"It’s a great buzz seeing the light go on for a client as we talk through the Spotlight Report.” Avril Hilland CA Laurensons

Spotlight Reporting provides a much higher standard of management reporting than we can achieve with our accounting system and EXCEL, and at a lower cost. It was just too difficult and time-consuming - Spotlight Reporting has changed all that.

In just a few minutes we have data imported from Xero and great-looking reports and data tables to work with. We’re now spending more time looking at client results and giving meaningful commentary and recommendations. It’s a heap more fun and so much better for the client - a win-win all round.

We’ve had a really good client uptake with Spotlight Reporting. After moving existing managed clients over we have taken a two-pronged approach - offering new clients a service bundle that includes Spotlight Reporting, and preparing complimentary reports for our larger clients so they could see how useful it was.

“Those businesses that want to grow generally pick the Spotlight Reporting option. This option can be a factor in clients moving to us, as they are bowled over by the enhanced reporting compared to what their current accountant has been providing.”

And now we are rolling out Dashboard to all clients that we do Xero coding and GST for. With each GST Return they will receive a customised Dashboard highlighting performance and issues that need to be addressed. For free.

The first Dashboard for each client had to be worked on between the staff member and the Director to decide on the most relevant display, but it soon became apparent we had some standard combinations. Quick, easy.

Suddenly the driver for us coding their Xero transactions is not just tax but communicating with them on performance and the future - and at very little extra cost to us. We think clients appreciate the extra value that our Dashboard gives them.

“Spotlight Dashboard offers a whole new direction and value-add for our smaller clients. Exciting to have something specifically for those loyal clients that are the base for so many accounting firms.”

Looking to the future, there is legislative change to reduce reporting requirements and fee pressure on compliance work. To react to this, we needed to increase our efficiencies and expand our base of services.

Xero and Spotlight Reporting provide tools that make it easy for us to do that and run with a whole new direction of collaboration with our clients. They are a key part of our business strategy.

“Having cloud software like Xero, Spotlight Reporting and Spotlight Dashboard has been critical for us to grow our practice in an environment of change.”