Switching Story | Interview completed by Matthew Portess FCCA
Appleleaf Chartered Certified Accountants is an office-based practice with a team of 10, supporting approximately 500 clients. The firm provides accounting, tax advice, advisory services, and company secretarial work.
As the practice grew, so did the pressure on its systems. What had once been manageable began to create friction across leads, workflows, and client communication.
When Growth Exposed the Cracks
The biggest challenges Appleleaf faced weren’t technical. They were operational.
At the time, the firm was using Pixie alongside other stand-alone tools. While each system worked in isolation, together they created gaps in visibility and consistency.
Leads weren’t being followed up reliably, job tracking lacked clarity, and clients began to raise concerns about turnaround times.
“Leads weren’t being followed up and existing clients were complaining about turnaround times.”
These issues were driven by disconnected workflows that couldn’t support the firm as it scaled.
Why Change Became Necessary
The firm recognised that workflow and communication bottlenecks were holding both the team and clients back.
Without a clear, firm-wide view of where work was sitting, staff were fielding unnecessary client queries, and managers lacked confidence in job progress.
Appleleaf needed a system that could bring leads, jobs, and communication into one joined-up platform, rather than relying on multiple tools that didn’t fully connect.
Discovering Engager
The firm first came across Engager via a LinkedIn post. What stood out immediately was that the product had been built with accountants in mind.
“Engager understood the pain points accountants face and had been developed specifically to solve them.”
Pricing and practicality were important, but the deciding factor was alignment. Engager replaced fragmented processes with a single system designed around how accounting firms actually operate.
A Planned Switch, Done Properly
Rather than rushing the transition, Appleleaf invested time in preparation before migrating fully.
“There was a lot of planning and preparation, then we moved everything across in one go.”
The availability of structured migration templates made the process clearer and more manageable.
“Having a template to migrate our client base was very useful and straightforward.”
Formatting and preparing data correctly took effort, but support resources played a key role.
“I overcame this by watching a lot of Johann’s YouTube videos.”
Getting Fully Up and Running
Because Appleleaf adopted Engager early in its development, reaching full maturity took time.
“It was probably six months before we were fully up and running, but Engager was still in its infancy at the time.”
That investment paid off by giving the firm a structured, repeatable way of working across all services.
The Impact on Clients and the Team
The most noticeable improvements came from firm-wide job tracking and clearer client communication.
“Job tracking at a firm level has definitely improved, as well as client communication.”
Clients now have visibility into where their work sits within the workflow, reducing uncertainty and follow-up queries.
“Clients are much happier because they know where the job is within the workflow.”
The internal impact was just as significant.
“The team is happier because there are fewer complaints from clients. Morale has 100% improved.”
One piece of client feedback stood out in particular:
“A client commented on how well we kept them updated throughout the entire workflow and how clearly they could see progress.”
Advice for Other Firms
Appleleaf’s advice to firms considering Engager is straightforward:
“Prepare, prepare, prepare, then make the switch. You won’t regret it.”
They also recommend being honest during evaluation.
“Look at your practice strategically and be honest about your weaknesses. Then consider how Engager can help not just operationally, but strategically and from a client satisfaction perspective.”
Looking Ahead
Engager is now an integral part of how Appleleaf operates.
“We couldn’t have grown the way we have without it.”
Looking forward, the firm plans to expand its use of information requests and time allocation to refine workflows even further.
When asked about confidence in scaling with Engager:
“110% confident.”
Building for Growth, Without Losing Control
By switching from Pixie to Engager, Appleleaf Chartered Certified Accountants replaced fragmented processes with a single, joined-up platform.
The result is clearer workflows, happier clients, improved morale, and a firm that’s well-positioned to grow with confidence.
Want to see how Engager could support your firm?
Learn more about Engager and discover how it helps practices improve visibility, client communication, and operational control.
