INTERVIEW Q & A with Guy Arrowsmith

Q A & Guy Arrowsmith, Managing Director, AroFlo

XU: It’s great to be joined by the CEO of AroFlo, Guy Arrowsmith. Can you start by telling us a bit about what AroFlo does and how it’s helped the tradies industry?

GA: AroFlo is a job management system that automates and integrates core processes in the delivery of service. The mobile interface allows companies to eliminate paperwork and provide real time job and compliance information back to the office. This information can then be used to produce powerful reports and financial information feeds back into accounting packages like Xero.

XU: What does your role in the company consist of? Do you have a normal scheduled work day or is it hectic?

GA: My day is always varied and I spread my time across every aspect of the business. There are no hierarchies and we have an open-door policy. So on any given day I could be consulting on higher level decisions with my CTO and COO, as well acting as a sounding board for junior team members and new recruits.

Large parts of my day are dedicated to business planning, monitoring finances, making strategic decisions, recruiting and providing input to departmental managers when they call on me for advice.

I still pitch in and perform the everyday tasks that keep the business ticking, like collecting the mail, bringing in milk and putting office furniture together. My latest project is working with interior designers to fit out our new office space.

XU: Like Xero, AroFlo was always built for the cloud. But can you tell me about your journey from Electrician to CEO of AroFlo?

GA: In the mid-1990s a serious back injury made me think about getting into a management role in the electrical industry. To develop my managerial those busy times. skills, I enrolled in an associate diploma of business management We aim to have all our staff out at TAFE; the associate component the door by 5pm as many of our being software development. As workers have young families so a part of the diploma, I developed work-life balance is a priority for a facility management us. We also offer system to support a flexible working contract that the “AroFlo is a job arrangements for company I was working for had procured. management system that automates members of our team that need to support and They ended up and integrates core care for family using my system processes in the members. commercially delivery of service” for several years To aid team bonding and provided insight and healthy lifestyles, into some of the core we invest heavily in functions that AroFlo has today. company funded lunchtime personal training sessions, free flu On completion of my diploma, vaccinations, birthday celebrations after 14 years in the electrical for every team member and industry, I gained employment as a stopping early for drinks every software developer for Box Hill TAFE Friday night. We even hold a big programming in internet/intranet Christmas party every year where technologies. After a couple of team members can bring along years, I moved to an online B2B IT their partners and kids. It’s a real sales company. Exposure to internet family event, with my wife Lisa and technology and my knowledge I taking care of all the catering and of the trades industry made me even our boys chip in to help. Lisa’s realise how powerful an online job dad is there every year on the BBQ management platform could be. I making sure the steaks get cooked began working on a new product to perfection. and, in 2001 i-man (AroFlo) was established. The product was a little early for the market as ADSL XU: Xero is a major company to be broadband had only just been integrating with. How has released in Australia, and iPhone integrating with Xero helped your and mobile computing were still company grow and expand? a way off. Initially it was a hard sell, however we found some IT companies embraced it. By 2006, GA: Most companies want to eliminate we began to make sales in our double handling and reduce target market - trade services. admin overhead, so it is important Accelerated by developments in to be able to integrate with the mobile hardware and networks, we accounting package they are using have been growing steadily ever within their business. We found that since. a significant percentage of our user base were also using Xero so it was XU: The AroFlo company has a brilliant and a logical decision to integrate with them. a diverse team, what would you say makes your team and your Both our systems were built from company unique? the cloud from the very beginning, so they work seamlessly together. GA: We value people – both our customers and Many of our customers comment that the dual implementations of staff. We spend a lot of time in both AroFlo and Xero has turned the workplace which at times can their businesses around and save be quite stressful and hectic. It’s them countless admin hours. really important that we provide a supportive, friendly working environment to better manage XU: You expand based on word of mouth

endorsement, but why do you think your company is popular within the Xero community?

GA: The integration with Xero is relatively easy to setup so making the transition is a lot easier. A lot of other accounting packages and job management systems don’t work very well together but you could say we have a ‘beautiful’ partnership with Xero.

XU: Obviously the company is constantly developing and growing. However, what key areas of the company will you will be focusing on in the future?

GA: We will continue to focus on product development, particularly usability; streamlining workflows and integration points with various suppliers and products that mutually service the same industry.

XU: AroFlo have an open API that is capable of integrating with various business management solutions, so that your users can run their entire business using just your system. What would you say has been the most exciting development in the company?

GA: In terms of the API, probably integrating with Xero as they service a large percentage of our users and it provides a more streamlined accounting integration.

XU: Does the company have any exciting plans developing that our subscribers can expect to see happening within the next 12 months?

GA: From a Xero perspective, we will be integrating timesheets into Xero. We are also about to launch a new lighter version of AroFlo that will service newly established trades businesses that are just getting on their feet, as well as sole traders.

We also have some exciting projects in the pipeline that will be game changes for the industry, but I can’t quite divulge them yet so stay tuned! XU: To finish off, what can we find you doing in your spare time? Is there a particular hobby you enjoy?

GA: I try to stay fit, playing tennis and boxing, as well as being involved in my kids’ sports. AroFlo even sponsors my boy’s local footy club and I spend a lot of time getting involved with local community sports teams and businesses.

FIND OUT MORE...

Visit our website at

> aroflo.com

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