Tag: Xero Projects

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Which Project Management Platform is Right For You?

Which Project Management Platform is Right For You?

With over 400 online project management tools in the market, professional service providers are spoilt for choice. We speak with businesses every day wanting to switch to a new project management tool. Some come to us with a solution in mind, while others want some help in selecting the best solution for their immediate and future needs.  

We know it is not only a daunting task but also a large time investment to navigate trials and software vendors all wanting your attention.

So, to help shortcut the system evaluation process, we’ve put together our perspective on 8 project management tools that we feel address the spectrum of most businesses’ needs today.

Discover more about each of the solutions at a glance below, then click through to our report for each platform.

 

Xero Projects

FeaturesProsCons
⇒Designed for small teams (ideal for less than 5 people)✓Easily draw database from Xero✗
✗
✗		Minimal customisation
Simplistic reporting
Unable to integrate quotes
⇒Xero integration✓Simple set up & usability
⇒$10 per month (with a Xero subscription)✓Great invoicing flexibility

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on Xero Projects]

Harvest & Forecast

FeaturesProsCons
⇒Suits those with a simple quoting process✓
✓
✓		Flexibility in time capture
Easy to track project progress
View projects at a glance		✗Limited pipeline management functionality
⇒
⇒		$12 per person per month
Great option for those who prioritise time tracking		✗No link between estimate and project
✗Limited project management functionality beyond tracking time and expenses

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on Harvest & Forecast]

Streamtime

FeaturesProsCons
⇒
⇒
⇒		Designed for creatives
Xero integration
$0-40 per month 		✓
✓
✓		Track time via a ‘to-do’ list
Simple timesheet usability
Great invoicing flexibility		✗Very fixed dashboard personas offer limited detail
✗An adjustment for those used to traditional timesheeting
✗No quick way to invoice for repetitive jobs

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on Streamtime]

ActiveCollab

FeaturesProsCons
⇒
⇒
⇒		Simple, user-friendly interface
Client collaboration
Good for businesses with non-complex projects that require little to no customisation in regards to estimating, invoicing and CRM		✓

✓

✓		Flexible permissions to allow client access to project details
Assign custom rates to each client
Detailed task lists		✗
✗

✗		CRM capabilities lack depth
Limited flexibility and no templating
No invoicing templates for duplicate jobs

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on ActiveCollab]

Zoho Projects

 

FeaturesProsCons
⇒Variety of modules allows for a customisable all-in-one solution✓

✓

✓

Nice facility to track support issues for clients and projects
Caters to a variety of working styles
Detailed task lists		✗

✗
✗		Diversity of functionality can feel overwhelming
Lacking in financial visibility
Comprehensive yet more costly than other solutions
⇒
⇒		Client portal for collaboration
Suits big teams requiring more complex communication

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on Zoho Projects]

WorkflowMax

FeaturesProsCons
⇒Aimed at small-medium businesses✓
✓

✓		Good level of customisation
Ability to input data in a number of ways
Flexible and comprehensive report builder		✗Limited staff scheduling functionality
⇒Affordable price (by user bands)✗
✗		Some integration limitations
Some rigidness and lack of flexibility for modern working styles
⇒Lead management add-on additional $15 per month

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on WorkflowMax]

Scoro

 

FeaturesProsCons
⇒
⇒

⇒

 

End-to-end solution
Extensive functionality and modules that cater for a wide range of professional and creative agencies
$34-97 per month 		✓
✓

✓

Excellent dashboard view
Streamlined quote and pipeline module
Excels with resource planning		✗Configuration of templates is quite difficult to master, some HTML experience is necessary
✗Complexity of the solution can result in some confusion when first implementing Scoro
  

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on Scoro]

Accelo

 

FeaturesProsCons
⇒

⇒

⇒

 

Accommodates a range of businesses and industries
Accessible by both Collaborators (access for free) and Professionals
US$39-79 per month		✓Great for tracking the work and progress of a client throughout its lifecycle✗

✗		Sales module somewhat difficult to navigate
Extensive capabilities often hindered by the complexity of the system
✓

✓		Project module is impressive though complex
Great depth of information that can be stored, filtered, viewed

Want to know more? [Read our blog review on Accelo]

If you have any questions, or want to know more about any of the solutions we’ve investigated, get in touch! We’d be happy to walk through your business needs and help you find the perfect project management solution.

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Discover More About Xero Projects

Discover More About Xero Projects

Xero Projects is a relatively new competitor in the project management software market, that has been created with one thing in mind: Simplicity. It is an extension of the existing Xero accounting and payroll solution made for small teams.

Ideal for businesses of less than five people, Xero Projects is designed to facilitate project management with little complexity. Xero Projects lets you create a project, adding budgets, timesheets and invoices and view profitability within minutes.

As the name suggests, Xero Projects is a Xero Product, and is available with any Xero subscription for an additional $10 per user per month. A Xero subscription is essential for anyone looking to get started on Xero Projects. While restricting your options of accounting software, the Xero connection has efficiency gains regarding invoicing and expense management that is lacking in other solutions.

Simple & easy to get started

The simplicity of Xero Projects is most prevalent in its set up. In under thirty minutes, you will have explored all avenues of custom configuration, as the software limits you to working within its confines.  

A project takes only four fields to set up, and its integration with Xero means you already have your Xero client database to draw from. Once the Project is set up, you can add tasks with predetermined time budgets, log expenses or go straight into building a deposit invoice.

Once you have created a project, all that is left to do is add time & expenses. Adding time is simple. You can use the start/stop timer feature in the mobile app or add timesheet entries retrospectively from several screens within the app site.

Track expenses with ease

Tracking expenses is similarly straightforward. Xero Projects only tracks essential expense information. Therefore, expenses can be quickly added from within the project.  The Xero integration is again useful here, in that a Xero bill can be directly related to a project, preventing double handling of these expenses, ensuring timely data.

The invoicing module from Xero Projects is almost identical to Xero, except that it gives you 3 project billing methods that relate directly to the project; Deposit, Project Amount or Tasks and Expenses invoicing.

Flexible invoicing

This invoicing flexibility is one of the system’s biggest strengths, as it enforces the mantra of simplicity (just select an option and the invoice practically creates itself) while still letting you bill in the way that bests suits you. Again, the Xero integration ensures efficiency when invoicing, as the invoice created against a project is reflected in Xero in its entirety.

After you have billed your project, it is time to report – an area where Xero Projects relishes simplicity. Reporting in the software is restricted to key project profitability information, and a time overview. The former compares budget vs actual using key metrics, while the latter allows you to review each staff members logged time, to identify where projects or tasks are going over the estimated time.

There is minimal customisation of reports, but all the key information to identify a projects financial projects is readily available.

The downfall…

Where Xero Projects is most lacking, considering its intention as a financial tracking tool, is its inability to link to any quotes. While quote functionality exists in Xero, there is currently no integration with Xero Projects. This has been identified by the team at Xero Projects as an item on its roadmap for future development and would be a welcome addition to the construction of more accurate budgeting.

If you are only concerned with tracking the financial progress of a project through time and expenses and want a familiar invoicing process with a complete integration to Xero, then Xero Projects could be the software for you. While its limitations in quoting, customisation & reporting are prevalent, it has the essential functionality to ensure small business can in control of their projects.

Have questions?

We’d be happy to answer them or take you through features of Xero Projects in more detail. Or, if you’re wondering if another solution might be better for you, we’ve also done the hard yards for you and taken a look at other project management platforms, including: Harvest & Forecast, Streamtime, ActiveCollab, Zoho Projects, WorkflowMax, Scoro and Accelo.

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Xero Projects vs. WorkflowMax: Which is Best for Your Business?

Xero Projects vs. WorkflowMax: Which is Best for Your Business?

At Xerocon 2017, Xero introduced Xero Projects, a new platform that offers small business owners simple ways to track projects, timesheets, invoicing and other factors to ensure better profitability. Because Xero owns both Xero Projects and WorkflowMax, it can be confusing for small business owners: which solution is best for your business?

Here are the key factors to consider when deciding which of these impressive cloud-based software solutions is right for your business.

Xero Projects is very new

Yep, since the announcement of Xero Projects at Xerocon in mid-September 2017, AFL club Richmond has not lost a football game (we checked). Even though it’s new, it’s well thought out and is priced accordingly with a $7 per user introductory rate (that will increase to $10 per user in 2018). But bumps are to be expected, and Xero is yet to roll out the full suite of functionality for Xero Projects. Features like iOS and Android apps, and integration with Quotes and Expenses are not available yet. But, it’s only getting better from here.

What is Xero Projects good for?

The current incarnation is suitable for small businesses with simple costing needs, such as freelancers, sole traders and micro businesses with less than ten staff. If your small business is in the creative, IT, finance, design, consulting and digital marketing space, you’re the ideal customer.

For example, a freelance web developer can use it to record time, cost jobs, manage subcontractors and track the progress of projects. Importantly, it allows you to easily build reports to assess each project’s profitability and cost-effectiveness. This reporting allows you to quote more accurately and concentrate on the most profitable aspects of your business. It’s a great way to bring quality project management software to smaller businesses, potentially giving them a more level playing field with larger competitors.

What is WorkflowMax good for?

WorkflowMax is a sophisticated cloud-based project management tool, with much more complexity and functionality. Managing larger teams brings further complexity in scheduling, operating processes, task tracking requirements and job costing that WorkflowMax is capable of handling. Importantly, WorkflowMax can be configured to your business processes. For example, your business might follow a process of initial scoping, getting approval, integration and then final delivery. WorkflowMax can be configured to these stages in your project life cycle.

And with its lead management and CRM tools, you can track your leads pipeline from one place. Taking leads on a journey from initial interest through to a signed proposal can be streamlined and simplified with WorkflowMax. If you have sales staff, you can track how they are performing by assessing how many of their leads convert to customers and the value of the customers they are bringing in. WorkflowMax makes costing jobs easier as you can access data from similar jobs, meaning you’re less likely to underquote a job and be stuck delivering an unprofitable project. And with more than thirty add-ons, WorkflowMax can integrate with other cloud-based software tools that produce financial reports, track expenses, manage payroll, schedule staff shifts and much more.

Simple versus complex

As you can see, WorkflowMax offers a lot more features and functionality than Xero Projects. But with that complexity comes difficulty. It’s not a system you can set up easily yourself. In contrast, Xero Projects is quite easy to get started on your own, if you have basic cloud software experience (such as Xero). If you’ve no plans for extensive growth and can’t see yourself using many features of WorkflowMax, you may find yourself happily using Xero Projects for years without issue. However, as a growing business with the intention to increase sales, revenue and staff numbers, you may find yourself outgrowing Xero Projects in its current form within a few years.

Migration

If you’re small, you might be tempted to start with Xero Projects and move on to WorkflowMax later as your business grows. However, there is no path in place to enable simple migration from one to the other. (Or back again, if your business is scaling down in its twilight years.) So, it may be wiser to start with WorkflowMax while you’re still small, building in the functionality along the way, rather than going through the hassle of upgrading to WorkflowMax in the middle of a complex growth stage.

Pros and Cons

Benefits of Xero Projects:

  • simple, with a good user interface
  • less complexity makes it easier to use and navigate
  • easy to get started on your own
  • suitable for small businesses of less than ten staff

Cons of Xero Projects:

  • less functionality for complex reporting
  • less integration with other tools
  • no iOS or Android app (yet)
  • you (or your accountant) must be a Xero customer to access it

Benefits of WorkflowMax:

  • offers a number of sophisticated reporting tools
  • can be configured to your business processes
  • manage deadlines, invoicing, job allocation, profitability and efficiency
  • you can get WorkflowMax without having to purchase Xero
  • suitable for businesses with up to 100 staff

Cons of WorkflowMax:

  • Complex features may not be required for smaller business
  • Needs expert setup by cloud integration partner for maximum efficiency
  • Requires training for staff to learn how to use it

The upshot: our recommendation

If you’re small and have no growth plans, Xero Projects may be all you need. If you have more than five staff and growing, WorkflowMax is the better choice.

Also, if you’re small now but have ambitious plans for the coming years, start with WorkflowMax now. Choose a platform that will support your rapid growth down the track.

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Xerocon: What we Learned, Who we Met & Why it was Xero’s Best Ever

Xerocon: What we Learned, Who we Met & Why it was Xero’s Best Ever

Whew! Last week was busy for the Business Continuum team at Xerocon 2017. We were thrilled that Xerocon came to our home town of Melbourne, bringing more than 3,000 visitors from around Australia and further abroad to our magnificent city. It was great to rub shoulders with accounting professionals from around the globe.

Uni Day

Xerocon started with Uni Day on 12th September, a great event for accountants and bookkeepers looking to skill up on all things Xero. Our Director Matthew met with plenty of first-time Xerocon attendees and answered questions about lead automation and change management.

“Young accountants are embracing new technology and seeing how it works in the business world,” said Matthew. “I shared plenty of practical advice on a variety of cloud-based software solutions, such as Xero Practice Manager, FORMbasic, Streak for Gmail and Boomerang for Outlook.

Matthew also met with attendees from far and wide, and enjoyed the opportunity to share ideas with those from economies both smaller and more developed than Australia. “Practitioners from smaller economies, like Vanuatu, attended to gain insights about cloud accounting and practice management to share back home—it’s great to see,” he said.

The Power of Us

The recurring theme woven throughout Xerocon 2017 was ‘the power of us’. It’s the idea that people are innovators, not technology, but technology helps us achieve innovation. It’s a powerful reminder that there are real human people behind every bit of seemingly faceless technology. And it’s those human connections that really matter.

New announcements and new products galore

Plenty of people attend Xerocon for the new product announcements. And it did not disappoint.

CEO Rod Drury was first up on the keynote stage and made a record number of new Xero product announcements. These included:

The nine integration partners for Xero HQ

The first integration partners announced for Xero HQ included the cloud file management system SuiteFiles, (our buddies and co-presenters at our pre-Xerocon APIntel session), as well as Boma, the much-hyped marketing automation app for accountants. Boma’s stand was flooded with interested accountants and bookkeepers—the joke doing the rounds was that Xerocon should in fact be renamed Bomacon!

The relaunch of expenses

The expenses function within Xero has been given a major refresh to make the expense process easier and more intelligent. Users can now capture and submit expense claims on the run with the iOS and Android apps. Approvals are now more flexible and easier to control. Also, users can now submit expenses on behalf of others in the organisation, no doubt a popular new feature for those who struggle to get their receipts in order each month.

The Lifelong Learning Platform

This program gives schools and professional accounting bodies a platform they can use to equip students for the real world of cloud accounting. Students can practice using Xero to complete a variety of real-life accounting processes, in a safe and highly repeatable fashion. It’s good to see Xero creating products for Universities and TAFEs, giving students access to Xero rather than MYOB or Reckon (which both have academic trial versions). Consequently, more students will be graduating from courses with good Xero skills and experience with cloud accounting—a benefit to the entire industry.

Xero Projects

Forty percent of Xero clients are professional service-based businesses, so it made sense for Xero to introduce a project management function. It allows creative, digital and IT businesses to better manage the progress and profitability of projects, and helps them stick to plans and focus on the most profitable types of work. This is not replacing WorkflowMax, but rather bringing light capabilities into the core platform so that the smallest of Xero clients can have access to additional project management functionality. For now, it’s better suited to smaller projects, but look out for more features to help with more complex projects in future.

Other highlights included:

In line with the conference theme, author and consultant Tim Leberecht talked about retaining the valuable human touch in business, as technology automates more and more of the day-to-day.

Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan from The Impossible Institute challenged everyone to get clear on their business values, align these with our desired clients’ values and “deliver a nowhere-else experience.”

IT industry veteran Steve Vamos urged us to put people first in business and reminded us that technology amplifies human disruption—not the other way around.

Magda Szubanski talked about her career achievements (as well as the professional and personal insecurities she’s overcome) and encouraged us to all embrace our own true selves as well as celebrate the diversity of others around us.

And to wrap it up, we enjoyed one heck of a block party in the laneway alongside the conference venue—the biggest wrap party we’ve ever seen!

We’re already looking forward to Xerocon 2018…