Are you frustrated with your current accounting software?
Have you thought about moving to Xero but are worried about the stress involved?
Changing accounting systems can be scary, but don’t let that put you off. An experienced accounting specialist can help make it a smooth transition and take the stress out of the migration process.
If you are thinking about changing to Xero and want to find out about what’s involved in the migration process, keep reading for more information. The process will vary depending on which software you are currently using, but this will give you a guide to the steps involved.
Before You Start
There are some steps you can take before the migration that will make the process easier:
1. Choose a Date
The conversion date is the date that you stop using your old accounting system and start using Xero. Make sure that this is not a busy period for your business and that it doesn’t conflict with any important dates.
2. Determine your Conversion Requirements
How much data do you need to be transferred to Xero? Do you require a detailed transaction history or just monthly totals? Think about whether historical data is essential or just nice to have.
3. Clean Up Your Data
Just like when you move house, you want to have a clean up so you don’t take all your old mess with you. The same applies to a software migration. It’s important to clean up your old file before moving to Xero.
4. Choose a Xero Hero
If you have a team working in your business, find someone who is passionate about the project and make them your Xero Hero. That person can be in charge of making sure everything goes to plan.
5. Export Reports
There will be reports that need to be exported from your old system. This can be in excel or pdf. These reports will be used to compare to the reports in Xero after the migration.
Data Migration
If you are using an accounting specialist to look after this, we will handle this part for you. You can sit back and relax while the migration is being done.
There may be a short period of time during which you won’t be able to enter transactions into your accounting file. This is why choosing the date of the conversion is so important. This ensures that you don’t have to enter information twice and reduces errors in the file.
During this time, your accounting specialist will carry out tasks such as:
- Import data from your old accounting system into Xero
- Checking the data that has been imported into Xero to make sure it matches your previous system
- Customising Xero settings for the needs of your business
- Setting up bank accounts and getting ready for automatic bank feeds
- Setting up users and their roles
- Setting up your Dashboard and watch list to monitor the important aspects of your business
- Setting up tracking categories (if needed)
- Customising report templates
- Customising customer invoices
The cost of the conversion and time it takes to complete the conversion will vary depending on the software you are currently using. Using a conversion specialist saves you time and ensures that the data is accurately transferred from your old system.
After the migration
Once the migration is complete, your accounting specialist will get in touch with you to help you start using Xero. This is the exciting part!
Once the migration is complete, only use Xero for processing transactions from this date onwards. If you keep using two systems, it will cause confusion and mistakes. Keep it simple and only process transactions in Xero.
There are some tasks you can undertake after migration that will make using Xero a breeze:
1. Schedule Training
Once your new Xero file is up and running, it’s recommended that you schedule training for yourself and your team. You want to make sure you are getting the most benefit from the migration.
2. Review Your Processes
The benefit of using Xero is that it can help you streamline your business processes. Select a process, for example, accounts payable and map out your new procedure.
3. Set up Recurring Entries
Once you start processing entries in Xero, it’s a good time to set up recurring entries for invoices and bank rules for recurring bank transactions. Doing this can save you time later.
4. Catch Up with Your Migration Specialist
At Passion Business Advisors we also like to organise a catch up with you after the conversion to make sure everything is running smoothly and to help with any questions you may have once you start using Xero. We want to make sure you love using Xero as much as we do.
Ready to start using Xero?
For a seamless migration, make sure you use a Xero certified advisor. Using a specialist can help make the process as smooth as possible.
Passion Business Advisor’s Xero Set Up & Migration Services can help you and your team streamline your accounting processes leaving you more time to do the meaningful work you’re passionate about.
If you’re ready to get started, simply book in your migration today!