Both seasoned business leaders in the accounting and tech space, they saw not a product winding down, but an opportunity to breathe new life into something accountants and professional services businesses already trusted. Backed by the BlueRock brand, they acquired the WorkflowMax name with a clear mission: to modernise it, enhance it, and keep it in the hands of the people who needed it most.
Now, just over a year later, WorkflowMax has re-emerged with an updated platform, new leadership, and new energy, but still firmly rooted in the values that made it a staple among project-based businesses. In this conversation, Ryan, Chris, Kaia & Vince share the story of that transition and how far the product has come.
XU: Ryan, what made you want to take on WorkflowMax in the first place?
RK: I think it begins with recognising what WorkflowMax meant to the community. It wasn’t a flashy product, but it was dependable, widely used, and deeply embedded in thousands of professional services businesses. When Xero decided to retire it, there was genuine concern from customers. We felt it deserved a second life.
As former founders of BlueRock Digital; we had been using WorkflowMax in our practice and empowered businesses from around the world in our WorkflowMax implementation services (for over 9 years), Chris and I knew that with the right backing, we could take what people already loved and build it into something even better. It wasn’t about reinventing the idea. It was about honouring the product’s history whilst giving it an exciting future!
XU: Chris, what was it about the team and timing that made this feel right?
CG: Honestly, it was the perfect intersection of opportunity, capability, and passion. We had the right people, both technically and strategically, and we had a deep respect for the accounting ecosystem around WorkflowMax. That matters.
We also saw how many partners and clients genuinely didn’t want to let go of it. There was emotional equity in the brand. We wanted to step in and say: “You don’t have to. Let’s build the next version together.”
And that’s what we did. From day one, we were committed to listening, rebuilding, and delivering, not just picking up where things left off, but accelerating the evolution.
XU: Let’s talk about the Xero connection. What’s your take on how the product evolved under them?
RK: We have nothing but respect for Xero. They made WorkflowMax what it was: accessible, tightly integrated, and trusted by accountants and professional services businesses around the world.
That said, I often described it like a great house that just needed a fresh coat of paint and a more modern touch. Xero made the strategic decision to retire the product — and that opened the door for us to step in and build its next chapter.
So really, we see this not as a replacement, but as a continuation. We’re proud to carry forward with a new infrastructure, more flexibility, and a roadmap shaped directly by customer feedback.
XU: What has improved since the original version?
KK: Almost everything. The infrastructure is new, faster, scalable, and designed for an exciting product roadmap that revolutionises job management. We’ve modernised key components like time tracking, job costing, and reporting. We’ve also moved to a more modern user interface.
But the biggest change is responsiveness. In the past, development was slower; now we’re releasing many updates regularly, and often directly in response to partner or customer feedback. The core strengths remain, but it’s a faster, more flexible platform now.
XU: And you’ve kept the product anchored in familiar territory?
CG: Exactly. We didn’t want to throw everything out. People were used to the navigation, the job structure, and the way things flowed. So we kept what worked and improved what didn’t. That way, clients coming from the previous version felt continuity, but also momentum.
We’ve heard from a lot of partners that the learning curve is minimal, and the improvements are obvious. That’s exactly the balance we aimed for.
XU: Chris, you’ve said before that some “accountants are still on the fence” about recommending WorkflowMax. Why is that, and what’s changed?
CG: There’s definitely some legacy perception from earlier days, where it was seen as ‘just enough’ but not truly best-in-class. We understand that. But that perception is outdated.
Today, accountants recommending WorkflowMax get three things: a much-improved product, a trusted support network, and cleaner data from their clients. It’s not just about job management anymore, it’s about enabling better conversations between accountants and clients.
XU: What kinds of clients are the best fit for WorkflowMax?
VG: The sweet spot is mid-sized, service-based businesses, especially in sectors like architecture, engineering, creative agencies, consulting, and IT services.
If a business bills for time, manages multiple projects, needs better quoting, or struggles with job profitability, WorkflowMax is often the right fit. We also see a lot of success with businesses that have outgrown basic tools or, on the flip side, want to scale back from expensive ERP systems that are too complex or costly for their current needs.
It’s not traditional enterprise software, but it’s powerful enough to support teams of five to 100+. And for accountants, if your client is juggling spreadsheets, Word docs, and separate invoicing platforms, WorkflowMax brings all of that together into one clean, integrated system.
XU: Can you talk more about the partner ecosystem?
RK: We’re proud of our implementation partners, they’re not just onboarding specialists, they’re long-term advisers to our clients.
We understand that changing software is hard. So we work with certified partners who know the product inside out and understand business processes. They ensure that WorkflowMax isn’t just installed. It’s configured and optimised for success.
And they stay involved.
For accountants, that’s peace of mind. You’re not just making a referral, you’re connecting your client with a network that supports them every step of the way. And by the way, we’re actively accepting new partners across Australia, New Zealand, the UK & US and beyond.
XU: What has customer feedback looked like throughout this transition?
RK: It’s been honest - sometimes brutally so - and that’s exactly what we hoped for. From the start, we knew this wouldn’t be a simple “flick of a switch.” But understandably, some customers expected continuity in the same product overnight. What they didn’t see initially was that this wasn’t just a handover, it was a complete rebuild, under intense time pressure.
We had just three months to migrate thousands of customers, some with 15 years’ worth of history and tens of thousands of jobs. Behind the scenes, our team was working around the clock, across time zones, through real fatigue and pressure. There were late nights, video calls by the thousands, and constant customer conversations. But we never lost sight of the mission: to get our community through the change and into a better system.
What stands out now is how many of those early sceptics have become champions. Once they saw their feedback actioned: better reporting, improved workflows, more intuitive navigation, they realised we were not just listening, but delivering.
We’re proud of the team and incredibly grateful to the customers who stuck with us. This was a one-of-a-kind transition, and we couldn’t have done it without every single person involved.
XU: You mentioned WorkflowMax is proudly based in Australia. Can you expand on that?
CG: Yes, we’re proudly Australian-founded, with our head office in Melbourne, and that’s a big part of who we are. But we’re also growing our team internationally, with support operations in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and the Philippines. That reach allows us to support our customers in their local time zones, with people who genuinely understand their region and industry. We’re the first to admit we haven’t always got everything right. During the migration period, we faced a tidal wave of requests, hundreds, sometimes thousands, each day. We took some flack for it, and we understood why.
But instead of backing away, we leaned in. We’ve heavily invested in our support team, our internal systems, and the way we communicate. Today, our average response times are measured in hours, not days and more importantly, we’ve brought back the human touch.
Whether you’re in Hawke’s Bay, Brisbane, Birmingham or Boston, when you reach out to WorkflowMax, you’re speaking to someone who gets it, someone who’s part of a team committed to helping you succeed.
