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“Small Business Cloud Migration: How to Transition Your Clients Without Creating a Tornado”. A Keynote Address at QBConnect by Doug Sleeter Accountants today must be able to manage the migration of multiple connected systems in the cloud. Being able to see the data from anywhere allows accountants to be more efficient and provide better client services 24/7. For firms transitioning clients to the cloud, moving these systems and data can be a difficult process which cannot be accomplished in a piecemeal fashion. Doug Sleeter will share important knowledge which will shed light on this process, as well as reveal ground breaking data on how the cloud migration is affecting all small business models.
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@dougsleeter
@dougsleeter
Doug Sleeter
Follow on Twitter@
sleetergroup
Small Business Cloud Migration:How to Transition Your Clients Without Creating a Tornado
@dougsleeter
Follow on Twitter
@ dougsleeter
Doug Sleeter
The Sleeter Group800 Member Accounting Consulting Group
Author —Textbooks and Reference Guides
Consultant to Software Developers
www.sleeter.com
CPA Practice AdvisorColumnistTop 25 Thought Leader
Accounting TodayTop 100 Most Influential People
Small Business InfluencerChampion
@dougsleeter
want
85% of
24%say they receive it
from their accountant proactive, strategic advice
Source: What SMBs Want, March 2014 Research Report, The Sleeter Group, Inc.
Opportunity Knocks
SMBs
@dougsleeter7 Steps
1. LEAD Build a Team
2. Take Inventor
y
3. Evaluate
4. Plan
5. Deploy
6. Measure
7. Decommission,
Document & Archive
@dougsleeter
1. Lead – Build a Team
• Get Buy-In• Find Strong
Leaders• Involve Front-Line
Employees
FORM A CHANGE TEAM
If you skip this step, you may find yourself
a lone crusader in your firm
@dougsleeter
Make sure the whole team
embraces the vision
1. Lead – Build a Team
• Be succinct• Why Change is Necessary• What Pain You’re Solving• Envision Success
CREATE A CLEAR VISION
@dougsleeter7 Steps
1. LEAD Build a Team
2. Take Inventor
y
3. Evaluate
4. Plan
5. Deploy
6. Measure
7. Decommission,
Document & Archive
√
@dougsleeter
Be Thorough
AccountingOnline Bill PaymentDocument StoragePayroll
Pain PointPremise CloudProcess
Desktop AppBill.comSmartVaultPaychex
Current
Remote Access
Fraud Risk, Paper
Secure Storage
Cost
√√
√
√
2. Take Inventory
MAKE A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BUSINESS PROCESSES
@dougsleeter
@dougsleeter
2. Take Inventory
• $ and People Costs• Focus on
Total Cost of Ownership
MEASURE COSTS (PAIN)
@dougsleeter
2. Take Inventory
• Software• Infrastructure• People• Support
TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
vs
@dougsleeter
Multi-Location?Remote Workers?Mobile Access?
Scalability?Are You Mired in Manual Processes?
2. Take Inventory
Is Sticking with Desktop Working for you?
RE-CHECK ALL OF YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
@dougsleeter7 Steps
1. Lead & Build a Team
2. Take Inventor
y
3. Evaluate
4. Plan
5. Deploy
6. Measure
7. Decommission,
Document & Archive
√ √
Payments
Digital Invoices,Email approvals,
Scheduling payments via web portal
Enter Bill,Pay Bill,
Print CheckDesktop Contact
Management
CRM
Fully Integrated CRM, Social and
Payroll
Online Payroll Solution
Desktop Payroll Software or Service w/Paper Checks
General LedgerAccounting
Hosted Desktop or SaaS
Accounting
Desktop Accounting
System
Focus on the areas for improvement
3. Evaluate Solutions
@dougsleeter
Online Sales
Ecommerce Shopping Carts
Brick and Mortar Storefronts
Online e-travel and Expense Management
Expense Reports on Paper and Excel
Expense Reporting
File Sharing PC to PC(email or LAN)
CollaborativeDocuments
Cloud Document Sharing
Manual Data Entry
Managing Automated Web-based Data Flows
Software Tricks in Desktop Apps
Focus on the areas for improvement
3. Evaluate Solutions
@dougsleeter
Marketing Departments
3. Evaluate Solutions
say what products do…
@dougsleeter
But quite often productsdon’t do what they say.
3. Evaluate Solutions
@dougsleeter
The Buck Stops
with You.
3. Evaluate Solutions
@dougsleeter
• Work through your use cases• Consider digital plumbing• Scrutinize usability
Test with Realistic Data
3. Evaluate Solutions
RESIST INTOXICATION OF GREAT DEMOS
Evaluate | Resist | Stress Test
@dougsleeter7 Steps
1. Lead & Build a Team
2. Take Inventor
y
3. Evaluate
4. Plan
5. Deploy
6. Measure
7. Decommission,
Document & Archive
√ √ √
@dougsleeter
Business Process Changes:
Which, How, Who, When?
Which Businesses Processes — Who is Affected
Process Old Solution
New Solution
New Process
Staff Affected
QuickBooks Enterprise QBO Bank Feeds, New Banking
Process, Limited Sales Tax Bookkeeper
Desktop HostedDesktop
Log on to remote server, software remains the same Bookkeeper
AR QuickBooks Desktop Bill.com
Paperless, Electronic Invoicing, Reminders, Payments, Sync with Accounting
Bookkeeper, Approvers
Payroll QuickBooks Basic Payroll
Intuit Online Payroll
Paperless, Direct Deposit, New Workflows for liability payments
Payroll Admin, Employees
Timesheets None (or Excel) T-Sheets Web based time and attendanceEmployees, Approvers, Bookkeeper
Job Costing QuickBooks Desktop QBO Similar functions, Different
Reports, Tricks for Estimates Bookkeeper
4. Plan
@dougsleeter
4. Plan
• Identify Chicken-Egg Scenarios
• Proof the Order of Conversion
CREATE A CONVERSION DEPENDENCY LIST
@dougsleeter
4. Plan
• Clean up Customers, Vendors, Etc.• Clean Up Financial Data• Decide What Old Data to Convert• Archive Data in Old Format• Export All Data to New Format
PREPARE THE DATA FOR TRANSITION
@dougsleeter7 Steps
1. Lead & Build a Team
2. Take Inventor
y
3. Evaluate
4. Plan
5. Deploy
6. Measure
7. Decommission,
Document & Archive
√ √√√
@dougsleeter
5. Deploy
• Schedule Go-Live(Slowest Business Time)
• Ensure Staff Availability(overtime may be required)
• Have a Fall-Back Plan(if Murphy’s Law applies)
DEPLOY NEW SYSTEMS AND VERIFY
@dougsleeter
5. Deploy
• Transactions• Digital Plumbing• Merchant Accounts• Bank Feeds• Financial & Mgmt Reports
VERIFY ALL CORE BUSINESS PROCESSES ASAP
@dougsleeter7 Steps
1. Lead & Build a Team
2. Take Inventor
y
3. Evaluate
4. Plan
5. Deploy
6. Measure
7. Decommission,
Document & Archive
√ √√√
√
@dougsleeter
6. Measure
• Is Staff More Efficient?• Are Data More Reliable?• Are Manual Process
Reduced/Eliminated?• Stay Agile, but be Patient
MEASURE CHANGES AND EVALUATE
@dougsleeter7 Steps
1. Lead & Build a Team
2. Take Inventor
y
3. Evaluate
4. Plan
5. Deploy
6. Measure
7. Decommission,
Document & Archive
√ √√√
√ √
@dougsleeter
7. Decommission
• At least one calendar quarter
• After all Reconciliations, Tax Reports, Etc.
WAIT A FULL BUSINESS CYCLE TO COMPLETE
@dougsleeter
30
Join me at
www.sleeterconference.com
• 10 Keynotes, including:
• 70+ Sessions• Pre-Conference
Workshops• 90+ Technology
Vendors• Networking• And more…
@dougsleeter
Let’s Continue the Conversation
@dougsleeter
DISCUSSION
Thank you
