5 Best Xero Apps for 2017

There are now over 500 time saving Xero apps that are designed to help your business work more efficiently. But which are the best Xero apps for your business? From advanced reporting and time tracking tools, through to tools that make managing inventory and orders in real-time easy, there are a vast number to choose from.

In our bid to save you time we’ve looked at five more for you:

Fathom – for management analytics

If you are the sort of person who values regular management reports but finds spreadsheets and tables an uninspiring way of presenting information, then Fathom could well be for you. Fathom will provide you with management reporting and financial analysis in meaningful, easy-to-digest visual formats.

“Have just attended a business advisory meeting with a client this week that has increased EBIT by $500K in twelve months, built on the back of analytics from Fathom. I love the goal seek tool that is eloquently simple and demonstrates the required strategies.” Chris Mullins

We believe that Fathom and Float are a powerful combination; with Fathom providing clear historic analysis and Float providing insight into the future.

TSheets – for timesheet management

This is a great app for any business that runs timesheets. They are by far the most popular app in the QuickBooks Online ecosystem (with over 2,000 5* reviews). So, their integration with Xero should be great news for Xero users.

The app helps with scheduling hours, it provides reports and alerts and, once you have approved hours, you can fire the information straight into Xero to be automatically processed by payroll.

They promise an end to “Excel spreadsheets, no-show employees, and late nights spent playing Tetris with employee hours”. If their feedback is anything to go by, it is not an idle boast.

Expensify – keep a handle on expenses

Expensify has made the expenses process easier both for employees and administrators. The software makes it incredibly easy for employees to log expenses on the go, automatically generating a personalised expense report which can be reviewed and approved at any time. Admins can set up rules to auto tag or auto approve certain allowable expenses, saving further processing time. Approved expenses flow through to Xero, and reimbursement can be done through a variety of methods, including payroll.

Expensify also supports tax sync with Xero. Simply enable the tax sync in your Xero configuration and Expensify will automatically import your taxes from Xero.

We use the software and really like it. Employees no longer have to keep hold of receipts or wait forever to get reimbursed. Our bookkeeper no longer has to spend hours entering data, and our CEO can see expenses coming in throughout the month, meaning no sudden outflow of cash every few weeks. To see our full review of Expensify click here.

Unleashed – lean stock management

This is an app for manufacturers, distributors and resellers looking to get a better handle on their inventory. Because inventory is a use of cash, lean stock management ensures you never miss a sale because you didn’t have an item, while at the same time making sure you always have the maximum amount of cash available to reinvest in your business.

“Unleashed is definitely an excellent software addition for Xero, adding the full inventory management that Xero lacks. Add to that that the integration with Xero is really simple – literally two clicks. Highly recommended.” Marc Walters

CHASER – best practice invoice chasing

CHASER helps you get paid on time by automatically emailing timely requests for payment. They have mastered the art of polite persistence that gets results. You could spend days with a paper hit list manually writing emails to ask for payment and continually cross-checking your account to see who’s paid and who hasn’t. CHASER can do all that for you by sending the people who owe you cash personalised reminders and stopping as soon as you receive payment. To see our full review of Chaser click here.

As a SaaS business that collects subscriptions upfront, we don’t use CHASER ourselves, but the software is one of the best-reviewed Xero apps in the Xero ecosystem and was the winner of Add On of the Year at XeroCon London 2016.

See our original post: The 5 Best Xero Add-ons – now updated for 2017