Item: Xero
Rating: 10
Author: Nikki Valentine

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are an accounting firm that uses Xero internally and for our clients. For my position, I am in billing for the firm, so I work in invoicing and reconciliation. Using Xero has been such a great help. We made the switch from QB years ago and have never looked back. We refer all clients to Xero and require they switch to Xero from QB, unless there is third part app integration that Xero has not yet partnered with. The ease of reconciliation and running of reports saves me so much time. Any mistakes that I make or changes that need to be made are easily done in the software. Xero support has always been great as well.

Pros and Cons

Matching during reconciliation.
Invoicing and accepting online payments is a game changer.
Great Customer Support. Every time I have submitted a ticket, the response time is quick and always helpful.

We also use XPM for our CRM. When creating tasks in XPM, it would be helpful if the entire chart of accounts was an option in the Income Account drop-down box. Sometimes, tasks or costs need to be coded back to an expense or COG's account.
When editing an invoice in Xero, that change is not reflected in XPM. Since I am the only employee privy to the Xero side, other employees only accessing XPM cannot see the change unless I make a note.
When setting up third-party payment apps such as Stripe. Xero would not allow me to code transaction fees back to an expense or COGS account. Each morning, I must go in and find and recode these fees.

Return on Investment

HubDoc and matching in the reconciliation page are huge time savers. Increasing profit margin.
By obtaining Silver Partner Status, our cost for XPM is nothing.

Usability

I gave this rating because, even if I am lost or trying to figure something out, the ease of the software is easy to figure out. There are so many customization options and reports to get exactly what I am looking for.

Cloud Costs

N/A

Ease of Integration

We have integrated many third-party apps with Xero for us internally and clients as well. I chose an 8 as there can always be issues with integration, but I like that Xero does let me choose the integration of the COA. I would like to see the option of coding to expense or COGS accounts and not only income accounts.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

For one QB, customer service is terrible! The software is clunky and not as user-friendly as Xero. We have chosen Xero for many reasons: Custom Reports, Cost, support, and perks of being a partner.

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

Dashlane, Gusto, Drake Tax

Likelihood to Recommend

I believe that Xero is suited for most business types and levels of income. The user-friendliness of the software is great.

We switched to Xero and never looked back!

Overall Satisfaction with Xero