As a small business or a business just getting started, you might be using an entry level accounting system where the investment in training and configuration is minimal because the product is fairly easy to use. Often these systems are ideal until your business begins adding more users and your business processes become more complex than what the system can support.
When a small business decides to implement a new accounting or business management system, it cannot shut its doors or stop day-to-day responsibilities to install, configure, and test a new system. Also, it cannot expect to start using a new system without investing time to consider potential improvements to existing business processes or train end users and migrate historical data.
This is where the role of your solution provider or consultant is critical. Top solution providers efficiently transition you from your old system to your new system with minimal downtime for your staff. In addition, your solution provider will continue supporting the solution for you as your business grows and evolves.
When choosing a new system, your choice of a solution provider should carry as much weight as the product itself. Here are a few things to look for when choosing a solution provider:
1. Understands Your Business and System Needs
A software provider should understand your business and business processes to interject which processes can be more efficient. The provider should listen to you, give good examples of how the system should work, and ask good questions, not just about software, but also how your people work, who they are, their skill sets, and how they would use the application.
2. Exhibits Exceptional Knowledge About Their Product(s)
It is a must for your software provider to thoroughly understand the functionalities, capabilities and intricacies of their solutions and coherently explain those to your end users so you optimize your investment and use the business management system to its fullest potential for your organization.
3. Knowledge of Other Products and Solutions
A good solution provider makes sure you understand what you are looking for and know ahead of time what the expected returns and benefits will be. If you do not know what you need to do well versus what a business management system does well, you can get trapped into buying a system because of something it does that is not important to you. System selection prepares the client for the sales cycle, gets their information together, and allows them to quickly eliminate inappropriate systems.
4. Proven Approach to Implementing
Entry level accounting systems can often be implemented by following the software vendor’s checklist. However, mid-level systems require more planning and testing because there are many different configuration options to make it adaptable to your business processes. The top solution providers have developed and can explain to you their approach to implementing the system. The approach should include options for functional design, pilot testing, data migration planning, a cut-over strategy and ongoing support.
5. Communication
When evaluating systems, many businesses are first introduced to a salesperson and may not have the opportunity to assess the communication skills of the consultants who will eventually be assigned to the project. A top solution provider will have an approach for communicating with the client regarding project status and budgets. Also, your solution provider is often preparing deliverables to you, including procedures documentation, end user training guides and more – a top solution provider can provide sample documents that demonstrate their ability to communicate in these areas.
6. System Cut-over
When your company starts using the new business management system, your comfort level must be established by the solution provider. That can take anywhere from 30 days to six months, depending upon the client and how significant the changes are in IT and business processes. During this time, your solution provider should still pay attention to you, check in to make sure things are working the way they were expected, and provide any additional support and training your end users need.
7. Ongoing Support
Many businesses begin realizing a positive return on their investment in a new system within the first 12 to 18 months. The project and your relationship with your solution provider should not end there. As your business grows and evolves, you want some assurance that your solution provider is always looking after your business – recommending improvements to business processes, assessing new modules or tools and their impact on your business, or offering user groups where you can interact and share ideas with other end users. The top solution providers make these and other services available to you for as long as you own the system.
About The Author
Robert M. Callanan, CPA, is President of Business Ready Solutions LLC, a Microsoft Dynamics Partner in Research Triangle Park, NC. He is an authority in the design, implementation and support of integrated, multi-user accounting and management reporting systems, and is at the forefront of integrating computers and software into corporate accounting services.
Small Business 101: In-house Payroll Software Vs. Outsourced Payroll Services
Unless you’re an accountant, you didn’t get into business to spend all your time doing payroll. You need to spend your time running your. Yet payroll activities are critical to your business. After all, a paid employee is a happy employee and your business runs better when employees are happy.
If you’re tired of spending countless hours tabulating work hours and calculating payroll, there are a couple of options. The first option is to hire an accountant or payroll services firm to handle payroll for you. The other option is purchasing software that speeds up the payroll process. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two options.
- Cost
Cost is usually a significant consideration for small and mid-size businesses, especially in an economy like we have now. Accountants and payroll services can easily cost you $100 a month and often much more. The lower the cost the more work you’re likely to do yourself.
Software runs the gamut from less than $100 a year to several hundred or even thousands of dollars. In most cases, the more you pay the more features you get. But do you need all those features? As a small business, probably not. Make sure you have a chance to try any software before committing to buying it. A good example of this is ezPaycheck from Halfpricesoft.com, which allows you to try the full version of the product free for 30 days without cost or obligation.
- Security
Payroll data needs to be secure. Small firms and solo-accountants are not likely to have the same level of security as large firms and computer systems may be vulnerable to hackers or data losses. If you’re considering hiring an accountant or small firm, make sure you ask about their security and back-up systems.
Assuming you have adequate security measures for your computer system, including firewalls, secure data back-ups and 128-bit password encryption, using in-house software is a reasonably secure way to handle payroll. You’ll know exactly who has access to your records and no data needs to be transmitted across the Internet.
- Time involvement and ease of use
It may seem that
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hiring an accountant or payroll service would require the least amount of time, but remember that you will still have to keep the accountant or service updated with employee work hours.
Software can also save you significant amounts of time by automating payroll activities.
Unfortunately, financial software is notorious for being difficult to learn. Look for payroll software that is specifically designed for end-users who are not accountants. A good example of this is ezPaycheck payroll software from Halfpricesoft.com.
- Only you can decide
Every business is unique and while payroll software is often an efficient, cost-saving payroll solution for most small and mid-size businesses, you may find that you enjoy the freedom and expertise of hiring an accountant or payroll service. Only you can decide which is right for your business.
By: KarenH
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Casey Yang
Marketing Director
halfpricesoft.com P.O. Box 17067 Louisville, KY 40217 USA
email: contact@halfpricesoft.com
Fax: (866) 909-6448
www.halfpricesoft.com
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Posted under Business Software Services
This post was written by admin on February 8, 2010
