Think outside the box with your Payroll Career
Pin Payments Joins Fat Zebra
TODAY WE'RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT PIN PAYMENTS IS NOW PART OF FAT ZEBRA — AN AUSTRALIAN PAYMENT PROVIDER SERVICING OVER 30,000 MERCHANTS AND PLATFORMS INCLUDING AUSSIE BROADBAND, MACQUARIE BANK, MYOB, ZIP AND PAYPAL.
Since 2013, Pin Payments has been dedicated to one mission: empowering Australian and New Zealand businesses to scale with simple, secure, and innovative payment solutions.
We've had the privilege of supporting local merchants and platforms across a diverse range of industries, and we've always sought to do so with a deep understanding of what it means to serve the ANZ market.
As we’ve grown over the years, we’ve admired and collaborated with other innovators in the payments industry. One such partner has been Fat Zebra, whose robust infrastructure has been an integral part of our solution. We’ve shared a mutual respect and a common vision with Fat Zebra — a vi-
sion where ANZ merchants and platforms have access to a forward-thinking, reliable, and robust payment service provider that truly understands the needs of local businesses.
This marks a significant milestone for both companies and, more importantly, for you — our valued customers. By joining forces, we’re creating a unified team of 70+ passionate payments professionals dedicated to delivering even greater value to your business.
Find out more
IRIS Software Group Announces Intent to Acquire Dext Software Ltd.
Acquisition to create an integrated, end-to-end solution, advance partner integrations, and drive product innovation for accountants and businesses globally.
IRIS SOFTWARE GROUP (IRIS), A LEADING GLOBAL PROVIDER OF ACCOUNTANCY, EDUCATION MANAGEMENT, HR AND PAYROLL SOLUTIONS, TODAY ANNOUNCED A DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE DEXT SOFTWARE LTD (DEXT), A LEADING BOOKKEEPING AUTOMATION PLATFORM PROVIDER.
The acquisition will unite two sector-leading cloudbased platforms – Dext’s
Bookkeeping Automation Platform and IRIS Elements – to deliver a complementary and fully integrated, end-to-end solution for accountants, bookkeepers, and businesses.
On one side of the accounting value chain, IRIS Elements supports accountants and businesses with practice management and compliance functionality, such as accounts production and tax returns. On the other, Dext simplifies bookkeeping and improves
productivity by automating routine tasks with AI.
Together, both companies will cover the entire end-to-end accountancy workflow, from data entry and processing to compliance, reporting and advisory services.
Currently, many accountants and businesses face "app fatigue" juggling multiple, disconnected tools to get their daily work done.
Keep reading
Celebrating 2024: A Year of Growth and Gratitude
Looking back on the milestones, partnerships and community that made this year unforgettable.
AS WE WRAP UP AN AMAZING YEAR, WE CAN’T HELP BUT LOOK BACK ON HOW MUCH 2024 HAS SHAPED XU MAGAZINE AND THE ACCOUNTING TECH WORLD.
Through XU Biweekly, we’ve shared everything from exciting new features in accounting apps to insightful conversations at global conferences. It’s been an honour to watch and share the growth of tools and partnerships that are changing the future of accounting.
To our readers—whether you’ve been with us for years or just found us this year—thank you! Your commitment to staying
informed, sharing our articles, and connecting with the community motivates us to keep bringing you the best updates from the accounting app ecosystem. Every new subscriber in 2024 has shown us how much our work matters, and we’re so grateful for your trust and support.
To our app partners: thank you for choosing XU Magazine to tell your stories and showcase your innovations. Your passion for improving how accounting professionals work is inspiring, and it’s been a joy to share your successes and see the impact of your solutions on businesses worldwide.
And to our media part-
ners: thank you for helping us reach new readers and strengthen connections in this vibrant community. Your support has helped us show how powerful partnerships can be and how sharing knowledge makes a real difference in this industry.
Looking ahead to 2025, we’re more excited than ever to bring you the latest news, exclusive stories, and industry insights. Let’s build on the success of 2024 and aim for even bigger achievements together! Thank you all for making this year so special.
Enjoy the final Biweekly of 2024, and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Introducing Bulk Update in StockTrim
EFFICIENT INVENTORY FORECASTING IS CRUCIAL FOR BUSINESSES AIMING TO STAY AHEAD IN TODAY’S FASTPACED MARKET.
At StockTrim, we’re always striving to enhance your experience and provide tools that make managing your inventory smarter and faster. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our latest feature: Bulk Update. Designed with user feedback in mind, this tool revolutionizes how you manage product updates, saving time and increasing productivity.
Read on to discover how Bulk Update works and how
XU BIWEEKLY - No. 95
Newsdesk:
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CEO: David Hassall
Managing Editor: Wesley Cornell
Chief Revenue Officer: Alex Newson
Account & Partnership Assistant: Robyn Consterdine
Creative Assistant: Aidan McGrath
Advertising: advertising@xumagazine.com
www.xumagazine.com
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© XU Magazine Ltd 2014-2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. XU Biweekly is published by XU Magazine Ltd (08811842), registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Office 1, Brunswick House, Brunswick Way, Liverpool, L3 4BN, United Kingdom. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. XU Magazine Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information.
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it can transform your inventory management process.
Introducing Bulk Update in StockTrim: Streamlining Product Management for Faster, Smarter Forecasting
In response to user feedback, we’ve rolled out a powerful new feature in StockTrim – Bulk Update. This addition allows you to quickly and easily update multiple product fields at once, all in a few clicks. The Bulk Update tool is designed to save you time, reduce repetitive tasks, and enable faster decision-making.
Find out more
Introducing the Zoho Sign extension for Bigin by Zoho CRM
BIGIN BY ZOHO CRM IS A PIPELINE-CENTRIC CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT PLATFORM BUILT TO MEET SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES TRUST BIGIN FOR ITS SCALABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND USER-FRIENDLY FEATURES.
Now, with the Zoho Sign integration for Bigin, businesses can sign, send, and manage their contracts within the CRM itself, unifying all the customer-facing operations in a single tab.
Additionally, Forbes Advisor highlights that e-signatures are now essential for small businesses, as they offer greater convenience than traditional signatures.
Integrating a CRM platform with e-signature solutions not only simplifies workflows but also elevates customer interactions, making it an essential asset for businesses aiming to enhance growth and operational efficiency.
Keep reading
Bring your email chain into Apron for context and clarity:
New in November
WE’VE GOT A COUPLE OF HANDY ADDITIONS TO APRON TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS MONTH, WHICH WILL BE OF INTEREST TO ANYONE WHO VALUES ABSOLUTE CLARITY, AND LOATHES AVOIDABLE MISTAKES — WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE, RIGHT?
Right! So, here they are.
Side note: Want to explore some of Apron’s hidden gems and best bits that can launch you and your clients
to new heights in 2025? Sign up for our end of year webinar.
Email chain retention
Forwarding invoices to Apron via email but don’t want to miss out on notes and context provided by clients and team members?
We’ve got you covered. Now, when invoices are submitted via email, they come with the email chain visible in Apron — No more going back and forth to your inbox or messaging
clients unnecessarily.
It’s one more step in making payments as clear and easy as humanly possible.
Auto-spotting paid receipts (Xero only)
Is your Apron account connected to Xero? If so, and you upload a receipt that already has a matching transaction in the Bank Feed, Apron will let you know, so that you can mark it as Paid and publish it to the ledger.
Find out more
What’s new in Xero – December 2024
WELCOME TO OUR MONTHLY ROUNDUP OF WHAT’S NEW IN XERO. THIS MONTH, WE’VE INTRODUCED UPDATES DESIGNED TO HELP YOU TO GET PAID FASTER, STREAMLINE TAX RULES AND REGULATIONS COMPLIANCE, AND MANAGE YOUR SALES TAX WITH EASE.
With enhancements from the ability to send invoices via SMS to improvements in Xero Tax and sales tax reporting, we continue to make Xero even better. Read on to
learn more about the latest features and enhancements.
AU: Get paid faster with SMS invoices [Product Idea]
You spoke, we listened! You can now send invoices via SMS. Give your customers a convenient way to pay, no matter where they are thanks to the arrival of send invoices via SMS. This was a popular Xero Product Ideas request, and we’re thrilled to deliver this time-saving, payment-boosting feature.
Find out more
OR THE PAST THREE YEARS, MAYDAY HAS BEEN ON A MISSION TO "MEND MONTH-END" FOR MULTI-ENTITY BUSINESSES. WE’VE HELPED FINANCE TEAMS CONQUER THE BIG CHALLENGES—ELIMINATING SPREADSHEETS, MANUAL RECONCILIATIONS, AND HUMAN ERROR—EARNING OUR REPUTATION AS THE BEST-OF-BREED INTERCOMPANY SOLUTION FOR XERO.
The Same Powerhouse Functionality, Now with a Sleek New Look
Our tools—Balancer, Recharger, and BRAG—have been transformative for finance teams, saving them countless hours while streamlining complex inter-
company processes. Now, we’re excited to unveil a fresh, modern interface that elevates your Mayday experience without compromising the functionality you trust.
• Enhanced navigation: Intuitive, user-friendly design to keep you on track.
• Polished workflows: A refined structure to simplify every step of your monthend tasks.
• Streamlined visuals: A sleek, professional style that’s as efficient as the tools behind it.
Trusted by Finance Teams, Recognised by Xero
Mayday isn’t just about software—it’s about impact. We’ve been honoured as a
Xero Emerging App of the Year and earned high praise from customers for simplifying month-end across multiple entities.
"Mayday has become a key part of our month-end process. I can now sleep safely at night knowing our multi-currency loan accounts are always balancing." Felix Matthews, CFO, SINE
With over 240 glowing reviews on the Xero App Marketplace, our customers’ feedback speaks for itself. From consistently achieving green across the Balancer matrix to saving finance teams 20+ hours of manual work each month, Mayday doesn’t just promise results—it delivers them.
Keep reading
IGITAL SIGNING JUST GOT A SERIOUS UPGRADE!
At SuiteFiles, we’re all about making your workflows smoother, faster, and frustration-free—and this month’s updates to our digital signing software do exactly that.
Whether you’re chasing signatures from a client or managing your team’s signed documents, these changes are here to save you time and keep things stress-free.
Here’s what’s new, why we made the changes, and how they’ll make your life easier.
Automatic Signing Reminders: Now More Flexible
Let’s be real—nobody likes chasing signatures. That’s why we’ve improved how Automatic Signing Reminders work. Previously, reminders only triggered 7, 3, and 1 day(s) before a document’s expiry date.
Find out more
AI Receipt Capture and Bank Rec Management coming to XBert
XBERT, THE LEADING AI SOFTWARE MANAGING DATA QUALITY AND WORKFLOW AUTOMATION FOR ACCOUNTANTS AND BOOKKEEPERS, HAS ANNOUNCED IT IS RELEASING RECEIPT CAPTURE INTO THEIR PLATFORM IN EARLY 2025.
Making Receipt Management Easy
Managing receipts, data
capture, request for information and Bank Accounts can take up a lot of time and effort.
XBert’s Receipt Capture feature will use AI to automate key tasks, helping businesses, bookkeepers and accountants work faster and with fewer errors, with a key difference being it can be automated into an existing XBert daily workflow.
Find out more
Final Product Update of 2024 & Holiday Wishes from Ocerra
W E VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK AND TAKE EVERY FEATURE REQUEST INTO ACCOUNT—WHETHER BIG OR SMALL. OUR ENHANCEMENT ROADMAP IS CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED TO INCORPORATE FUNCTIONALITIES THAT MAY SEEM MINOR BUT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT YOUR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE (AP) PROCESSING.
In this final update, we’ve focus on refining key features to further streamline your AP processes.
Holiday Schedule
Our team will be taking a holiday break from 20 December to 6 January. For any urgent queries during this period, we'll be monitoring our support portal and support email address, to assist you as promptly as possible.
Data Extraction Enhancements
We have done enhancements to our data extraction engine and planning another round of enhacement for more complex invoice scenarios.
Keep reading
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Content Snare: Integration options revamped
WHEN YOU EXPORT A REQUEST MANUALLY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS LIKE INCLUDING/EXCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS, EMPTY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ETC.
Now integrations have the same options.
HR Partner:
This means you have much more control over the PDF that is exported to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Sharepoint and FYI.
To access the new options, go to Settings -> Applications -> Configure your existing integration.
Find out more
Recruitment integration updates
Announcing some new enhancements for our Recruitment module which especially pertains to our customers who are integrated with Indeed.com.
IN OUR QUEST TO CONSTANTLY IMPROVE HR PARTNER, WE HAVE RECENTLY ENHANCED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH INDEED, THE LARGEST JOB BOARD ON THE PLANET. WE RECENTLY EMBARKED ON A 2 PART IMPROVEMENT TO OUR INTEGRATION WITH THEM WHICH IS EXPLAINED BELOW.
Disposition Syncing
Indeed.com now tracks disposition data for candidates going through the hiring pipeline. Disposition information is essentially the various Stages that the ap-
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New to Spotlight: Google Sheets Integration
To connect the data source
Note: You only need to connect the data source before your first import. For future changes, you’ll be able to use the same Google Sheets document and connection.
1. In the Task Manager tab, select the Google Sheets data source, then click Continue.
2. If required, sign in to your Google account
3. When prompted to give access, click Allow.
This creates a new Google
Sheets document in the required format for importing data to Spotlight Forecasting. Spotlight Forecasting will not be able to access any additional documents in your Google account.
You’re then redirected back to Spotlight Forecasting.
To complete the document and import the data
1. From the Import tab, click Edit in Google Sheets. You can then complete this with the required data.
Keep reading
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plicant moves through, e.g. Applied, Phone Screening, Interview #1, Shortlisted etc.
But the catch here is that Indeed has a specific set of Disposition/Stage data that they want to capture, but HR Partner is ultra flexible in that we allow all our customers to set up your own Stages and call them whatever you like.
To this end, we have set up a new configuration screen that will allow you to cross match your existing (and new) HR Partner Stages to Indeed's Disposition Statuses.
Keep reading
Business
insights your clients need,
when they need them, in the format they need them in.
All in one place.
Fishbowl AI Insights gives your clients full report customization and storyboards with the data and insights they need with the ability for any user to access any piece of data, at any time – just Ask Athena, Fishbowl’s AI Assistant.
Create Custom Reports
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Meet Athena
Create custom reports with the exact data and columns needed
Get instant access to data and insights. In Lite, access 100+ preconfigured questions. In Freeflow, access any data, at any time using our powerful LLM
Proactive Insights
Data Newsfeed + Alerts
Get tailored newsfeeds and alerts with relevant insights that provide an eagle eye view of business operations
Predictive Insights
Data-Driven
Recommendations
Identify historical trends to appropriately time orders, predict future demand and avoid stock-outs
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ClientWindow wins ‘Client Communications’ Award at the WealthBriefing Channel Islands Awards 2024
WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT CLIENTWINDOW HAS BEEN NAMED THE WINNER IN THE ‘CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS’ CATEGORY AT THE PRESTIGIOUS WEALTHBRIEFING CHANNEL ISLANDS AWARDS 2024.
This award celebrates innovation and excellence in
the wealth management industry, and we are honoured to be recognised among the best in the sector. The WealthBriefing awards are known for their rigorous judging process, with winners selected based on their ability to demonstrate clear innovation, outstanding service, and measurable impact.
Find out more
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BJM Business Solutions and ACSISS team up to deliver Open Banking to Australian Manufacturers and Distributors using SYSPRO.
BJM SOLUTIONS , A LEADING PROVIDER OF SUPPORT, CUSTOMISATION AND SERVICES FOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) SOFTWARE, HAS PARTNERED WITH ACSISS, BY SISS DATA SERVICES, TO INTEGRATE OPEN BANKING CAPABILITIES INTO THE SYSPRO ERP SYSTEM.
This collaboration is set to transform data management processes for manufacturers and distributors using SYSPRO, offering improved efficiency and security.
Transforming Data Management Through Open Banking
Open Banking allows organisations to securely access their transaction data held by banks and other data holders. Using the BJM Bank Manager solution, powered by ACSISS Open Banking data feeds, SYSPRO customers will now be able to have their bank transaction data delivered directly into their system, rather than manual download/upload processes which are inefficient, and can compromise data security.
Find out more
Ignition empowers 7,500 customers to earn over $2.7B in revenue, with new product innovations on the horizon
IGNITION, THE LEADING CONTRACTS, BILLING AND COLLECTIONS AUTOMATION PLATFORM FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, TODAY REVEALED ITS LATEST PLANNED PRODUCT INNOVATIONS AFTER GENERATING OVER $2.7 BILLION IN REVENUE FOR ITS 7,500+ CUSTOMERS IN 2024.
These product announcements will redefine how service-based businesses sell, bill and get paid for their services, and include:
• Agreements-integrated
deal pipeline management and forms to shorten sales cycles and prioritize profitable clients
• Industry-first capabilities to automate bulk price increases when creating or renewing client agreements
• More ways to automate collections by importing outstanding invoices into Ignition
• New app integrations to automate workflows and processes
• A new plan designed specifically for solopreneurs
Keep reading
That's a wrap! How Journey helped clients achieve $17M in revenue, and brought 20,000 accountants together in 2024!
YEAR 2 AS A BUSINESS IS IN THE BOOKS FOR JOURNEY. IT’S BEEN A HUGE YEAR OF UPS AND DOWNS AND TODAY I’M GIVING YOU THE JOURNEY WRAP!?
Like everyone else, I’m always motivated for a good wrap-up following my Spotify wrap, which we can all admit is the real OG for end of year reviews.
This year, the Journey team helped accounting SaaS orgs break records, navigate challenges, and achieve incredible milestones. From driving $17 million in client sales to bringing 20,000 people together across all the events and webinars, this has been
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Quadient announces new Sage 50 integration to slash invoice processing costs by 86%
QUADIENT (EURON-
EXT PARIS: QDT), A GLOBAL AUTOMATION PLATFORM POWERING SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS CONNECTIONS, TODAY ANNOUNCED A NEW INTEGRATION WITH SAGE 50 FOR ITS ACCOUNTS PAYABLE (AP) SOLUTION.
The partnership will make Quadient’s market-leading AP solution widely available to the 500,000 small and medium size businesses in the UK and Ireland that already benefit from Sage 50. These users will have the
opportunity to manage their financial operations more efficiently, so they can focus on the unique challenges of running an SMB.
The integration will enable Sage 50 customers to seamlessly synchronise their invoice data, eliminating the need for manual data importing and exporting. Teams can therefore reduce excessive time on tasks like manually coding invoices, investigating discrepancies, and managing delayed approvals.
Find out more
Thank you and reflections from Xero's CEO
Aour most impactful year yet.
When we started Journey, I’ll be honest, we didn’t really know what this was going to be.
I had 15 years of experience at my disposal, a long list of connections who I thought could use my help and an appetite to run something of my own, build it fast and build it big.
It’s a testament to our entire team. Collectively we’ve got 22 real-life humans (and 100s of AI bots) that are absolutely crushing it for our clients and new projects.
S 2024 COMES TO AN END, I WANTED TO SEND YOU ALL A PERSONAL NOTE, REFLECTING ON THE YEAR PAST AT XERO, AND OUR JOURNEY TO BECOME AN EVEN STRONGER PARTNER TO YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS.
We are privileged to serve 4.2 million subscribers globally at Xero, whether that’s small businesses directly on Xero, or through the 200,000+ accountants and bookkeepers using Xero in their practices. This opportunity is what gets us excited to come to work every day at Xero.
As we started this year, our focus at Xero was to:
• Create a vision for the next 3 years as a com-
pany, on how to Win on Purpose – for the benefit of our customers, partners, shareholders, and Xeros globally. This strategy helps define how and where we focus our efforts to deliver even more value to all of you.
• Increase our product investment and velocity in the most critical jobs to be done by our customers. From enhancing our bank feed and reconciliation experience in the US and launching partnership tax in the UK, to adding more ways to pay and get paid in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US and around the world, I'm so excited by what we were able to announce and launch throughout the year to help unlock more value from Xero.
Keep reading
Prepare, adjust and output a trial balance for an unlimited number of clients with AccountsPrep, an add-on to your AutoEntry subscription.
Get started now
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING UK WEBINARS
From Paper to Precision
By Ryan Kagan, Head of Growth and Partnerships, WorkflowMax by BlueRock
RESIDENTIAL ROOFING SPECIALISTS, ROOF IMPROVEMENTS, HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR THREE DECADES, WHICH MEANT DEALING WITH LEGACY TOOLS, OUTDATED SYSTEMS, AND MANUAL PROCESSES. DISCOVER HOW KATALYST AND WORKFLOWMAX STEPPED IN TO PROVIDE THE TOOLS THAT TRANSFORMED THEIR DECISION-MAKING AND BOOSTED THEIR EFFICIENCY.
Residential roofing is a big and increasingly complex industry in Aotearoa New Zealand, and one that plays a vital role in protecting Kiwis and their infrastructure from the elements. And it’s not just the wild weather that’s testing the industry, either. Strict and changing regulations, skills shortages and strong competition all put roofing companies under pressure.
Roof Improvements, an Auckland-based residential roofing company that specialises in long-run iron, has seen it all in its three decades of operation. Over many years Roof Improvements has grown from a small operation to a multi-million-dollar business servicing private and state-funded homes.
Naturally, as the company has grown over the years, they’ve found the manual processes, handwritten documents and reams of paper invoices just don’t cut it when it comes to efficiency, data clarity, or scalability. So they reached out to Glennis Stuckey at Katalyst Cloud and Business Services to see how WorkflowMax could streamline the company’s operations and offer better insights into its financial performance.
A foundation of manual processes
Like so many businesses, Roof Improvements started out small. Co-founder Dean Foster was on the tools, Dawson Chung managed quantity surveying and Clare Barrett took care of the administration.
“We had a couple of contractors that worked with us, but we were very small scale. My husband’s a roofer, and has been since about 16,” explains Clare.
The opportunity for the
business to expand came along when Dawson, who came from a quantity surveyor background, agreed to join as their business partner, and bring on the skillsets they lacked. That was 25 years ago, and Roof Improvements has evolved significantly since then.
For one, Dean is now off the tools, and the team has grown to around 30 including directors, shareholders, roofers and contractors. As Roof Improvements expanded its operations, it became increasingly evident that its manual processes were hindering the business’ growth and profitability.
“In the early days, you had to be an idiot to not make money in the building industry – not to sound like a prat. But we knew we had to get better than just writing out an invoice in Microsoft Word, dictated from some handwritten notes. We saw a lot of time being wasted on not being able to get your hands on information when you needed it.”
“The way we were doing things meant that we needed something more powerful. I couldn’t drill down to where we made and lost money,” says Clare.
“Sometimes your perception of where you’re making money isn’t accurate. You might have a great relationship with a business or person, but you need to know what it’s taking to make a deal, and where in your workflow it’s actually costing you.”
Manual processes were time-consuming and prone to errors and delays. “We’d spend half a day looking through a stack of paper for a purchase order. That just wouldn’t do.”
The Katalyst for change
By 2016, the challenges had become overwhelming. Clare began exploring accounting software solutions. While their accountant had set them up with Xero, the team quickly realised they needed more than just an accounting tool—they needed a comprehensive job management solution.
“We had all parts of the business on different platforms. And if there were issues down the road, finding an email or an invoice was hard. Everything was scat-
tered. It worked to a point, but if there was an issue, it was mind-blowing how hard it was to find the exact information quickly to solve the problem,” Clare says.
After investigating a few options, they reached out to Glennis Stuckey at Katalyst, to see what tools would be right for them – and Glennis immediately recognised the challenges Clare and the team were facing.
“There was a lot of custom data they were trying to track,” explains Glennis. “Roof colour, gauge, and profile, all needed to be taken into account – not just for quoting, but for accessing that information down the track for additions or issues.”
Glennis and Clare discussed at length the other features Roof Improvements wanted or were already using, like GPS tracking and time tracking for the installation teams.
“When you’re pulling the timesheets together to make sure you’re billing correctly, it was super time consuming, the information was coming from three different places,” she adds. “This was a highly complex business with custom needs.”
For Glennis, the solution was clear: WorkflowMax – a comprehensive job management software designed to help businesses streamline their operations and improve efficiency. It offers a wide range of features for contractors like Roof Improvements, and at the time WorkflowMax was a Xero offering, so the fit was natural.
After completing a thorough assessment of Roof Improvements’ existing processes and requirements, Glennis started configuring WorkflowMax for them.
“When implementing WorkflowMax, Clare and I ended up creating an impressive 130+ custom fields and templates to account for all the variations and features they wanted to track,” Glennis says.
“The Roof Improvements team are heavy users of the system. Clare knew that there was a need for general process improvements to their systems, in particular accessing historical information quickly. Keep reading
Empower your skills in Payroll
By
PAYROLL CAREERS ARE ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY. IN HER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, BECKY DILLON HAS SEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF PAYROLL: FROM EMPLOYEE OF IN-HOUSE PAYROLL, TO WORKING IN A BUREAU, MANAGEMENT ROLES TO BUREAU OWNER, AND NOW A CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER FOR BUDDY IN THE UK.
In the earlier stages of her career, she struggled with her mental health and consequently her confidence in the workplace. In her journey to becoming the ICB Payroller of the Year 2024, Becky needed to be given the right opportunities to grow her confidence.
As she took on more managerial roles, her skills expanded from payroll knowledge to more practical, high-impact decisions. This included overhauling processing workflows and choosing the right software to deliver the right service for her customers.
Success in a payroll career requires the freedom to explore solutions that enhance one workflow. Reflecting on her experience, Becky sees that the ability to transform her customer feedback into actionable changes allowed her to shine.
Becky understands that payroll is much more than providing a service within a firm. Her work in the payroll work transcends what one envisions of a typical payroll job. She has visited schools in promoting payroll understanding, both as career choices and to empower future employees to
understand their payslips. She's also published a video on NIC Changes which amassed over 74,000 views on social media and created debate around the UK government.
And now, she took the brave step into the other side of payroll: working as a Customer Success leader for Buddy's UK market.
This new opportunity allows her to align her recent-found passion for wellbeing and life coaching, for which she became qualified during lockdown. In this role, Becky feels a new ability to impact a larger number of people through her work at Buddy.
In her previous role, Becky created a payroll bureau from the ground up, employing six in the team who fully utilised cloud aspects, integrations and API functions to deliver an impeccable workflow with a low budget. She was successful in improving the lives of her clients, and now wants to do so at an even larger scale.
It's with this enthusiasm that she embarked on her Customer Success role at Buddy. With her expertise and ability to put herself in the clients' shoes, Becky is helping Buddy fully understand the experience of bureau payrollers. She's met with numerous customers and prospective customers and is intrigued by the impact that payroll software can deliver.
In her first month at Buddy, she has observed customer feedback being implemented and is excited to be part of a team that will make a huge impact
to payrollers in the UK. In comparison, payroll software she is used to often lag behind, masquerading a static product with a pleasant user interface. Buddy differs in that they are evolving in the right direction and prioritising customer feedback in their product design.
One of the features that excites Becky the most is EverRoll™, Buddy’s take on automated payroll. Bureaus can automate tasks such as posting journals to integrated accounting software, freeing up a lot of time from manually syncing or inputting data between software
It’s a surprise that several Payroll Managers are still stuck with processes of manual input and sending documents manually, due to the lack of trust in their existing software. These managers feel like they have to “put up” with their current process.
More than anyone, Becky understands how daunting it is to switch software. That’s what sets Buddy further apart! The product includes onboarding and migration tools that aim to simplify this process. In addition, the team at Buddy offers to be part of the onboarding journey and provides very prompt support, assuring you that clients are more than just another number.
As she entices more businesses to trust Buddy with their payroll, she is prepared to face the challenge of hesitation. Making the switch to ‘the new kid on the block’ takes courage, but Buddy is creating something truly special.
Keep reading
Becky Dillon, UK Customer Success Manager, Buddy UK
Think outside the box with your Payroll Career
How Katalyst Cloud & Business Services and WorkflowMax Help Roof Improvements Make Data-Led Decisions
Tide - Major milestones passed in 2024, and a look ahead to 2025: a letter from our CEO
TIDE HAD ANOTHER TRANSFORMATIVE YEAR IN 2024, WITH MANY MILESTONES REACHED AND STRONG PROGRESS MADE TO DELIVER OUR VISION TO SAVE SMALL BUSINESSES TIME AND MONEY.
One of the highlights of the year was reaching one million members globally in September 2024, an incredible number we never imagined only a few years ago. In the UK, we are proud to serve 650,000 members, equating to now more than 11% of the markets; in a nation where SMEs form 99% of the business population.
Our business in India, which is only two years old, is at 450,000 members and growing fast. We are provid-
ing a vital digital service to entrepreneurs in key urban centres and far-reaching states across India, supporting small businesses and contributing to India’s growth journey. In Germany, we entered the market in May this year, and are emerging out of soft launch mode making inroads delivering a product to freelancers and solo entrepreneurs.
UK Growth
Tide in the UK is rapidly expanding its product offering.
This year we successfully entered the savings and investment market, with a free instant access business savings account product.
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Airwallex reports strong momentum with 83 percent revenue increase across APAC
YoY: Airwallex Yield, Spend and Startups program among growth drivers of 2024
AIRWALLEX TODAY REPORTED STRONG YEAR-ON-YEAR (YOY) GROWTH ACROSS THE ASIA PACIFIC (APAC) REGION AS THE LEADING GLOBAL PAYMENTS AND FINANCIAL OPERATING PLATFORM FOR MODERN BUSINESSES. IN Q3, AIRWALLEX DELIVERED AN 83 PERCENT REVENUE INCREASE YOY AND GREW TRANSACTION VOLUME BY 49 PERCENT YOY ACROSS THE APAC REGION, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL GROWTH, WITH GLOBAL REVENUE UP 73 PERCENT YOY AND GLOBAL TRANSACTION VOLUME UP 60 PERCENT YOY.
Ongoing success across the region – comprising
Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand and mainland China –confirms Airwallex’s strong product fit and innovative product stack. Founded in 2015 in Melbourne, the APAC region holds special significance for Airwallex. This year, the company has successfully launched several products and initiatives which continue to boost momentum in the market.
Airwallex for Startups
Launched in Hong Kong in September 2023, the Airwallex for Startups program expanded to Australia, Singapore and New Zealand in 2024.
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Starling hires Adeel Hyder to boost business banking unit
STARLING BANK TODAY ANNOUNCED THE APPOINTMENT OF ADEEL HYDER TO ITS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SME BANKING.
Adeel joins Starling from TSB, where he most recently served as Business Banking Director, playing a pivotal role in shaping and executing the bank’s SME strategy. Prior to this, he was Director of Strategy at TSB, a strategy consultant at McKinsey and a corporate banker at RBS. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving commercial growth and innovation in Starling’s business banking division. Building on the bank’s strong foundation, Adeel will focus on developing and launching new propositions that address the evolving needs of small businesses. Starling’s busi-
ness current account has a 9% share of the market for small business banking and ranks #2 for overall service quality for business customers by the Competition and Markets Authority.
Adeel Hyder, MD of SME Banking at Starling Bank, said: “Starling is deeply committed to supporting the ambitions of UK entrepreneurs and I am passionate about leveraging technology and innovation to deliver exceptional banking experiences for our small business customers.”
Raman Bhatia, Group CEO at Starling, said: “Adeel’s extensive experience and proven track record make him the ideal leader to drive our business banking division forward.
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Total Grassroots and Kelme partner with GoCardless to offer
stress-free payments and new kits to grassroots football clubs
BANK PAYMENT COMPANY GOCARDLESS HAS ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH TOTAL GRASSROOTS AND KIT MANUFACTURER KELME TO SIMPLIFY PAYMENT COLLECTION FOR GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUBS AND KIT OUT THEIR TEAM.
By using GoCardless, clubs can show unpaid subscriptions and high card fees the red card. Its enhanced Direct Debit capabilities give club treasurers and secretaries greater visibility and control over their payments through an easy-to-use online platform, in addition to automatic payment collection and reconciliation.
As a result, football clubs will stop losing out on unpaid subs and membership fees while freeing up time for staff and volunteers. With a transparent fee struc-
ture that could be up to 54% cheaper than cards, GoCardless also helps to keep costs down -- so more of the funds paid in go directly to the club.
From now until summer 2025, football clubs that sign up to and collect payments with GoCardless will receive a £300 Kelme gift card*. This can be used in an exclusive GoCardless club shop to purchase kits and other apparel from Kelme, which counts Championship side Watford and La Liga’s Espanyol among its featured clubs.
Colin Bowden, Founder of Total Grassroots and Commercial Development Officer at Leicestershire-based Hemington Hammers, said: “GoCardless has literally been a game-changer for our club. Find out more
Sharesight product updates – December 2024
WE ROLLED OUT TWO NEW PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENTS THIS MONTH. THE FIRST RELATES TO THE WAY WE LOAD OUR FRONTEND VISUAL COMPONENTS AND THE SECOND INTRODUCES A RAFT OF CACHING LOGIC TO SPEED UP OUR PAGE LOAD AND REPORT REQUEST TIMES.
These caching changes in particular have been a complex undertaking and I’m happy to see portions of this work rolled out before year's end. Although this sort of performance improvement work never really ends, these two most recent initiatives should provide noticeable speed improvements to most users.
In addition, we further improved our exposure re-
porting functionality and introduced a new import ‘stepper’ to streamline the process of getting trades into the system.
New functionality / enhancements
• Performance improvements across all page loads and some reporting functions
• Rolled out an upgrade of our generic trade file importer by introducing a stepper format to this import tool with the aim of streamlining the trade import process
• Expanded the exposure report to account for ‘negative’ positions, relevant for ETFs such as GEAR. ASX and GGUS.ASX
• Introduced logos for custom investments
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Airwallex expands further in EMEA - Grows 271 percent YoY, opens new office in
Paris, and makes new hires in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London and Amsterdam
AIRWALLEX, A LEADING GLOBAL PAYMENTS AND FINANCIAL PLATFORM FOR MODERN BUSINESSES, IS SET TO END 2024 ON A HIGH THANKS TO SIGNIFICANT GROWTH ACROSS ITS EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA (EMEA) BUSINESS.
The EMEA unit saw revenue growth of 271 percent in Q3 2024, compared to Q3 2023, and 145 percent increase in transaction volume. The company has also significantly expanded its footprint across the region, with the formal opening of a new office in the ninth arrondissement of Paris, France, and its first hires in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Airwallex has also expanded headcount in its Tel Aviv and Vilnius offices, and made two senior Executive Director ap-
pointments - in London and Amsterdam - which brings the total employee count in EMEA to over 150, representing over 38 nationalities. The region’s growth is part of a broader story of growth for Airwallex, which has surpassed $100 billion in annual processing volume, up 60 percent yearon-year. Airwallex has seen growing volumes across all products, including payments, FX, payouts, and issuing, and an annual run rate revenue of over $500 million.
Simon Ellis, Head of Operations at Airwallex EMEA, said “Airwallex is in growth mode. We are investing in local strength across the EMEA region in order to fuel our ambition to drive success for our 100,000+ customers across the world."
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