We helped Bursar Junior Academy with the lack of storage space by putting all their documents in the cloud

‍How did your relationship with XfE begin, how did you hear about us?

I joined Branston Junior Academy as the school Bursar in May 2021 and was very disappointed with the finance system I inherited. I was speaking with one of the accountants at our audit firm and I was saying how much I wanted to change the system. She told me that she heard positive reports about XfE and put me in touch with Sam. We arranged a demo and, following approval from the governors, we signed up!

What feature on Xfe do you find most appealing?

It’s hard to pick just one feature as I am enjoying the system as a whole and I find it very intuitive to use and easy to learn however, my favourite feature is the bank reconciliation and the way the system remembers where items have been coded previously – very impressive software!

What problems has XfE solved in your organisation?

One of our biggest challenges in my school is lack of storage space so the ability to very easily add documents such as invoices onto the system will massively cut down on the physical finance archive. I also like the fact that you can add a note onto any transaction so the auditors will be able to see exactly what has happened and the rationale for any changes.

How does it compare to your old system?

Having used other finance systems before I started working in the school, the system I inherited felt very ‘clunky’ and old-fashioned; very time-consuming in terms of data entry and overall, very frustrating to use. Now we have moved to XfE, I am saving time and actually have confidence in the data produced in reports. The Governors know I am a very happy Bursar with XfE in place!

How would you describe your working relationship with Sam and the team?

I have found the relationship to be very positive and supportive from the first conversation with Sam through to the implementation and training. I’ve also appreciated the way in which the team have been responsive to questions which have always been answered promptly.

How would you describe the training for XfE you received?

The training has been fab! I like the way it was broken down over a number of regular sessions which meant I could apply the training straight away and bring any questions to the next session. I also appreciated that Evan could see when I got something and move on rather than having to sit through a section I didn’t need (which I’m sure we have all experienced at some point!)

How would you rate the work carried out by our team, and would you recommend us to others?

The information the team needed from my old system was communicated clearly and to be honest I was surprised at how little work I had to do! The implementation went very smoothly and our XfE site was live as per timescales agreed. I would thoroughly recommend XfE and the team at Thorne Widgery

Anything else you would like to add?

Working with the team has felt more like a partnership rather than a traditional customer/client relationship which has been refreshing and I look forward to continue working with you for many years to come!

I would also add that moving to XfE is going to save the school money as it is much more cost-effective option compared to many of the other education finance systems available.

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