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GearShift forecasting tool acquired by IRIS

Futrli rebrand makes CrunchBoards more advisory

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24th Jan 2017
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UK-based forecasting add-on developer CrunchBoards has become Futrli (pronounced “future-lee”), undergoing a complete brand overhaul to emphasise its focus on accountant-delivered advisory services.

“In the market, we were confused with being just another ‘number-crunching’ reporting app that focused only on data visualisation,” said Futrli co-founder Amy Harris. “We wanted our brand to work harder for us and now it can.”

Central to the Futrli brand strategy is a rewrite to the underlying platform that makes it possible for customers to integrate it completely into their own websites.

“The reason we’ve done this is because when we go to accountants, we talk about adding value,” Harris told AccountingWEB. “The more we consulted customers, the more we realised our brand should mean very little to them. In a competitive environment, they want to put their brand in front of their clients.”

While the marketing team and designers were working on new logos and messages, the company’s developers were working to take the white-label capabilities “to the extreme”, she said.

The result is a customisable experience for each accounting firm and its clients. Email alerts from the system, for example, come from the firm’s own domain rather than Futrli. “It looks like the accounting firm has done this. We encourage them to take it on, whitelabel it and make it their own,” said Harris.

“No one in this space is doing this the way we’re doing it. Our message for accountants with is that we don’t want you to be reseller of our software, you should be selling your service.”

Harris reinforces this idea by linking the purpose of the Futrli software engine to the client experience. “We’re not asking accountants to pick up the phone and sell to clients. We think they should be asking things like, ‘How’s your budget looking? What do the next six months look like? What KPIs are you tracking?’”

Futrli is also looking at how it can incorporate developments around machine learning and artificial intelligence into the client experience. “If Xero is coding 90% of transactions automatically, what do clients do with the numbers?” Harris asked. “From the accountant’s point of view, they need to humanise and personalise the numbers. The insights you can provide on top of data is gold dust.”

Aside from the white label functionality, the board and card interface and forecasting formulas, reporting options and layouts remain as CrunchBoards users know them (see below). White label versions will need some consultancy work to plan and implement the changes. This will cost around £1,000, Harris said, and after that users would be charged £29 a month for each separate domain supported within Futrli and a £1 monthly domain fee.

“We’re aware not every firm wants to pay for that expense, but larger firms will go for it,” Harris said.

 

Replies (8)

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By Manchester_man
24th Jan 2017 13:18

Having a name that nobody can pronnounce is (in my view) not a great idea,

I just had a look and they have a page on their site dedicated to explaining how to pronnounce the name!

https://www.futrli.com/the-forecast/how-do-you-pronounce-our-new-name-fu...

I liked the idea of being able to 'White label' the software, but at a 'one-off' cost of £1,000 I don't think a lot will bother!

Even their Partner subscriptions start at £99 per month, so I'm afraid it's not for me.

For that reason, I'm out.

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By PracticePartner
24th Jan 2017 14:09

Maybe they finally decided their futrli beyond the yellow brick road ....

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
25th Jan 2017 01:15

I am pleased you explained the name change John as I would never have worked it out.

As a man who is still smarting over the name change of the chocolate bar formally known as Marathon to snickers I think the marketing people often get these things wrong.

A marathon was the snack of a champion but what the hell is a snicker.

What does Futurely even mean?

White labelling is a good idea as I didn't like the branding all over the product before but the costs of the white label seems a bit pricy for my pocket. A refresh of the output reports would be more welcome than the rebrand.

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By carnmores
26th Jan 2017 11:08

it took me 3 seconds to work out that it is FUTURELY I havent read any of the blurb either , back to the tax returns

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By PracticePartner
26th Jan 2017 11:52

Its a made up word lacking sufficient vowels which makes it look like an acronym, such as
FUTile Reaction to Lack of Interest

Its all Bllx really the functionality is more important than self-indulgent rebranding

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By North East Accountant
27th Jan 2017 08:53

Silly name, but there are a lot of them about, which I understand is to get the web domain.

Starburst will always be Opel Fruits to me.

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Replying to North East Accountant:
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By waltere
31st Jan 2017 16:20

"Opel Fruits"? Don't you mean "Opal Fruits"?

Opel Fruits are still sold in continental Europe, but over here they were re-branded as "Vauxhall Fruits"

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By AndrewV12
27th Jan 2017 10:15

Not another bloody one claiming the earth.

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