From Manual Workpapers to Cloud Automation: How ERY Modernised 20 Years of Practice

Background:

After more than 20 years in practice, the owners of ERY, a boutique accounting firm undertook a strategic modernization program following their transition to joint ownership three years ago. Their goal was to move toward best-practice systems, reduce inefficiencies, and future-proof the business through cloud-based technology.

In July 2025, the firm adopted SMSF Sorted and Workpapers Sorted as part of this transformation. While SMSF Sorted delivered immediate efficiency gains—particularly through streamlined auditor collaboration and reduced query volume—Workpapers Sorted represents a larger operational shift that is expected to be fully integrated over a 12-month period.

The Challenge: Legacy Processes

ERY has a strong client base in accounting and SMSF services. Approximately three years ago, the current two partners took ownership and initiated a strategic review of operations. Their vision was clear: modernize the firm, simplify workflows, and move toward best practice, without overcomplicating life for their small team.

A Turning Point: Rethinking Systems

Modernisation began with a broad reassessment of the firm’s technology stack. The partners transitioned to Xero for practice management, allowing them to work primarily within a browser-based environment. That shift alone reduced friction and aligned the firm with the cloud-first direction.

At the same time, they began searching for better solutions for workpapers and SMSF processing. For years, SMSF jobs had been completed entirely in Excel. Once finished, files were converted to PDFs and sent to the auditor. Queries would come back via email, and tracking them relied largely on memory, inbox management, and informal follow-up.

The process worked—but it was reactive and inefficient.

Larry had prior exposure to SMSF Auditomation and was familiar with the broader ecosystem developed by Cloudoffis. Seven or eight months before implementation, he revisited their products and saw something different.

SMSF Sorted has matured significantly since its early release. It now offers structured SMSF workflows that fit naturally into their processes. At the same time, Workpapers Sorted presented what Larry described as a “happy medium”—providing ready-made checklists and templates without demanding heavy customization or administrative burden. That balance was critical.

“As a small firm, they needed something that worked off the shelf.”

Immediate Impact: SMSF Sorted Changes the Dynamic

The value of SMSF Sorted was almost immediate. It was a no-brainer for the team.

“We saw value from SMSF Sorted almost immediately.”

Around the same time, the firm had changed auditors. Their new auditor also used Cloudoffis for SMSF Auditomation. With full adoption of SMSF Sorted, the process became structured and intentional.

“Moving to a new auditor was a turning point — and having systems that aligned made all the difference.”

Instead of uploading a collection of PDFs and hoping the auditor could make sense of them, documents were now provided correctly referenced within a defined workflow. The most noticeable outcome was the reduction in auditor queries. What had once been a back-and-forth cycle became a streamlined, collaborative process.

ERY’s internal workflow was also streamlined. Queries could now be raised against specific line items, easily tracked, and marked as completed. Anyone in the team could open a file and immediately understand what remained outstanding.

For ERY, this confirmed they had made the right decision in investing in Cloudoffis.

A Bigger Shift: Embedding workpapers

If SMSF Sorted delivered quick wins, Workpapers Sorted represents a deeper transformation.

Unlike SMSF Sorted—which largely enhances existing processes – Workpapers Sorted changes how the firm structures and documents its engagements. At the same time as implementing Workpapers Sorted, the firm was also onboarding with Xero. The combined change required patience.

ERY knew they needed a solution, but the challenge was finding the right one. While many options in market, the issue was that many were quite rigid or required a lot of implementation.

“It’s a happy medium — structured enough to guide us, flexible enough to adapt to our needs. It didn’t require a lot of input for us to set it up”

The partners are realistic about the timeline. While they are only in the early stages of using Workpapers Sorted, the partners are confident in their choice. They already see its potential.
One feature they value highly is the ability to roll forward notes into new workpapers. In a profession where many engagements are similar year to year, this eliminates the need to reopen prior files and reconstruct documentation from scratch. Over time, that alone is expected to generate significant efficiency gains.

The firm has not yet fully customised its templates and checklists, largely due to competing priorities but is impressed by what they can do. The Cloudoffis team has offered support in embedding merge fields and assisting with setup when the firm is ready which is why ERY see Cloudoffis as their one stop solution for accounting tech.

Building Trust Through Partnership

What stands out most in this case is not just the software, but the relationship. Larry found their experience with Cloudoffis to be exceptionally accessible.

“You don’t often get two hours with the head of product and a developer talking through your real workflow problems. That was really impressive for having trust in the company – that there is this mission to continue to improve”

● Support is quick

● Feedback is heard

● Product leaders are reachable

In one instance, the Director of Product Development for Workpapers Sorted spent two hours discussing the firm’s workflow challenges and potential improvements. Larry also met the founders of Cloudoffis, Viral and Manish and was struck by their passion for building a great product.

This responsiveness has created a high level of trust.

They are confident that the workpaper process will eventually reach peak efficiency within the firm, even though it is still in an evolving state. That confidence is rooted in the fact that Cloudoffis has a track record of innovation and willingness to adapt based on client input. Cloudoffis builds with their customers.

“They actually listen — and you can see the innovation happening.”

The Next Phase: Integration and Unification

As accounting technology continually evolves, modernisation remains a constant, ongoing process.

Their broader ambition is to eliminate silos across their technology stack, which includes Xero, Class, NowInfinity, ATO Mate, Cloudoffis products, and SuiteFiles. Data duplication and fragmented workflows remain challenges they want to solve.

Looking Ahead

A few years into ownership, Larry has moved decisively towards a modern, browser-based practice. SMSF Sorted has already reshaped their SMSF workflow and auditor collaboration. Workpapers Sorted is still evolving, but its long-term value is clear.

Their journey reflects a broader truth for small firms: modernisation is not a single event, but a staged evolution. Quick wins build momentum. Larger transformations require patience. And perhaps most importantly, the right technology partner makes the process sustainable.

What sets Cloudoffis Apart?

Cloudoffis makes preparation, approvals and compliance easy with AI-powered workpapers. As Australia’s leading SaaS provider in the SMSF industry, we bring over 10 years of unparalleled experience.

Pioneers in our field, we take pride in supporting the accounting and auditing community to streamline their workflows and work more efficiently through SMSF Sorted, SMSF Auditomation and Workpapers Sorted.

If you’re a firm looking to automate your SMSF audit process today, you can learn more about SMSF Sorted or Workpapers Sorted here.

You can book a demo with a Cloudoffis expert here.