The company said the program was developed from the best practices of Xero Advisors. Participants can choose from self-paced, live webinars or classroom education and complete four required modules and four elective modules in order to accomplish their goal.

"We have revamped all of our education to be story-based," says Amy Vetter, Xero's global VP of education and head of accounting. "We created fictional characters and the story we are telling is these best practices."

The program differs from traditional certification programs that are often focused on software products. The other change is that there is no test at the end; participants are certified based on completing the different modules.

Xero also designed modules to allow for the differences in the markets served by accountants and bookkeepers. The four required modules cover the knowledge needed by all firms, Vetter says, while the electives fit practices with different needs. 

Bob Scott

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Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He  has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind