With our community of partners, you can get expert advice and training so you can be up and running in no time!

View setup partners

With our community of partners, you can get expert advice and training so you can be up and running in no time!

View setup partners

Get the Guide on Moving from spreadsheets to software.


Get the guide

Want to join us? Become a partner. 



Become a partner

Learning from Cloud Expert Maree Maxfield

get on your feet final square-2

We recently took the time to talk with Maree Maxfield, owner of Maxama, a cloud services consultancy business and WorkflowMax set up partner to learn how she is helping businesses succeed by creating tailored software solutions.

If you look at individuals who are at the top of respective field chances are there will be a coach or advisor that helped them get there. The same could be said for business too. As such, it is important to have an advisor or coach who can help you thrive like Maree.

Business Coach / Advisor image from www.DepositPhotos.comMaree started as a CA (Charted Accountant) in New Zealand and started with Xero early on. This helped establish Maree as someone who was at the forefront of cloud computing services and give her the confidence to move to the UK 10 years ago to set up her business. Today, Maree’s business, Maxama Limited, is a thriving cloud services and training consultancy.

So, what drew her to WorkflowMax and Xero?

“I purposefully made the decision not to work across a number of add-on products, which can sometimes lead to being a ‘jack of all trades’ and master of none. I started off with Xero training and eventually began to specialise in WorkflowMax.”

“My background was in accounting and financial management, but I always preferred working in industry and I love project management. When I started out, there was already a lot of demand from clients wanting assistance with WorkflowMax implementations.”

“I truly believe in the product. I use WorkflowMax to manage my own business. I love putting a system into a business and seeing how it’s making people’s lives so much easier at the end of the day”

“In my experience, there are typically a few key drivers for businesses looking for a solution like WorkflowMax. First, they want to understand their project profitability. They often have systems all over the place. They want to get timesheet recording sorted, and need a system that just flows through...”

“90 percent of my clients are already on Xero or are thinking of moving to Xero. They quickly realise WorkflowMax talks nicely to Xero...so they go from there.”

Xero and WorkflowMax flow together seemlessly

Maree's approach to WorkflowMax 

Maree’s approach is thorough and honest. With years of experience, she knows when the software will fit a customer’s needs – and when it won’t.

“The first step of the scoping process is to gather as much information as I can about their requirements and what they’re trying to achieve. If I don’t think WorkflowMax is a good fit for them, I’ll tell them quickly, up front.”

“I work with clients across a range of industries – creatives, architects, consultants, even ecologists, and engineers. In fact, WorkflowMax was originally created for engineers. The engineers I work with tell me they love it! 

WorkflowMax is a highly customisable, end-to-end project management solution for businesses that need to manage their workflow from quote through to invoice while tracking time and costs. It has a lot of powerful functionality that an expert like Maree can help tailor to a business’s needs.

“Even compared to other add-on products I’ve worked with, the customisation in WorkflowMax stands out. Together with the architects I’ve worked with, I’ve developed a template of common custom fields that architects find really useful, and it really lights up their eyes. They’re able to use that feature to store a database of additional information.

“The standard reports are great, but every business is different, even within the same industry, and that’s where the customisation elements in WorkflowMax create real value.” Richard Todd, one of Maree’s ecology clients, has been using WorkflowMax for three months and agrees wholeheartedly.

“Maree’s knowledge of the product and her ability to deliver in such a clear and concise manner is to be truly applauded. She worked with us to create a tailored course based around the way we run our business. Throughout the process, she provided great support with custom templates and other settings, enabling us to get going faster and improve our gross profit margin.” - Richard Todd, Director, Wildwood Ecology Limited

Finally, for Maree, true success is when everybody on the team has embraced change.

“When they’re using it to get some good information, and starting to make some key decisions from it, that’s the sweet spot. I’ve even had clients who’ve raised their pricing, after realising they’d been undercharging the whole time.

“But if your team don’t embrace the tech, all those benefits fall by the wayside. To ease the process, I always suggest doing the following:

  • Take the team on a journey - make it personal.
  • Show the value - explain the goals and objectives behind the change.
  • Baby steps - roll out slowly with lots of education.
  • Provide ongoing training and support.
  • Lead by example and cherish the data.

“And of course, I can help with all of the above. I’ve been doing implementations for a number of years. That means for my clients, it’s a huge time saver; they’re getting all the benefits of information I’ve learned from other people in the industry and all my years of experience.”

Want to see WorkflowMax for yourself? Feel free to sign up for a free 14 day trial or attend one of our live WorkflowMax demonstrations.

***

Maree has implemented and trained over 200 companies across a range of industries in both Xero and WorkflowMax. Get in touch with her at www.maxama.co.uk 

Try WorkflowMax today with a 14 day free trial

It’s easy - no credit cards, no contracts. Start today.

Start free trial
Andrew Solley
Andrew Solley is the Marketing Coordinator for WorkflowMax. Having worked as an Account Manager for WorkflowMax previously, he has a good understanding of the product and our customers. Growing up with several family members running their own project based businesses, it was only natural for Andrew to be involved in Project Management.

Andrew Solley