Choosing business software should make your life easier. If it’s adding stress, more admin or constant second-guessing, the build went wrong somewhere.
We see it all the time. A business signs up for a new app because it’s on special, someone recommended it or it looked clever in a demo. A few months later, inventory doesn’t line up, systems don’t talk to each other, staff are frustrated and EOFY feels like a surprise attack.
At Conduit Business Solutions, we work with small business owners across New Zealand - trades, retail, e-commerce and growing SMEs. You’re good at what you do. You just want systems that work without needing babysitting.
That’s why we use a construction-style approach we call the App Blueprint. Build it in the right order, and everything stands up properly. Skip steps and you’re patching cracks forever.
Here’s how to choose software that actually works for your business.
Step 1: The Elevation View — Start With the End in Mind
Every solid build starts with an elevation view. It’s the finished picture, what the business should look like once the systems are doing their job.
Before touching software, stop and get clear:
What do you want this system to handle without your involvement?
What needs to work perfectly every payday and EOFY?
Where are things currently messy, manual, or risky?
What does “running smoothly” actually look like for you?
We start by reviewing your current setup, accounting, inventory, supplier billing, jobs, POS, e-commerce. We look at what’s working, what’s clunky and where information gets stuck or duplicated. Annual leave liability, inventory accuracy and EOFY reporting are common pressure points.
From there, we document what the new system must do. This becomes the blueprint. Skip this step and you’re guessing. Guessing costs time and money.
“Complexity is the enemy of execution.” — Tony Fadell
Step 2: Choose Your Tools (Carefully)
Once the end goal is clear, choosing software becomes a lot calmer.
This isn’t about chasing the most popular app or the one with the biggest feature list. It’s about choosing tools that suit how your business runs and how your team actually works.
Depending on the business, this might include:
Xero for clear, reliable accounting
PayHero for payroll that handles leave and compliance properly
Tradify for job management
LightSpeed for POS-centric businesses with basic inventory and simple e-commerce
Cin7 Core for more complex inventory, wholesale, and multi-channel sales
We research what works for your industry, shortlist tools that meet most of your requirements, and test them using real-world scenarios, not polished demos.
If a system needs constant workarounds or explanations, it won’t survive day-to-day use. The right tool should reduce effort, not create another job.
“Make it work, make it right, make it fast.” — Kent Beck
Step 3: The Section View — Look Inside the Walls
This is where many software setups fall over.
Good software on its own isn’t enough. The real problems usually sit in how systems connect behind the scenes.
At this stage, we look at:
What flows into Xero and what shouldn’t
How supplier orders and bills move through the system
How inventory, jobs, and sales affect reporting and cashflow
Seeing the system from different angles helps uncover gaps that aren’t obvious at first glance. These are the little things that turn into daily frustrations if they’re missed.
Better to find a crooked beam now than after the walls are up.
“If you don’t build the foundation right, you’ll spend all your time fixing what’s on top.” — Elon Musk
Step 4: The Plan Review — Pause Before You Build
Before anything goes live, we stop and review the plan.
This pause matters.
We check:
Does this setup still match the elevation view we started with?
Will it cope as the business grows or adds complexity?
Are there any weak spots worth fixing now?
It’s far easier to tweak a plan than clean up a live system that’s already annoying everyone. This step saves time, money and patience.
“You can’t scale what you don’t understand.” — Reid Hoffman
Step 5: The Walk-Through — Bringing It to Life
Now it’s time to move in.
Implementation isn’t just flipping the switch. It’s about making sure the system works in the real world and that people know how to use it.
We focus on:
Clean setup from the start
Testing with real data and real workflows
Involving your team early so they’re confident, not confused
When people understand why the change is happening and how it helps them, adoption sticks. The system becomes part of the business instead of something people work around.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Steve Jobs
Why the App Blueprint Works
The App Blueprint works because it follows the same logic as a good build:
Solid foundations
The right tools for the job
Careful checks before committing
A proper handover at the end
For business owners, that means:
Fewer surprises at payday and EOFY
Clearer visibility of cashflow and liabilities
Systems that keep running even when you step away
No gimmicks. No rushed decisions. Just tidy systems that support growth instead of getting in the way.
“A system is only as good as the process that supports it.” — Satya Nadella
Ready to Build It Right?
If you’re choosing new software, or trying to make sense of what you already have, the App Blueprint helps you do it once and do it properly.
Conduit Business Solutions will help you plan it, build it and make sure it actually holds up.
Get in touch and let’s stop the surprises.
About the Author
Rachel Paterson is Conduit’s Chief Chaos Breaker, helping New Zealand businesses cut through the noise and simplify their systems. With over 30 years of experience across media, advertising, and telecommunications, Rachel founded Conduit Bookkeeping in 2017 to help small businesses stay compliant, confident, and in control.
Today, Conduit Business Solutions supports trades, retail, e-commerce and service-based businesses with practical bookkeeping, payroll, software training and app advice. As a Xero Certified Advisor and a Xero Gold Partner, Rachel and her team work with tools like Tradify, Cin7 Core, Lightspeed, PayHero and more to keep business life running smoothly.
At the heart of her work are strong relationships, plain-English support and practical, no-nonsense solutions that make business feel lighter, especially during the busy pre-Christmas season.