WorkflowMax show how easy integration can be

We’ve just released some slick integration between KashFlow and WorkflowMax. WorkflowMax are a web-based provider of job, time and project management software so the integration was obvious. I’m trying to avoid using words like “synergy”, but I can’t think of a suitable alternative.

We can’t take the credit for the integration, all the hard work was done at their end. But they’ve done a great job as the videos we have on the WorkflowMax page demonstrate. Slick and seamless. We’re intending to use these videos as examples to show other potential integrators how our API could (and should) be used.

The integration with WorkflowMax typifies the approach we’re taking with KashFlow. We specialise in easy to use accounting software – we do it well and at a very good price.  We have basic project management features, but if we tried to add anything much more advanced, we wouldn’t do as good a job of it as a company that specialises in it. We’d also have to increase the cost of the software to support the development overhead.

By concentrating on what we do best and integrating with other web apps wherever possible, we all win. In fact, this is a  win-win-win situation (as opposed to just win-win):

• We benefit because we become attractive to a wider audience because of the extra functionality.
• WorkflowMax have already started getting new customers from us.
• Our existing customers benefit because they now get access to time and job management features previously unavailable. Those that don’t want it don’t pay for it.

There are so many other benefits too, especially around the marketing side of things. We benefit from every penny our various partners spend on marketing and vice versa. Association with bigger brand names like PayPal also give us extra credibility and kudos. I’ve already successfully avoided using ‘synergy’, the cringeworthy business-talk word I’m dancing around now is probably ‘leverage’.

So as a small business owner, you choose KashFlow as the central accounting hub for your business – and then pick from a menu of add-ons for any additional functionality you require. And you get best-of-breed rather than second-rate.

We’ve already started pursuing this strategy. There are a number of integrations that are in the final stages and due to be announced in the coming weeks, plus others that are still in the early stages.

Interestingly, where we’re currently struggling to find  suitable partners is on the payroll side of things. I say interestingly, because I’d have thought that after CRM and accounting, this is the obvious opportunity in the SaaS space – especially at the SMB end of the market. We’re already integrated with 12Pay, but it’s windows-only and desktop-based; we want to give our customers (many of whom are Mac users) a wider range to chose from.

Moneysoft Payroll Manager is a product I’d love to see integration with. Although it’s also disc-based and windows only, it’s based on the same ease-of-use basis that KashFlow is known for, so I know our existing network or partners accountants and users would love it.  Some already use it. The guys at Moneysoft are occupied with other things at the moment, but I’m hoping this is something we can progress later in the year.

So if you know of any other good (preferably online) payroll apps, do let us know.

Simiarly, if you run a SaaS company and think you have some synergy with us, then touch base with Neil Ballard here in the office on 0800 848 8301/020 7403 0101 to do some pro-active blue-sky thinking outside of the box to see if we can all get some leverage from pushing the envelope. If we’re singing from the same hymn sheet then once all the ducks are in a  row he’ll give our pro-active developers a heads-up so you’ll gain some exposure on our apps page going forward.