2015 Innovation Award Nominee: Xero Side-by-Side Files

In March 2015, Xero introduced Side-by-Side Files explicitly with the small business owner and accountant in mind. With new capabilities provided by Side-by-Side Files, Xero has improved the efficiency, productivity and profitability for small business owners and accounting professionals alike.

Side-by-Side Files makes the process of entering data into Xero easier for after-the-fact reporting and document-based transaction processing – especially on a mobile device. Now, users can easily upload a scanned photo of their receipt, bill, etc. and view the image on the same screen, any time, anywhere and while working on other tasks.

Once a file is in a user’s Xero Files inbox, a user can create a financial transaction from the file, auto-attaching the document as they go and viewing it side-by-side while they’re entering the details. Then, when the transaction is created, the file will be displayed alongside the transaction appearing on the left-hand side of the screen, while the form appears on the right – hence Side-by-Side Files.

An added benefit of storing documents inside Xero is that it makes finding files easier and ensures records are in one place (financial data and docs together), making collaboration more streamlined. Users are also able to forward all relevant documents to a Xero inbox, and then process those documents when they’re ready.

In return, and because of the Side-by-Side Files’ usability, accountants, bookkeepers and small business owners experience an increase of accuracy in terms of data input. This is ideal for Xero users who work with clients or small business owners whose employees don’t typically add data directly into Xero. Side-by-Side Files: https://vimeo.com/121615763

Click here to see all of the other nominees for the 2015 Innovation Awards.