At our family tea manufacturing company, Panilkanda Tea, we had been relying on a traditional accounting system for many years. While it served its basic purpose, it did not allow us to make strategic decisions through meaningful financial insights and once payments were processed edits were impossible. It became clear that it was time for a transformation.
I took the initiative to lead the transition from our traditional system to Xero which is most commonly used in the UK, a modern, cloud based accounting platform which improves efficiency and enhances our financial processes. The key advantages Xero offers compared to traditional accounting system are as follows,
-Real time financial reporting
-Flexible and accurate record management
-Better business insights for strategic decision making
-Secure cloud access from anywhere
The transformation journey was not always easy especially as our operations involve both bank and cash transactions. Working closely with the Panilkanda Team, especially Mansging Director Shantha Horawala Withana, Kanchana(current accountant) and Pasan Shalutha (my brother)’s continuous support throughout the transformation, we were able to streamline workflows and introduce more structured financial practices.
I am so incredibly grateful for the continuous support, valuable insights and collaboration throughout this journey!
Along the way I also improved:
-Stronger communication and interpersonal skills
-Problem solving and analytical thinking
-Business acumen within the tea industry(via discussing with the managing director, internal factory officers, current auditor)
-Change management and digital transformation leadership
-Process redesign and workflow optimisation(through using google sheets and web apps)
-Data driven decision making and financial trend analysis
This digital transformation required nearly 3 months time, energy and full time commitment but it was absolutely worth it.
I am also sharing a photo of our factory below. We are incredibly lucky to be situated in such a beautiful and attractive location, which serves as a daily inspiration for our work
I am excited to continue my journey towards strengthening the credibility and efficiency of our family legacy via AI driven accounting, business intelligence and digital finance transformation!
