7 Steps to Moving to the Cloud Without Creating a Tornado

Doug Sleeter Founder The Sleeter Group, Inc.

FollowonTwi)er

@dougsleeter

DougSleeter

TheSleeterGroup800MemberAccoun9ngConsul9ngGroup

Author—TextbooksandReferenceGuides

ConsultanttoSoFwareDevelopers

www.sleeter.com

CPAPrac9ceAdvisorColumnistTop25ThoughtLeader

Accoun9ngTodayTop100MostInfluen9alPeople

SmallBusinessInfluencerChampion

want

85%of

24%saytheyreceiveit

fromtheiraccountant

proac9ve,strategicadvice

Source:WhatSMBsWant,March2014ResearchReport,TheSleeterGroup,Inc.

OpportunityKnocks

SMBs

1.LEADBuildaTeam

2.TakeInventory

3.Evaluate 4.Plan

5.Deploy 6.Measure 7.Decommission,Document&

Archive

7 Steps

1. Lead – Build a Team

• GetBuy-In• FindStrongLeaders• InvolveFront-LineEmployees

FORMACHANGETEAM

Ifyouskipthisstep,youmayfindyourselfalonecrusaderin

yourfirm

Makesurethewholeteam

embracesthevision

1. Lead – Build a Team

• Besuccinct• WhyChangeisNecessary• WhatPainYou’reSolving• EnvisionSuccess

CREATEACLEARVISION

1.LEADBuildaTeam

2.TakeInventory

3.Evaluate 4.Plan

5.Deploy 6.Measure 7.Decommission,Document&

Archive

√7 Steps

Accoun9ngOnlineBillPaymentDocumentStoragePayroll

PainPointPremise CloudProcess

DesktopAppBill.comSmartVaultPaychex

Current

RemoteAccess

FraudRisk,Paper

SecureStorage

Cost

√√

√

√

2. Take Inventory MAKEACOMPLETELISTOFALLBUSINESSPROCESSES

BeThorough

2. Take Inventory

• $andPeopleCosts• FocusonTotalCostofOwnership

MEASURECOSTS(PAIN)

2. Take Inventory

• SoFware• Infrastructure• People• Support

TOTALCOSTOFOWNERSHIP

vs

•  Mul>-Loca>on? •  Remote Workers? •  Mobile Access?

•  Scalability? •  Are You Mired in Manual

Processes?

2. Take Inventory

IsS9ckingwithDesktopWorkingforyou?

RE-CHECKALLOFYOURASSUMPTIONS

1.Lead&BuildaTeam

2.TakeInventory

3.Evaluate 4.Plan

5.Deploy 6.Measure 7.Decommission,Document&

Archive

√ √7 Steps

Payments

DigitalInvoices,Emailapprovals,

Schedulingpaymentsviawebportal

EnterBill,PayBill,

PrintCheck

DesktopContact

Management

CRM

FullyIntegratedCRM,Socialand

Email

Payroll

OnlinePayrollSolu9on

DesktopPayrollSoFwareorServicew/PaperChecks

GeneralLedgerAccounLng

HostedDesktoporSaaS

Accoun9ng

DesktopAccoun9ng

System

3. Evaluate Solu>ons Focusontheareasforimprovement

OnlineSales

EcommerceShoppingCarts

BrickandMortarStorefronts

Onlinee-travelandExpenseManagement

ExpenseReportsonPaperandExcel

ExpenseReporLng

FileSharingPCtoPC(emailorLAN)

CollaboraLveDocuments

CloudDocumentSharing

ManualDataEntry

ManagingAutomatedWeb-basedDataFlows

SoFwareTricksinDesktopApps

Focusontheareasforimprovement3. Evaluate Solu>ons

Marke9ngDepartments

saywhatproductsdo…

3. Evaluate Solu>ons

ButquiteoFenproductsdon’tdowhattheysay.

3. Evaluate Solu>ons

TheBuckStops

withYou.

3. Evaluate Solu>ons

• Workthroughyourusecases• Considerdigitalplumbing• Scru9nizeusability

TestwithRealis9cData

3. Evaluate Solu>ons RESISTINTOXICATIONOFGREATDEMOS

Evaluate|Resist|StressTest

1.Lead&BuildaTeam

2.TakeInventory

3.Evaluate 4.Plan

5.Deploy 6.Measure 7.Decommission,Document&

Archive

√ √ √7 Steps

BusinessProcessChanges:

WhichBusinessesProcesses—WhoisAffected

Process OldSoluLon

NewSoluLon

NewProcess

StaffAffected

QuickBooksEnterprise QBO BankFeeds,NewBankingProcess,

LimitedSalesTax Bookkeeper

Desktop HostedDesktop

Logontoremoteserver,soFwareremainsthesame Bookkeeper

AR QuickBooksDesktop Bill.com

Paperless,ElectronicInvoicing,Reminders,Payments,SyncwithAccoun9ng

Bookkeeper,Approvers

Payroll QuickBooksBasicPayroll

IntuitOnlinePayroll

Paperless,DirectDeposit,NewWorkflowsforliabilitypayments

PayrollAdmin,Employees

Timesheets None(orExcel) T-Sheets Webbased9meanda)endanceEmployees,Approvers,Bookkeeper

JobCos9ng QuickBooksDesktop QBO Similarfunc9ons,DifferentReports,

TricksforEs9mates Bookkeeper

4. Plan

Which,How,Who,When?

4. Plan

• Iden9fyChicken-EggScenarios

• ProoftheOrderofConversion

CREATEACONVERSIONDEPENDENCYLIST

4. Plan

• CleanupCustomers,Vendors,Etc.• CleanUpFinancialData• DecideWhatOldDatatoConvert• ArchiveDatainOldFormat• ExportAllDatatoNewFormat

PREPARETHEDATAFORTRANSITION

1.Lead&BuildaTeam

2.TakeInventory

3.Evaluate 4.Plan

5.Deploy 6.Measure 7.Decommission,Document&

Archive

√ √√√7 Steps

5. Deploy

• ScheduleGo-Live(SlowestBusinessTime)

• EnsureStaffAvailability(over8memayberequired)

• HaveaFall-BackPlan(ifMurphy’sLawapplies)

DEPLOYNEWSYSTEMSANDVERIFY

5. Deploy

• Transac9ons• DigitalPlumbing• MerchantAccounts• BankFeeds• Financial&MgmtReports

VERIFYALLCOREBUSINESSPROCESSESASAP

1.Lead&BuildaTeam

2.TakeInventory

3.Evaluate 4.Plan

5.Deploy 6.Measure 7.Decommission,Document&

Archive

√ √√√

√

7 Steps

6. Measure

• IsStaffMoreEfficient?• AreDataMoreReliable?• AreManualProcessReduced/Eliminated?

• StayAgile,butbePa9ent

MEASURECHANGESANDEVALUATE

1.Lead&BuildaTeam

2.TakeInventory

3.Evaluate 4.Plan

5.Deploy 6.Measure 7.Decommission,Document&

Archive

√ √√√

√ √

7 Steps

7. Decommission

• Atleastonecalendarquarter

• AFerallReconcilia9ons,TaxReports,Etc.

WAITAFULLBUSINESSCYCLETOCOMPLETE

Q A&

SALES

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