How to Advise an Accounting Software Search
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Jim
a lot of what you say here is valid although I would make the following comments :
● aside from entry level systems, as a business grows and becomes more complex, an accountant needs to think strategically on the client's behalf and recommend systems which will help them achieve the next iteration of their business plan
● changing an accounting system by reference to a subset of the market (entery level, mid tier, ERP it doesn't matter) introduces risk on behalf of the client and should be actively avoided. Simply because system A works for a similar client in the same industry doesn't automatically mean that it will work for your client. This can be an expensive mistake to make
● for these reasons sites such as findaccountingsoftware.com should be avoided. System selection projects are specialised and should not be shortcircuited. The level of detail needed to recommend a solution is far deeper than these sites are able to provide.
Regards
Mark Woolley
www.corporatess.com
An accounting software is a one-size-fits-all general purpose tool that is suitable in simple cases: businesses that have a simple business process such as retail, wholesale, restaurant, small repair shop, etc… An accounting software is unsuitable for a large number of businesses: those that don’t have a simple business process.
SMBs don’t realize this because their current system is so patched up and clunky that the problem has been blurred and buried ten feet under.
The simple and undeniable fact is that if spreadsheets did not exist, the usefulness of your accounting software (regardless the brand) would drop by at least 50%.
An accounting software is an accountant’s tool not a business tool and as such its function is limited. The best proof that its function is limited is this: In the majority of cases, users spend a significant amount of time and effort extending its functionality to bridge the gap between accounting and their company’s business processes with multiple spreadsheets, databases, 3rd party add-ons, etc…. QuickBooks payroll is no longer adequate? No problem, new spreadsheets are created by the payroll person or an add-on is purchased. The sales process is getting more complex and your MS Dynamics or Sage can no longer handle it or too complicated or costly to reconfigure? No problem, another series of spreadsheets is churned out by the sales department. The result is a system that is patched up and stitched from nearly every side. That’s the sort of result you get when you use a screwdriver to drill a hole; messy and painful. The astonishing part is that people do it naturally without questioning this nonsense. The not so surprising part is when a business commits the sin (they all do) of asking their CPA or a system reseller to suggest a solution, he/she almost invariably recommends another brand of screwdriver.... and life goes on.