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Proven ROI, as proven by our customers

Posted on 06 July 2023

At FYI, we often talk about the platform’s leading reliability, enterprise-grade security, effortless onboarding and proven return on investment. But we know competitors will also talk the talk. So don’t just take our word for it.

If you’re thinking of implementing a document management solution, our customers have done the groundwork for you – having scrutinised countless systems, realised the efficiency gains, and achieved compelling long-term returns.

From research and revolutions to ROI, let’s look at the experience of leading accountancy practices using FYI.

Automation changed the game for Sidekick

New Zealand firm Sidekick was an early adopter of cloud-based accounting, and the world’s first Xero platinum partner. Having implemented a number of software systems in the practice, Group Operations Manager Julie Copland recognised the significance of moving to a document management system, and undertook a full business case to ensure they made the right selection.

After narrowing the options down to two products including FYI, Julie sought input from companies already using the systems, which helped them zero in on a single solution. “Once we realised FYI was the better fit,” says Julie, “we reached out to other firms using FYI, and held Q&A sessions to learn how they were using it, and what support from FYI was like.”

It’s through these customers that Julie learned the platform’s true value. And soon, Sidekick became the 1,000th practice to join FYI.

“One of the biggest things we were looking for was a system that stacks up in terms of ROI,” says Julie. “We realised the automations would potentially be a game changer for us.” And it was.

Within three months, Sidekick Queenstown surpassed their initial goal of automating five key processes, quickly adding another five to the list. And with FYI’s Automation Export feature, the firm’s automations can be easily shared with other offices in the group.

From an extensive research process to fast efficiency gains, the valuable insights Julie gained from FYI users is now benefiting others, both inside and outside the group.

Would Julie recommend FYI to other users? “I would say definitely, 100%”, she confirms.

FYI revolutionised work processes at Wallace Diack

Jason Gluer also went to great lengths to find software that would increase efficiencies in his practice.

The project manager and co-owner at Wallace Diack Chartered Accountants Ltd spent 12 months researching systems with his partner, Director Karen Draper, before choosing FYI. And in just six months, the platform transformed the firm’s processes.

By removing and automating manual processes, they were soon saving half a day per staff member each week – and about $400,000. Jason didn’t believe what he was seeing. “I had to get an accountant to check my numbers because I thought ‘I’ve missed a zero’. But I didn’t – they were the numbers (and) that’s huge for us.”

With more automations being switched on, Jason sees the firm reducing manual process time by 12 to 14 hours per staff member every week. 

“Anything that doesn’t make or save us money – or make or save our clients’ money – we’ll automate,” he says. And there’s more efficiency to come. “I don’t think we’re even scratching the surface yet, “ Jason says. “(While) the numbers were phenomenal, I don’t know how far it’s going to go because we can custom automate how we want to.”

Which is why he encourages other firms to follow his lead.

Just rip the band-aid off. It’s a big move, but I 100% recommend FYI.

Three years on, All in Advisory is still counting the benefits

While Julie and Jason are experiencing the power of FYI after extensive research (since only onboarding in the last year), South Australian practice All in Advisory has had three years to see the gains.

In this time, both the firm and founder Aly Garrett have received multiple accounting awards – including Xero Cloud Champion of the Year 2022 – and consider FYI a key player in their success. 

When we met Aly, All in Advisory was already reaping the benefits of FYI after onboarding with zero downtime. FYI had completely transformed the way the firm manages workflow, giving partners complete visibility of tasks across the business. Enabling the team to share documents securely with clients. And saving hours of routine work each week – freeing up time to concentrate on higher-value services. “All those little tasks and automations provide the greatest productivity in the long run,” says Aly.

And with that, Aly was searching for the next gains. “We implemented FYI for a specific purpose, and it’s solved those problems, but what else can I get from this? Our task is to lean into that automation and find out exactly what we can do.”

Three years later, the practice has grown significantly, and Aly sees FYI as an integral part of the business. “We’re in it all day, every day. It’s a key product for us,” she says. “FYI helps with every single admin task we have, (and) integrates all the products we use in our ecosystem.”

Back to our claims of reliability, security and ROI, Aly has this to say.

“It’s been a really reliable platform for us. It’s secure. It’s consistent. And it’s providing us with efficiencies that we just didn’t have before. Return on investment isn’t just the amount you pay. It’s about resolving pain points, feeling confident in the product you’re using and that you have peace of mind. I can tick off all of those.”  

Aly says she’d recommend FYI to other firms, “one hundred percent”, but she adds this. “Does FYI go above and beyond document management? One million per cent.

With ‘100%’ recommendations from 100% of these customers, we’d say we’re walking the talk when it comes to the benefits of FYI. 

Want to put fast efficiency and long-term ROI to work in your practice? The answer is clear. Get your team together for a free, live demo of FYI today.