Accounting Apps Podcast| formerly Cloud Stories | Accounting Technology Heather Smith | Accountant & Storyteller

Today, I’ve something exciting to share with you. You know how you get excited when a lost Beatle or Nirvana track is found, well the extraordinary Alexi Boyd uncovered the audio of a panel discussion from Sydney Xerocon PreXerocon 2023. I honestly thought I’d never hear it again, and then mid March she sent me a copy - making me a very happy podcaster cause I get to share it with you. The panel discussion was held at the beautiful Hinchcliff House at Circular Quay. Unfortunately the room was a little noisy on the day of the event. However much to my surprise the audio quality is really quite good.  
 
The topic for discussion was “Unravelling the future of AccounTech”.
 
If you are a regular listener you will know, I value bringing diversity to these tech conversations: The moderator Alexi Boyd ran a BAS and Bookkeeping business for 8 years. She is the Radio Show host of Small Biz Matters and now works in policy strategy and government relations. Her background led her to take the conversation in an interesting direction, consumer data rights and restrictions on data and innovation and the differences between data protection laws in Europe, UK, and Australia.
 
This event was the first time Sabby Gill, the new Dext formerly Receipt Bank CEO, had spoken in Australia. Sabby had literally just got off the plane. London based Sabby Gill brought an overseas perspective, as well as his 35 years in the UK technology sector. Aly Garrett is a modern, technology savvy accountant, from South Australia. She represented accountants, their small business clients, and living outside the major Australian cities, brought a regional perspective to the conversation.
 
Roger Gregg brought that unique energy that comes with being a Fintech founder, plus his expensive knowledge of the hospitality and brewing industry, which certainly flavoured the conversation. 
 
I shall add in some recent relevant news, congratulations are in order, 10 months after recording this, it has been announced that the Access Group Has Entered Into an Agreement to Acquire Pioneering AP Automation Provider, Lightyear 
 
Let me fill you in on a bit of a backstory. The Gregg brothers were one of the original App partners, with their solution InvitBox. I’m thinking within the first ten years? InvitBox won Xero emerging app partner in 2013. Then in May 2014 Intuit acquired InvitBox. The very blue boys turned green overnight. Several years later, in quite an unprecedented move, they bought InvitBox back from Intuit for a single dollar! And relaunched as LightYear. 
 
Here we are ten years later, and they have sold again, this time to The Access Group. 
 
Read more here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7194623580830105601/
 https://heathersmithsmallbusiness.com/2024/06/06/unravelling-the-future-of-accountech-sydney-xerocon-2023/
Contact details:
Alexi Boyd https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiboyd/ 
Small Biz Matters https://smallbizmatters.com.au/ 
Aly Garrett https://www.linkedin.com/in/alygarrett/ 
Sabby Gill https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabbygill/
Roger Gregg https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogergregg/ 
Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM
Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ 
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting 
X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

Heather Smith and Tyler Caskey discuss feature and functionality releases, new integrations, pricing adjustments, and acquisitions in the Accounting Apps space during March, April, May ‘24.
Today I’m speaking with Tyler Caskey Partner at The Bean Counters. In this episode, we talk about . . .
News and updates from Xero, QuickBooks & MYOB were discussed, including new features, integrations, pricing changes, and acquisitions
Stories from the Inventory management space, including pain points and promising solutions explored
Practice management tools for accounting firms featuring FYI Elite: Combined document, employee, and practice management solution.
Apps recommended for both work and personal use, such as donate blood and seven rooms
Lightyear acquisition by The Access Group analysed for hospitality industry benefits
Synder & Cin7: Integration for seamless inventory and financial management.
Fathom Reporting: Compare Actuals YTD + Budget against the Full Year Budget reporting.
Calxa Features: Bulk Connections for multiple Xero organisations, and Sub-Accounts for detailed financial tracking.
Finlert’s SubSync: Integration between Stripe and Xero.
A2X Accounting: New Settlements and Payouts page for e-commerce transaction reconciliation.
BOMA Marketing AI: Content Assist for customising marketing content.
Sharesight: Enhanced trade file upload functionality.
Netgain: Automates repetitive back-office tasks, specialises in ERP software solutions.
NetSuite Updates: Enhanced inventory transfer settings, batch payment approval workflows, and options to mask company bank account numbers in electronic payment files.
New apps we’ve tried recently and a few personal favourites
Follow up on stories from the last episode.
WorkflowMax by Xero Retirement: Last day to access is 26 June 2024. Users need a migration plan now!
Xero New Invoicing: Heather has switched to New Invoicing! But Tyler switched back to Classic invoicing.
 
Many thanks to the sponsors of todays episode:
Employment Hero  Fathom Reporting XBert  
Contact details:
Tyler Caskey https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercaskey/ 
Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM
Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ 
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting 
X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU 
 

Today I’m speaking with Adam Riches, CEO & Co-Founder of Netgain
In this episode, we talk about . . .
- Adam Riches discusses the new lease accounting standards IFRS 16 and ASC 842, and how Netgain helps clients navigate the complexities
- Riches shares how Netgain automates lease data extraction from contracts using AI to save accountants time
- The challenges of managing cash flow visibility and bank reconciliations for businesses are highlighted
- How Netgain's tools like its close module help speed up the month-end close process and improve data quality
- The history of accounting software development is examined, from mainframes to Excel, and how Netgain aims to continue innovating
- Potential applications of AI in accounting are explored, such as automating bookkeeping tasks and catching previously overlooked errors
Contact details:
 
Adam Riches linkedin.com/in/adam-riches-cpa
Netgain: https://www.netgain.tech/ 
Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM
Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ 
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting 
X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU 
 

Today I’m speaking with Sarah Lawrance, Founder & CEO of Hot Toast. In this episode, we talk about . . .
- Sarah Lawrance shares her journey from childhood fascination with business to becoming a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) and founding her firm Hot Toast
- Lawrance discusses her formative career experiences in Australia, London and fast-growth startups, and the inspiration for starting her own business
- Sarah describes her role as a CFO for rapidly growing businesses, helping clients scale through advisory services, reporting, and finance team development
- Sarah integrates technologies like G-Accon and SYFT to deliver data insights, and sees opportunities in AI and machine learning
"I'm a big fan of G-Accon. I really love that tool. It's such a beautiful little connector that we pull lots of data out. We use it with Google Sheets. The creatives love Google Sheets, and they love zeros. So to be able to just link those two up and then kind of manipulate those into our own kind of models is a massive win for us."

- When she could not find an age appropriate soccer club, she started her own women's soccer team. The team has since expanded to over 100 members in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.- Frustrated by a lack of female board opportunities she co-founded the Global Women's Accounting Influencers community
- The conversation covers mentoring the next generation, leveraging networks, and the power of community in the accounting industry
 
Contact details:
Sarah Lawrance https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-lawrance-fcpa-83894516/
Hot Toast : https://hottoast.com.au/ 
Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM
Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ 
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting 
X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU 

- Heather Smith moderates a debate between accounting software pioneer Michael Wood and tech strategist John Toon on the pros and cons of Excel vs Software
- Michael argues that while Excel excels for individual tasks, software is better suited for collaboration and building efficient workflows for businesses
- John counters that users, not the tools, are often to blame for Excel's downfalls, and that Excel can effectively replace basic accounting tasks for some clients 
- The debate weighs the impact of tools on practice efficiency, profitability, and eventual sale value, with both sides acknowledging Excel's enduring relevance alongside advancing software
- Listeners are polled on the winning side to much debate, highlighting the complexities of choosing the right tools for each accounting need
Michael Wood https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelwood/ 
https://www.translucent.io/ 
 
John Toon https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntoon/ 
Podcast https://digitoolsinaccrual.world/ 
Community https://www.digital-disruptors.com/ 
Beever and Struthers https://www.beeverstruthers.co.uk/ 
Contact details:
Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM
Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ 
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting 
X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU 
 

Today I’m debating Samuel Green, UK Partnership Account Executive of Employment Hero on AI vs the human touch in accounting at the Festival of Accountants and Bookkeepers
- Smith argues the human touch is crucial for customer service and empathy while Greene emphasises AI's potential for efficiency and insights  
- Both agree AI can streamline repetitive tasks but human oversight is still needed
- Attendees question how AI will evolve and what to consider when choosing software
- Smith encourages evaluating long-term roadmaps and support while Greene discusses AI use cases at Employment Hero
- They find consensus that selective AI use can enhance but not replace the human experience in client relationships
Write up from the debate
AI and the case for the human touch
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/accounting-software/ai-and-the-case-for-the-human-touch 
 
Samuel Green https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelgreen14/
https://employmenthero.com/
Contact details:
Accounting Apps newsletter: http://HeatherSmithAU.COM
Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ 
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting 
X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU