If you’re running a business then you want your workflows to be as slick as possible, particularly the finances. If your staff are spending hours on repetitive manual tasks such as entering data into a spreadsheet then you are wasting time and money which could be better spent elsewhere. Not only is this time consuming, but you can get yourself into a mess when trying to track transactions, keep on top of invoices, and account for business expenses.
With that in mind, it’s understandable why people make use of software like Xero to make the workflows easier to handle and reduce human error. The ability to automate tasks means less time spent on data entry, more accurate results, and peace of mind that administrative processes are being dealt with as quickly as possible.
What is Xero?
Xero is a simple cloud-based accounting tool. It allows business owners to keep up-to-date with their finances whether they are in the office or on the go. Using leads to smoother finance processes as all bookkeeping tasks can be completed in one application.
How does Xero automation improve bookkeeping processes?
Xero automation improves bookkeeping processes by reducing laborious and repetitive tasks. This saves time and reduces the risk of miskeying, leading to a slicker operation.
Automation also allows for 24/7, real-time reports. As Xero can help to automate processes behind the scenes, you’ll have a full picture of how your business is performing. Knowledge is certainly power in this regard as it allows you to make informed decisions based on pre-analysed data.
One of the most frustrating things about manual data entry is the fact that human errors can easily occur, and this can cause havoc in your reporting if not discovered quickly. Implementing Xero automation eliminates silly mistakes, giving you have peace of mind that the data is correct.
What tasks can Xero automate?
Xero can automate a wide range of tasks that will benefit your business. For example, you can connect Xero to your bank accounts to create bank feeds. Once you’ve done this, your bank transactions will automatically be imported into Xero so you’ll know what money is coming in and going out of your business accounts at all times. As you can connect to multiple bank accounts, you’ll completely eradicate the need for manual imports and have all the data you need at your fingertips.
Likewise, if you link your bank account to Xero, you can set up rules for transaction categorisation. For example, your business gas and electric bill transactions could be automatically categorised in Xero as ‘Utilities’. You could also create rules for regular payments such as entertainment expenses, car parking charges and phone bills.
Image courtesy of Xero
How can Zapier work with Xero?
Although Xero’s ability to automate tasks is impressive, you can take it one step further with the addition of Zapier. Zapier is a tool that allows you to connect over 2,000 apps together to create workflows of automated processes. By doing so, you’ll be able to save even more time to work on business growth, reduce the chance for manual data errors to occur, streamline your business processes, and keep every member of your team working in harmony.
Image courtesy of Zapier
With Zapier and Xero, the possibilities are endless to create powerful automations. For example, you could create a workflow that links PayPal and Xero together. When a PayPal payment is received it can trigger a workflow within which Xero can automatically create an invoice for that payment. This could also be achieved with other payment gateways such as Stripe and many more.
Another example is to link Xero with Gmail to automatically create emails. You can create a workflow which is triggered when a new payment is received in Xero. This could automatically send a notification email via Gmail to your team members to alert them to the payment. Likewise, you could link Xero and Slack so weekly summaries of sales invoices in Xero are automatically sent to team members.
Xero can also be linked to Mailchimp, a popular email marketing platform. You can create a workflow which automatically adds clients to a Mailchimp subscriber list when their contact details are generated in Xero. This would allow you to then set up automatic Mailchimp email campaigns or monthly newsletters.
Zapier gives you the ability to link thousands of apps to Xero, further enhancing the benefits of software automation. Being able to reduce the amount of manual input required for repetitive tasks not only saves you valuable time but makes the whole experience much less stressful.
Image courtesy of Zapier
You have peace of mind that the data is correct and, with the addition of linked apps via Zapier, will be able to automate other processes to keep your business running as smoothly as possible. This will make for a much more enjoyable experience for you, your team, and your clients.
Read more about how we used process improvement and workflow automation to save our client, One Year No Beer, 32 hours in weekly bookkeeping time.
Solvaa is a process and automation consultancy specialising in improving sales, operations and financial administration workflows. We help you to simplify and streamline existing processes, integrate your business tools to make data transfer more efficient and automate manual tasks to increase productivity. We are Zapier Certified Experts, Pipedrive Certified Experts and Xero Certified Advisors.
Contact us today to discuss how Solvaa can help you simplify, improve and automate all aspects of your business with Xero and Zapier to save you time, reduce costs and keep you agile as you grow.
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