Cloud migration & implementation: journey to the top
@Macalvins
Umair Ahmed is an ACCA qualified accountant working for Macalvins Limited, a forward thinking firm based in Harrow & Xero Platinum Partners. Umair trained with a top 15 accounting firm before moving to Macalvins.
The digital revolution is everywhere affecting all industries and businesses. This is a great opportunity for accountancy firms. Those adopting cloud are likely to have a greater competitive advantage, with more scope of delivering cost-effective profitable solutions. With real time information being accessible from anywhere anytime, there is more opportunity for advisory services...
T
he Future
Gone are the days of being merely compliant. With businesses facing competition from all sides, the need for real time interactive reporting is even more. Being bogged down with a list of numbers without any explanation as to what they mean is not going to do any good for the business, especially if they are provided 6-9 months after the year end. Thus, the need for interactive reporting, providing useful summaries helping the clients make right decisions.
addons that were relevant to our client base. These were numerous, and it was a challenge identifying which were the best. I started with learning Xero inside out to identify how best it would fit in with our client base. Simultaneously I prepared a migration strategy for all our staff to ensure we have the best plan at hand. This was a detailed step by step migration methodology; the benefits of Xero, how to pitch clients successfully, how to select which clients to approach & how best to implement.
My Story Couple of months into my new job, I was given the opportunity to lead the project to implement cloud accounting to all aspects of our client servicing with Xero as our preferred software. The project leader was the partner himself, allowing me greater flexibility and support in how I was to take the project forward. This was a challenge indeed, having never worked in a cloud based environment. What followed was detailed research and analysis on cloud accounting and series of meetings over the next few months. A greater part of my time was spent on researching and identifying Xero 60 / Issue 13
Convincing the clients to move to cloud was vital, but the bigger challenge was to convince my colleagues, which I knew once achieved, would ensure maximum client approvals on cloud migration. First step was to ensure everyone throughout the firm was Xero Certified – this allowed them to have a very strong foundation and gave them confidence when speaking to their clients about Xero. Next, we focused on group trainings. The most positive part of these training sessions was collective learning. They were fun, brought more unity amongst staff and allowed everyone to develop a mind set on how to best implement Xero to their portfolio of clients.
Make no mistake, it was not as smooth as it sounds. There were times when staff were frustrated, confused and didn’t know what to do. Theory and practical are very different. I used to throw tantrums regularly. But my colleagues were always there to calm me down and urge me to keep going. Team bonding is very important for such a massive project to be a success and at Macalvins, we are one team and that’s what has made us successful. Learning & Experiences Implementing cloud accounting to a traditional firm will be very challenging. You need to keep your staff at heart of your migration strategy. We are in a people’s business. If your employees are happy, so are your clients. Reaping the benefits of cloud conversion heavily depends on your team. Ask for their feedback, listen to them and trust them. They are best positioned to make this strategy successful. Yes, the idea is for one dedicated individual or team to lead the project, but keep everyone involved. All staff should have enough knowledge that when the client calls, they should be able to answer professionally and provide solutions. Not every client is suitable for cloud
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