Liam is the Business Solutions Manager for Adelaide-based firm Project Alfred Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors. Project Alfred was founded in 1997 and has built a strong reputation through their forward-thinking and innovative approach to add value for every client. To achieve this, they’ve been market leaders in the adoption of technology and systems that enables them to deliver their client-focused, individualised services.
Liam’s role is largely reporting and analysis, but he also helps drive innovation and technology adoption for Project Alfred. He’s always on the lookout for new apps, add-ons, software and systems that will create efficiencies for the team so that there’s more time for value-add services that help clients make informed decisions and succeed.
Liam was wandering the aisles of app partner displays at Xerocon in September 2019. With his compliance and taxation background, along with his keen eye for productivity and data integrity solutions, it’s no surprise that XBert caught his attention. He spoke with Aaron Wittman, co-founder and Product Owner of Technology, about XBert’s automated bookkeeping checks and audits, risk alerts, and collaboration and process workflow management tools.
Liam liked what he saw but wasn’t shy of setting the XBert team a challenge.
Project Alfred offers management consulting, chartered accounting and complete bookkeeping services including payroll, day-to-day reconciliations and data entry. Liam’s part of a team of Australian and Philippines members dedicated to providing clients the highest quality services.
Clean data is essential for accurate reports and for accountants and advisors to effectively complete their roles.
The value of audit jobs isn’t always obvious to clients who don’t see the level of work involved and may not recognise the importance of the results.
Of course, it’s a different story for those spending their days entering, reconciling and checking transactions and for those that need to analyse and utilise the data.
Having to perform manual bookkeeping checks and audits is necessary, but inefficient and a waste of skills and time that could be directed elsewhere.
Liam had previously trialled another bookkeeping audit solution. But, when he found one made for accountants, bookkeepers and business owners with an extensive system of AI-powered alerts and process automation plus a range of collaboration and customisable task management features, he knew he had to take XBert for a spin.
Liam appreciates that XBert examines everything including a supplier or customer’s past behaviour to make its predictions. He’s also happy that XBert truly does what it says it will do with no fuss and no steep learning curves.
XBert alerts you when a business name or ABN for your contact in Xero doesn’t match the ABR record, if the GST status is different or a business is no longer registered to trade.
After signing up to XBert CONNECT for advisors and syncing the first client Xero file, within two
minutes Liam found $8,000 worth of risk thanks to XBert’s continual monitoring of the Australian Business Register (ABR).
A client’s supplier had charged GST (sales or consumption tax) when they weren’t eligible to charge it. The supplier could have made an honest mistake or may have been trying to mislead Liam’s client. Importantly, Liam was automatically, and effortlessly, alerted to the risk before that $8,000 was paid.
Liam considers the ABR-based alerts to be particularly valuable.
Since an Australian entity can change their GST status or business registration at any time, these alerts save hours by performing the required checks to ensure tax compliance, help stop mistakes leading to money loss and spotting potential fraud. Liam’s quest for even greater efficiencies meant we needed to hasten our plans for a web-browser extension allowing people to manage XBert’s risk alerts and workflows without ever having to leave Xero. There was no room for baby steps either. The challenge was set - to have the extension workable at scale for a practice as large and busy as Project Alfred.
As you move around Xero, XBert is cross-checked and you’re notified of any issues or tasks associated with an entry. Thanks to Liam and his team for being our beta testers.
XBert gives Project Alfred’ team the confidence that the data is accurate and the reports are accurate; which is vital when the cornerstone of your company is adding value and enhancing client relationships.
Currently, Liam is working to create and implement efficiencies and consistencies for bookkeeping clients and XBert is central to this project.
Auditing a Xero file takes a lot of time and effort. It can be easy to miss something or make a further mistake during the clean-up like a typo or an incorrect coding allocation.
At Project Alfred they’ve been able to track the benefits gained since using XBert.
Adopting XBert CONNECT has freed up three hours minimum across the bookkeeping team each week for each client that XBert has been implemented for. These savings allow more time for value-adding and advisory work.
Quite simply, a better auditing solution leads to better workflow, job management, productivity, cash flow management, data, reports, forecasting, advice and decision-making.
According to Liam, XBert has delivered on its promises and is now a staple for their bookkeeping and compliance clients, ensuring accurate data and reducing risk.
Liam will expand the client-base on XBert, leading to even greater efficiencies.
Currently, Project Alfred uses XBert internally, absorbing the low cost since the benefits far outweigh the investment.
Liam is also looking to invite some higher-wealth clients to XBert. He says clients do want more services and are happy to pay when they can clearly see the value. XBert is allowing Project Alfred to deliver more for their clients.
The collaboration between Liam, his team and XBert has been productive, and there are already a few alerts and features in development driven by this consultation and sharing of ideas.
Start with workflow only, or connect your files and reduce that manual effort.
