What is DataFlow and what kind of software does it provide?

Updated

DataFlow is an integrated accounting and ERP platform for UK businesses, built by Clarity. It runs the full accounting and trading lifecycle — sales and purchase ledgers, nominal accounts, stock control, order processing and VAT — on a single database, so the trading side and the accounting side stay in step without imports or re-keying. It suits distribution, accountancy and trading businesses that currently run orders and invoices in one tool and the ledger in another, and it is UK-focused with HMRC Making Tax Digital built in.

What the platform actually covers

Every module posts to the same integrated database, sharing one set of customers, products and accounts. You can start with the ledgers or the trading engine and add the rest as you grow.

Area Module What it handles
Accounting Nominal Ledger Chart of accounts, journals, cash book, reconciliation, period close
Trading Trade Ledgers Sales and purchase ledgers, receipts, payments, allocations, statements, aged debt, BACS
Trading Order Processing Quotations, orders, deliveries, invoices, credit notes, works orders — posting as they go
Trading Stock Control Catalogue, stock movements, layered pricing

The page also notes that any number of companies can run on one installation, and that the system plugs into the systems you already run.

The problems it is designed to solve

DataFlow's own framing lists four patterns common to distribution, accountancy and trading businesses that haven't consolidated their systems:

  • Trading and accounts in separate systems. Orders and invoices in one tool, the ledger in another — month-end becomes a reconciliation exercise with manual re-keying.
  • Paper piling up. Supplier invoices, delivery notes, customer POs and contracts filed in many places, slowing down audit or customer queries.
  • No single view of stock and margin. Stock valued in one system, costs and revenue in another, so true margin per product, job or customer becomes an untrusted spreadsheet exercise.
  • VAT and compliance stress. Making Tax Digital submissions, EC Sales Lists, payment-practices reporting and a full audit trail stitched together by hand each period.

If at least one of these describes your current setup, that is the clearest signal the platform is aimed at you.

Who it is for

The stated audience is UK businesses that trade and account in one system — distribution, accountancy and trading businesses. The page cites Bannerman Company Ltd among its users. It is a fit if you need ledgers, stock and order processing to share one source of truth; it is less relevant if you only need standalone bookkeeping with no trading or stock dimension.

What to check before deciding

  • Module entry point. Decide whether to start with the ledgers or the trading engine — the rest can be added later on the same database.
  • Multi-company needs. Confirm how many companies you need on one installation; the page states any number is supported.
  • Existing systems. Ask which of your current tools it plugs into, since integration is claimed but not itemised on the page.
  • Compliance scope. MTD VAT is built in; confirm EC Sales Lists and payment-practices reporting match your obligations.
  • Commercial terms. Pricing and purchase details are not published on the page, so request them directly rather than assuming terms.

The practical next step is a demo: it is the fastest way to see whether the single-database model matches how your trading and accounting actually run.