Item: Xero
Rating: 6
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Xero is being used for the whole business. The business has 3 departments. Xero is being used to track sales across these departments as well as for invoicing, expenses, cash flow forecasting, payroll, and GST returns. There are multiple log-ins to enable roles to create invoices, save contacts and review the status of invoices and expenses.

Pros and Cons

Invoice creation.
Reporting.
Payroll.

Online support can be difficult to use.
I can't find a place to view upcoming expenses displayed in individual categories for cash flow forecasting.

Return on Investment

Streamlined financial accounts at end of year.

Usability

Generally, it is easy to use however, there is a learning curve. Once you know how the software works using it tends to be quick and without issues. Occasionally, there will be updates where the software user interface changes and you need to re-learn where some items have been moved to.

Cloud Costs

I load all expense invoices in PDF format into the Xero cloud as the primary location of that expense file. I don't keep a copy of the expense PDF anywhere else e.g. email account or another cloud. This saves costs on storage and is cleaner for my filing system.

Ease of Integration

The business was started at the same time the Xero software was being used so there wasn't any integration with existing systems. Having used Xero in a previous business it was a simple process to set up the business and start using the software. It was somewhat easy to being other users up to speed with how to use the software because there was only 1 other person who needed access.

Key Insights

Do you think Xero delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Xero's feature set?

Yes

Did Xero live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Xero go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Xero again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Google Drive, Google Analytics, Google My Business, Google Search Console, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Dreamweaver, Google Sheets

Likelihood to Recommend

For invoices and expenses, Xero works well. It's easy to use and understand and has a clear layout. Payroll for a small number of employees is workable in Xero but if there is a need for a larger number of workers to log their own timesheets the system and cost are not great. There's an additional monthly charge for each worker who requires a login.

Xero works for a small business

Overall Satisfaction with Xero