight into the ecosystem space, accessible at HeatherSmithAU.COM. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast. I'm Heather Smith, and this has been the Cloud Stories podcast.

I had a brilliant time at the Expo. I delivered four sessions on Apps, Ai, ChatGPT & Habits and honestly was shocked at how packed they all were. Expos give me an efficient opportunity  to catch up with Sydney friends and, as it was not purely an accounting conference, but also a business conference, there were colleagues from different industries.  As well as speaking with lots of people, I attended a few sessions, and I’m not even sure how I managed it, but I recorded 8 interviews from the floor.   Bingham Archibald Presales Solutions Architect at Kodak Alaris document scanners, software, and professional services to streamline data capture workflows.   Malcolm Cameron Head of Solutions at MyTreasur-e manage and monitor their cash, payments, leases and risk activities   Chris Dodson Director Hero Blue Cloud based finance schedule creation and storage with Xero integration   Cathy Middleton Senior Licensing Manager One Music Australia Helping businesses meet their music licensing obligation.   Stan Corner CEO at AtoMate fast, simple, secure ATO document processing for accountants   Joel Hanna Customer Success and Enablement Manager (APAC) at Sustain Life   Anita Da Encarnacao Principal at Aretex re-engineer and optimises the entire accounting and bookkeeping process for multi-site businesses and franchises.   Lez Yeoh CEO of Clevero a business management system that integrates with Xero, and includes scheduling tools and a customisable dashboard. Connect with me: Accounting Apps newsletter http://HeatherSmithAU.COM LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau/   

Xero co-founder Philip Fierlinger shares the story behind building one of the world's most successful accounting platforms, Xero He discusses his early inspiration from car dashboards and the gamification of bank reconciliations. Fierlinger also reveals how his latest startup Upstock is transforming the inefficient B2B food ordering process and levelling the playing field for small suppliers.    Many of our listeners will know Philip Fierlinger as one of the 5 co-founders of Xero, but let me share with you a bit of background about Philip: For over 5 years, Philip has been creating digital products and experiences that have set new standards of design, business and technology.  In 1992 a university project landed Philip an internship at General Magic where he conceptualised the “Mediaphone” a digital walkman, letting you download music anywhere, anytime. To give you some context this was 9 years before Steve Jobs introduced the iPod and 15 years before Jobs introduced the iPhone. Philip went on to create a digital agency, with his brother in 1994, doing work for Apple, the Beastie Boys, Comcast, Disney, Dreamworks, Macromedia, Palm, Sony Playstation, among many others. After moving to NZ, Philip co-founded Xero in 2006, where he was Head of Design for nearly 10 years. Philip was instrumental in Xero becoming a disruptive platform, an iconic global brand, and a market leading public company worth billions of dollars. And I suspect as he had a focus on design, he had something to do with making Xero beautiful software. Philip is currently Co-CEO of Upstock, a B2B wholesale platform that's transforming the way the foodservice industry operates. Along the way Philip has been an investor and advisor to numerous startups and scaleups including Sharesies, Milanote, Deputy, Atomic, Karbon, Chartio (sold to Atlassian) – helping with product, marketing, growth, team & culture, and investor strategy. In this episode, I talk to Philip Fierlinger Co-Ceo of UpStock.app about . . . Career journey from car design to tech entrepreneurship.  Xero’s history, developing an accounting system with a focus on bank feeds and beautiful design.  Prioritising business operations over tax compliance with real-time cash flow visibility. How a three year old inspired the innovative design of Xero Launching a foodservice marketplace, digitising B2B transactions. The business model and pricing for a B2B marketplace.  Streamlining foodservice industry operations with UpStock platform.  A platform for farmers and suppliers to connect and grow their businesses. You have been listening to the Cloud Stories podcast. I encourage you to subscribe and leave a five star review, so other people can find this podcast. From here, I suggest you join the Xero Mastermind group on Facebook for advanced conversations around the ecosystem. I suggest you  subscribe to the informative Accounting Apps newsletter which gives you a great overview of the ecosystem space. It's available at https://HeatherSmithAU.COM.  I encourage you to connect with me on LinkedIn and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast. I’m Heather Smith and you've been listening to the Cloud Stories podcast.

A collection of interviews from TOA Global clients, staff, and partners, including a special interview with the emcee Kat Davidson, who shares some tips on public speaking. Relive your time at TOACon ‘23, or get a taste for what happened. Today I'm bringing you interviews from the TOA Global Transformational conference held at the Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast early November 23. I had the pleasure of attending the conference, courtesy of the hospitable TOA Global team. TOA Global specialising in providing outsourcing solutions for accounting firms. In this collection of interviews you’ll hear from TOA Global clients, staff, and partners. Even if you are not currently contemplating outsourcing, there is a lot of interesting content in this podcast, including a special interview with the emcee Kat Davidson, who shares some tips on public speaking.    Keep your finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving world of Accounting Technology. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter at HeatherSmithAU.COM.   My friend and the CEO of TOA Global Nick Sinclair likes to run his conferences unconventionally! The audience is typically people from the Accounting Industry but interestingly the content is not accounting specific. Further to this, there’s no published agenda, so you remain curious about what will happen next! We listened to strategies for building high performance culture, body biohacking, growing sustainable businesses, systemising businesses and as you’d expect there was a dash of  motivational speakers. If this intrigues you TOACON 2024 will be at the Shangri-La Boracay 30 June - 2 July 2024.   Daniel Shaw - DFK Benjamin King Money    James Bamford - Paytron   Mark Jenkins - The Gap   Kelly Segat - TOA Global   Aly Garret - All in Advisory   Kat Davidson - Comedian, MC, Corporate Entertainer, Keynote Speaker   Geoff Gartly - Gartly Advisory   Vicki Birch - Intuit   Carl Brooks - ProSpend  (Used to be called ExpenseManager)   Carolyn O’Brien - Class   Ben Gill - LightYear Docs   Vicky Shah - Accountancy Insurance   The TOA Global team kindly hosted me to attend the conference.     This episode was sponsored by Translucent, the multi-entity accounting solution. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Connect with me on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau/

What are your options when your tech stack is bursting at the seams? You’re struggling to get visibility over what’s happening. You’re balancing multiple spreadsheets and you’re spending a lot of time consolidating data.    If you are trying to resolving your business's data overwhelm there are a number of options:   Spring cleans all the files, and all the data.  Merge duplicates and expunge old data, and trim down the data files.    Call in the professionals: Engage a professional cloud integrator to review your set up and advice of any efficiency opportunities.   Multi Entity Consolidation solution : I work with the Fathom team and they have a multi-entity financial reporting tool to help you compare and consolidate your organisations.   A new solution on the market that you may not have heard of is Translucent.io who I’ve recently started working with. It turns your existing single-entity accounting system into a multi-entity accounting solution. You connect your existing accounting software (Xero, QBO, etc.) and Translucent consolidates all your data to create a single financial system of record. Translucent Apps provide workflows for your muli-entity needs, such as searching for transactions at group level, creating consolidated reporting, managing intercompany transactions, live connecting your data to spreadsheets, and more apps being released every quarter.    While you may not have heard of Translucent before, it is likely that you heard of Dext, or Receipt Bank. The founder and good friend of mine, Michael Woods is the founder of Translucent.io and he’s built it as a tool he would have liked when running Receipt Bank.    A fourth option here is to migrate to an ERP solution. This is something you can potentially explore with a Cloud Integrator about or speak with a software consulting specialist. As you start to move into this area, you really want to engage an experienced specialist who can give you an unbiased assessment of your options to help you know what is possible, and suggest options to future proof your business.   Each option has a different price point, and it's important to understand the scoping, implementation, training, maintenance and ongoing costs involved. Likewise make an assessment of how many hours a solution will save you once implemented, and will it enable your business to scale.  You can get CPE for this and other episodes of the Cloud Stories podcast. Simply download the EarMarkCPE App, and answer a few questions correctly about this podcast, and they email you a certificate of CPE. Connect with Heather Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau/  Accounting Apps newsletter https://heathersmithsmallbusiness.com/newsletter/

Discover how Grace Loves Lace transformed their bridal gown business with a strategic NetSuite implementation. Learn insights on scaling operations and enhancing efficiency in the fashion industry. Today I’m speaking with Sarah Rynja, Global Systems Manager of Grace Loves Lace In this episode, we talk about . . . - The NetSuite implementation she has been involved with at Grace Loves Lace. The business was founded in Burleigh Heads, Australia to provide luxury boho-style wedding dresses without structure or boning - They have gained global recognition through their unique dress styles and having the #1 most pinned wedding dress on Pinterest - Grace Loves Lace manufactures all their custom-made dresses locally in Australia - They implemented NetSuite to help scale their growing operations across stores in multiple countries   - Key NetSuite features like WMS, dashboards, and OneWorld help with inventory, order tracking, financials, and multi-country operations - Sarahs Tips for optimally using NetSuite included leveraging dashboards operationally and getting involved in the NetSuite user community Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM  

Explore how NetSuite empowers Australian businesses to thrive. Scott Wiltshire delves into the transformative impact of NetSuite solutions on local SMEs, offering insights and success stories for business growth in Australia. Today I’m speaking with Scott Wiltshire, Vice President & GM, Oracle NetSuite ANZ In this episode, we talk about . . . 1. NetSuite was born in the cloud 25 years ago and customers are always working on the same version.  2. NetSuite's architecture and vision have remained consistent under Founder and EVP Evan Goldberg. 3. NetSuite provides two major upgrades and 300 minor updates each year. 4. Triggers for considering NetSuite include  - Outgrowing existing accounting software  - Having more than one person on the finance team - Having a manual or time-consuming financial close or consolidation process  - Struggling to get real-time visibility into the business to provide actionable insights - Not being able to provide accurate reporting to management or the board - Having to correct reported numbers multiple times - Needing real-time visibility 5. The NetSuite solution can start small and scale with consumption-based pricing. 6. NetSuite is introducing more flexible user licensing.  7. Key trends impacting Australian businesses include cloud adoption, AI, and embracing leading practices over customisation. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM  

Explore the 20-year evolution of NetSuite partnerships through Don McLean's insights, highlighting key milestones and the future of cloud ERP solutions. Today I’m speaking with Don McLean, CEO of PKF Digital, who shares insights and experiences from his 20 year journey with NetSuite.  In this episode, we talk about . . . 1. Don McLean's background and history with NetSuite over 20 years 2. The benefits of NetSuite's multi-tenant architecture and how it cuts costs 3. How NetSuite enhances business productivity through integration and visibility 4. Triggers for when a small business should consider an ERP solution like NetSuite 5. The partnership between PKF and NetSuite and how they work with customers 6. A case study of how NetSuite improved Thermomix's profits and efficiencies 7. Topics discussed at Suiteworld 2022 like AI, benchmarking, and productivity tools   8. Don McLean's key learnings around NetSuite's investments and applications of AI This is part of a series of interviews from SuiteWorld 2023. Many thanks to Oracle who kindly hosted me to attend SuiteWorld 2023 in Las Vegas. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM Connect with Don McLean here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldjmclean/ Connect with Heather Smith here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersmithau/

Join Alex and I as we walk around the floor of the Accounting and Finance Show Asia. We speak with: Namrata Goyal - Regional Manager Grab for Business  Julian Sng - Head of Marketing & Communications - Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) David Hanna - Co-Founder & CEO Finmo Darius Fong - Automation Evangelist at Blue Sheets Kevin Fitzgerald - MD Asia Employment Hero Koren Wines - MD Asia Xero Zac Hayes CFO & Captain of the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel Vikash Bengani - Cofounder and CFO Carbon Balance Erik Ingvoldstad - Co-Founder and CEO Careera   AFShowAsia