New Invoicing - Reduce number of steps and clicks
New invoicing has introduced more clicks, taps, steps at almost every level.
Please remove the added friction as it increases processing time.
The "new invoicing" messages are full of comments regarding where these pressure points have been added.
We are paid subscribers, and beta testing/seeking feedback is wonderful, but being forced onto an inferior model is.. suboptimal.
Hi everyone, some time on since my last update I wanted to give you more of an idea of the work we have going on to help reduce the number of steps and actions in new invoicing. Along with the changes mentioned in my last update, we've since released a change to the view of an invoice to shift details back into their own columns (similar to classic), while a small change we know it's improved visibility for some of our customers.
We also have other work in development atm that’ll further help here like a new line item grid when editing your invoice - wrapped up in this we’ll be introducing changes you’ve been asking for like the ability to create a new tracking option or account code without having to navigate away from the invoice, we’re increasing the number of items that you can view from the drop down, and we’ll be bringing back the ability to view the number of stock on hand.
As mentioned in my last post, our team is developing shortcuts for the drop down actions like Approve and Save so you have more ease of selecting the option that's best for you.
We also have some updates coming to;
- The Contact card, so you’ll be able to add more details without having to go to the contact record, like more address lines, ability to look up addresses, and entering an Attention to all items we’ve heard lots of feedback on
- Issue and Due date picking where we’ll make it quicker to simply select a calendar date and we’ll be adding more keyboard shortcuts such as the ability to enter +0 for today’s date
- Ability to drag & drop files that we’re enhancing so you’ll be able to do this anywhere on the invoice rather than a specific area
Again, thank you all for sharing and continuing to let us know the improvements that make a difference for you when working with new invoicing. We'll update you as items I've mentioned above are released.
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Rob Pennoyer commented
Xero: Check our our new invoicing! It has 25% of the features of the existing version!
Customers: The missing 75% includes dozens of show-stopper problems and missing functionality that aren't merely inconvenient but literally prevent us from working.
Xero: How about 30%? It'll be great! You just don't understand software! -
Mark Larrington commented
Well Xero you are certainly living up to your UK TV advert and running a marathon in quicksand! I for one feel totally insulted by ignoring of the simple message that users are telling you to simply IMPLEMENT ALL THE CLASSIC INVOICING FEATURES to keep you client base happy.
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Claire Parker commented
Great, but these are additional features and not ones that most users are having issues with. This is the proverbial re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic - we need the basic functionality sorted out before you switch off Classic.
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Tara Broderick commented
Hahahahaha - Ignoring every comment here AND updates showing that they are ignoring them. That's bloody hilarious.
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Linda Brown commented
Thank you.
These are all great improvements, but please remained focused on the operational side of data entering an invoice. Like - copy invoicing keeping the client selected, and tabbing between fields in a Z (sequential) order and where the date picks up today's date just on a tab function etc.
If you can restore the data entry time back to where it was for Classic invoicing, then you're well on your way to keeping your clients happy.
Thx
Linda -
Ali J. Karim commented
Unfortunately it's still terrible.
Can there be a lawsuit against Xero for getting to move from traditional systems getting used to fantastic features and then moving it back to the old legacy weird clunky shyte systems? -
Lloyd Preston commented
Agree entirely with last two comments - thanks Fiona for stating it clearly - if it isn't broke then don't mess with it.
What would be good for you to play with is the inventory system - a few years back you brough up another company inventory system and was supposed to incorporate it into Xero - this included the batch and location facility - here we are years later with no update on that which would add a lot more value to the basic Xero package - but instead you mess up invoicing. Listen to the users - or at least talk to them about what is working and what could be improved - unless there is some big picture stuff we are missing?? -
Claire Barning commented
Hi Kelly - in the original invoicing system, we could tab through easily, selecting customers, date, etc = now we need to use our mouse all the time to select options (customer, date etc), and if you do tab from one of these, it starts back at the top of the internet browser. Please fix this also.
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Fiona Dieleman commented
I actually would dare someone from the "design team" to call me and talk about what they did and why it is not a good thing. It won't happen, my phone won't ring....
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Fiona Dieleman commented
Kelly, that is all pumping water to save the ship. You need to put ALL the functionality of old invoicing back in place, and get rid of that stunted 70ies telex page look and go back to the old look, then introduce new features. You have taken away ALL of the features a small business uses daily. Like the new reporting which is diabolical, this is another suck it up people effort from Xero without asking us what works and what we want. Mumble about old platforms how ever long you want but the essence is you took a good working system and dumped it in the bin and ****** off a lot of people by rolling out and hunk of junk.
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Rae Stanton commented
100% ... this is such a big step backwards from a functionality perspective!
My main bug point at the moment is this: I sometimes generate invoices from another app, which syncs with Xero. Those invoices have weird invoice numbers, so the first thing I do is delete the app-generated invoice number and then old-invoicing Xero works out my next sequential invoice number and adds it in.
In the new invoicing system, it doesn't let me delete the weird invoice number. I delete it, Xero puts it back in. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING.
So when this "new" invoicing is forced upon us, I'm going to have to open a second window to look up my existing invoices, then MANUALLY INSERT THE NEXT INVOICE NUMBER. That is absolutely NUTS.
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Nerissa Cope-Allen commented
I agree with every single comment! The new invoicing has absolutely zero improvements and sooooo much loss of usability, efficiency and flexibility.
It seems like one of those big, poorly thought-out change-management ideas that inexperienced business teams come up with and are usually nipped in the bud by internal stakeholders or experienced staff members who know that the consequences for the company will be far-reaching. -
Bryan Steel commented
100%
Adding a payment to the invoice is a perfect example. How do you change something so easy to something so stupidly difficult?
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Dale Murray commented
Agreed - it now takes 2 clicks to delete a line item. We import transactions on to invoices and then delete what we don't charge. It used to be very simple and is now tedious, due to two click requirements to delete a line.
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Kate McArthur commented
Agreed, any new upgrade which increases the 'Clicks' to complete a task is a bad idea - tell your team if they can't make a task less clicks then it doesn't get implemented. More clicks = irritated users
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Annie Sherratt commented
I have been using the new invoicing (for 18 months) for just one specific customer who prefers e-invoices, but in that time there hasn't been any redeeming features of the new design to encourage me to change over for all other customer invoicing.
Where currently in classic I can move easily and with minimal tabbing between fields for data entry, the new format requires many additional tabs or mouse-clicks, making it overly complicated and time consuming to use. Invariably I end up reverting back to the classic version for data entry for the e-invoice customer, and only switch to the new when approving and sending.
Also, visually the layout is too spread out and is uncomfortable to view.
Surely with the amount of feedback Xero is receiving on this subject a re-think is in order?
If changes need to be made, why can't they be done in the background, and keep the appearance of the user interface the same?
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Karen Mayer commented
I couldn't agree more. Taking so many steps to send a receipt for payment is way longer on the new invoice versus the classic version.
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Accounts Admin commented
DO NOT RECOMMEND XERO
Added the above line to text as suggested by another user. Why is the invoicing being changed?? There was nothing wrong with the old version and the new version has all the problems listed below. Extra time and less useable features.
My personal list of complaints;
1. More movement/clicks needed for processing, taking extra time.
2. Screen is too large meaning things I used to see at a glance now require further investigation... again extra time.
3. No up/down arrow use in menus, must click. Again, extra time.
4. No flow to the invoicing. Previous flowed well moving down the screen as you entered data, this one moves down then back up to finish. Again, more time.
5. The fact that when you ask a question of support you get a generic answer where they refer you to this forum so I have to come here and relist my issues. Again, more time. -
Amanda Llewellyn commented
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE reinstate the ability to create a Repeating Invoice from the actual invoice itself BEFORE it is Approved.
We have a subscription business and using the new interface now cannot create a Repeating invoice from the draft before submitting for approval. Because a Repeat has no "Approved" facility, our approval process needs both the original invoice and the repeat to be approved/reviewed at the same time. This is no longer possible in the new version.
If we want to create a Repeat at the Submitted invoice stage, we have to go back to the Invoice menu, go to Repeats and create it manually from scratch, then separately advise the reviewer that the repeat is ready. This leaves plenty of scope for human error, before factoring in that it doubles the amount of work needed to do something that could be achieved before with a handful of keystrokes.
I'm going to have to stick with Classic unless/until this is fixed.
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Mark Catchpole commented
Xero, are you listening to all these issues.
Please reply to confirm that these issues will be resolved by September or to simply carry on with the existing version.
We await your reply asap so that we can start to arrrange alternative software