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Software & Systems

Accountancy Software & Systems

Setup, migration, training, and ongoing support across Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage. Whether you're moving from a legacy system, implementing cloud accounting for the first time, or rebuilding a chart of accounts that no longer reflects your business — this service covers it end to end.

Xero Certified Adviser
QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Sage Certified
MTD-compliant setup
Data migration included

Everything from day one to day-to-day

A software project fails when the setup is rushed and the team isn't trained. This service treats implementation as a structured engagement — not a product sale.

Software Selection & Scoping

An independent assessment of which platform is right for your business — based on transaction volume, industry, MTD obligations, integrations required, and budget. No vendor bias. The right tool for your situation.

Full System Setup

Chart of accounts structured to your business model. VAT schemes configured correctly (standard, cash, flat rate, or annual accounting). Bank feeds connected. Opening balances posted. Ready to use from day one.

Data Migration

Safe transfer of historical data from your legacy system — whether that's Sage Desktop, spreadsheets, or a prior cloud platform. Debtors, creditors, asset registers, and period-to-date balances all reconciled on arrival.

MTD Compliance Configuration

Making Tax Digital requires more than software. Your digital links, VAT filing pathway, and audit trail must all satisfy HMRC's requirements under VAT Notice 700/22. Setup is verified against those obligations before go-live.

App & Integration Stack

Connect your accounting software to the rest of your business: payment processors (Stripe, GoCardless), job management systems (Tradify, Jobber, ServiceM8), payroll, CRM, and e-commerce platforms. Eliminating double-entry saves hours every month.

Bespoke Reporting Configuration

Standard reports rarely show what you actually need to see. Custom P&L layouts, department tracking, cost-centre analysis, and budget vs actual templates — built into the software before you take ownership.

Staff Training

Hands-on training sessions for your finance team or office manager — covering invoice processing, bank reconciliation, expense coding, and period-end routines. Delivered remotely or on-site. Written reference guides provided.

Post-Go-Live Support

A 30-day support window after launch to resolve any configuration issues, answer questions, and adjust settings as real-world use reveals gaps. Most problems appear in the first billing cycle — this is when you need access, not a support ticket queue.

Ongoing Licence Management

We manage your software subscription on your behalf — ensuring you're on the right tier, that user access is reviewed, and that any new HMRC or platform updates are applied before they cause compliance or operational issues.

Certified across all major platforms

We hold active certifications with the UK's three principal cloud accounting providers. This matters: certified advisers receive direct technical support channels that standard users do not.

ProAdvisor

Strong choice for sole traders, contractors, and product-based businesses. Intuitive interface, competitive pricing tiers, and robust payroll functionality. Well-suited to clients who want to manage bookkeeping themselves with minimal friction.

Certified

Preferred by established businesses with complex requirements — multi-currency, construction-sector CIS workflows, and larger payroll runs. Sage 50 remains dominant in industries where desktop-grade power is needed alongside cloud access.

How a migration or new setup works

1

Discovery Call

We map your current system, transaction volumes, integrations needed, and reporting requirements. From this we confirm the right platform and scope the project.

2

Chart of Accounts Design

Your nominal ledger is designed before setup begins — not after. Industry-specific coding, department splits, and management reporting requirements all baked in from the start.

3

Data Migration & Reconciliation

Historical data extracted, cleaned, and imported. All balances reconciled to a trial balance before go-live is approved. No exceptions.

4

Configuration & Integration

VAT scheme, MTD pathway, bank feeds, and all integrations connected and tested in parallel — not after go-live.

5

Training & Handover

Live training sessions, written guides, and a signed-off go-live. Followed by 30 days of priority support.

Common situations we solve

  • New businesses that need to set up accounting software properly before their first VAT return
  • Growing businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets or a basic free tool
  • Businesses switching accountants whose current software is poorly configured or incorrectly coded
  • Companies migrating from Sage Desktop to a cloud platform ahead of an office move or remote working rollout
  • Construction businesses needing CIS and payroll correctly integrated within the same platform
  • Multi-entity businesses requiring inter-company transaction management
  • Businesses whose current chart of accounts makes management reporting impossible
  • Teams that have software but have never been trained — producing errors at every period end
⚠️ The hidden cost of a bad setup

A misconfigured chart of accounts or incorrect VAT scheme can take years to surface — and when it does, the cost of correction (re-coding transactions, amended returns, potential HMRC penalties) almost always exceeds the cost of getting it right at the start. Under VAT Notice 700/22, MTD digital link failures are a compliance matter, not just an administrative inconvenience.

Frequently asked questions

We're already on Xero but it's a mess — can you fix it rather than start again?

Yes. A software health check and remediation is a common engagement. We audit your chart of accounts, VAT configuration, opening balances, and bank reconciliation status, then correct what needs correcting. In most cases a full rebuild is unnecessary — but where it is, we'll tell you honestly before starting.

How long does a migration from Sage Desktop to Xero typically take?

For a straightforward SME with clean data, two to four weeks from scoping call to go-live is typical. Complexity increases with transaction history depth, number of integrations, and quality of the source data. Businesses with years of uncategorised transactions or unreconciled bank accounts will require more time in the data-cleaning phase before migration can proceed.

Do you manage the software licence on our behalf?

Yes. For clients on an ongoing accountancy package with S.K.E. Accountancy, we handle licence procurement and management as part of the relationship. The software subscription is held in your name — you remain the data owner — but we manage renewals, tier reviews, and user access on your behalf. This also means you benefit from adviser-tier pricing where platforms offer it.

Our team is not technical — can they actually use this after training?

This is the right concern to have. Training is tailored to the actual role: a bookkeeper receives different training from an office manager doing monthly invoicing. We build written process guides specific to your setup — not generic platform documentation. The goal is that your team can operate the software independently by the end of the handover period, not just during it.

Can you connect our job management or CRM software to the accounting platform?

Yes, provided a native or Zapier-based integration exists. For construction businesses, we regularly connect Tradify, Jobber, ServiceM8, and similar tools to Xero or QuickBooks, eliminating manual invoice duplication and ensuring job-level profitability data feeds directly into management accounts. We scope integration requirements during discovery and confirm feasibility before the project begins.

Get your software working properly

Whether it's a new setup, a broken migration, or a system that's never been configured correctly — we'll scope the work and tell you exactly what's needed before any commitment.