Professional Industries benefit from Call Accounting Software

In a professional setting, such as with a successful law or architectural firm, the business relies heavily on its ability to document the time and effort involved in serving its clients. So, when the monthly phone bills comes around, it's no easy task sorting all of the calls made in a given time frame by numerous staffers on behalf of numerous clients. Consider the hospitality industry as well: Often, with so many guests, it is necessary to have some sort of call tracking system in place to properly log which guests made which calls so that guest billing will be accurate thus ensuring customer satisfaction. For both industries, a call accounting software is the key.

Many call accounting systems provide special industry-specific modules for better telecom expense management.

Using a specialty billing system, such as CallTrack Legal Billing System, that can accommodate account and authorization codes specifically for professional companies such as Legal, Architectural and Engineering firms, especially if it can integrate or interface with in-house computer billing or accounting systems can decrease the costly need for main both a call accounting system and an in-house billing system.

Special abbreviated account codes make end-user diligence much easier, and for those who still forget or refuse to enter the client account number, reports without account codes available in real time can expedite the monthly billing process.

In addition to keeping track of your company's telecom expenses, a good call accounting system can help you analyze those expenses and let you know how much you're spending, so you can establish budgets and allocate costs more precisely. Many call accounting products integrate to other telemanagement functions by way of optional modules such as:

* billing

* budgeting

* tracking of Internet usage

* facilities management

* PBX administration

* fraud control

* traffic analysis

* cable & asset management

* switch management

* bill-back capabilities

* polling

Depending on your company's particular needs, and traffic volume, the cost and type of a call accounting system will vary accordingly.

By using a call accounting system, professional firms can reliably track calls made in the servicing of clients, and accurately bill back the needed charges to maintain a successful practice., Karen Ritz, VP Business Development for TelSoft Solutions, writes on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.

The Benefits Of Payroll Accounting Software

You can make savings as you pay to your employees! Now, which employer would not like to know more about this possibility?? It is not the tricky option of robbing Paul to pay Peter. The savings are affected through genuine, lawful methods.

Well, I am talking about payroll accounting software.

If you are working or have worked for the Establishment and Pay Roll Section in a large organization, you know how tedious and cumbersome the job of preparing payroll list is! Mostly, it is a time-bound program.

So, the priority of any payroll accounting software is to reduce the payroll preparation time. Two precious words for any effective payroll accounting software are speed and accuracy.

The software products have come out with many solutions. You may do without some of them. But an automated time and labor management solution combined with Payroll service is almost a must tool for smooth running of any business organization.

An ideal payroll accounting software system is actually a complete solution from a single-window. It is capable of providing accurate information and to-the-minute reports for better management of labor costs. This is a definite improvement over manual time clocks. Overtime costs are also monitored and controlled properly.

As a result, your attendance tracking capabilities are improved. It is a self-servicing procedure. Schedule of timing of a particular group of employees is possible. Applications like easy management of leave and attendance records ensure excellent management reports.

You are simply in a position to track the activity of each employee. The quick access to information provides the management an opportunity to take proper decisions with regard to reward to loyal employees and punishment to the erring ones. Benefits to administration are rendered easy.

Many Government Departments exercise their proportionate rights over the salary of the employees and such deductions need to be done well in time and remitted to the concerned agencies. This is an important legal aspect and even a day's delay attracts heavy fines. So you need to make the payment of salary every month to your employees and each one of them gets a pay-slip, showing the justification for the net pay payable to you after all the deductions. All this is made possible in a regulated manner by application of payroll accounting software!

Take the example of defense establishments. How difficult would it have been to make disbursement of salaries to millions of men and officers in the absence of payroll application program! Truly, faster administration of pay roll procedures is made possible only by good payroll accounting software.

Many Accounting Software articles are available at Accounting Software & http://www.managemyaccounting.com/

Many Accounting Software articles are available at http://www.managemyaccounting.com/ for Accounting Software

Inventory Accounting Software

 When talking about inventory accounting software, barring a few exceptions, inventories should be valued lower than historical cost or net realizable value. The exceptions are the inventories of consumable stores, by-products, reusable waste and non-reusable waste.

For the purpose of comparing historical cost with net realizable value, each item in the inventory may be dealt with separately, or similar items may be dealt with as a group. The historical cost of inventories should normally be determined by using the FIFO (first in first out), average cost or LIFO (last in first out) formula.

The specific identification method may be used for inventories of items that are not ordinarily interchangeable or for goods manufactured and earmarked for a specific purpose. Under the specific identification method, specific costs are identified with goods segregated for a specific purpose. The adjusted selling price may be used in retail business or in businesses where the inventory comprises items whose costs are not readily ascertainable. Adjusted selling price method is also used by some manufacturing organizations for valuing the inventory of finished products held against forward sale contracts.

The standard cost method of valuing inventories may be used if the results approximate consistently with results obtained in accordance with FIFO, average cost or LIFO formula. Overheads, other than production overheads, should be included as part of the inventory cost only to the extent to placing inventories in their present location and condition.

The accounting policy adopted for the valuation of inventories, including the cost formula used, should be disclosed in the financial statements.



Inventory Software provides detailed information on Home Inventory Software, Inventory Accounting Software, Inventory Management Software, Inventory Software and more. Inventory Software is affliated with Fleet Maintenance Software Reviews.

How to choose the right call accounting software for your corporate environment

Business Week Magazine Online recently addressed how to choose the best call accounting software for your business. "A number of call-tracking software packages (some are available online) are now on the market or you can use a standard database program and have someone customize it to suit your business needs. Customizing is a good solution for those who have very simple or very complex needs. A standard product may have more features than you want to pay for (or master), in which case adapting a basic database program may be sufficient," the article suggests.

Also recommended - get references. "Be sure to ask other business owners you trust for references before you engage anyone," the article cites. "Creating your own system can run little as $1,000 -- or more than $10,000, depending on how many staffers use the system, the call volume, and analytical features."

The Business Week article mentions that commercial software packages are typically priced "per staff seat." Costs can also rise with the number of users and features.

Karen Ritz, VP of business development for MTS-TelSoft, suggests choosing the right call accounting software for a corporate environment may involve looking at why a business is considering a call accounting package.

"There are many reasons to implement a quality call accounting system," she says. "Many businesses think of a call accounting system when their interest is for tracking telecom expenses, and that is perhaps the most popular reason for choosing a call accounting software, however many executives many not realize that a quality call accounting package should include features to track and control telephone abuse and misuse, allocate calling costs among departments and divisions, bill clients and projects for telephone charges incurred, monitor shared tenant and resale of long distance and local phone calls, motivate sales forces, optimize networks and vendors, diagnose phone system bugs, verify long distance bills, monitor effectiveness of marketing campaigns, keep tabs on seasonal trends in inbound and outbound calling, and trace calls."

A good call accounting system should also be compatible with legacy PBX systems that can be implemented immediately, and that will easily migrate to future VoIP upgrades at a later date. Additionally, it is convenient if it also offers a browser-based monitoring feature for flexibility and be easy to use., Karen Ritz, VP Business Development for TelSoft Solutions, writes on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com. text link to render and work properly.

Providing Accounting Nonprofit Software Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations

Beyond accounting software, there is frequent need to computerize fund raising functions at nonprofit organizations. Developer of fund accounting software, nonprofit software, and municipal software. is the leading fund accounting software company, focusing on the specialized needs of nonprofit organizations, foundations, and governmental agencies. Our Solutions iDC has provided fund accounting software solutions for many nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and public sector organizations.

Providing fund accounting solutions for nonprofit organizations, software solutions and backoffice systems management. Provides fund accounting and fundraising software solutions for nonprofit organizations. You won't find more affordable evaluating fund accounting software, complete nonprofit software anywhere else. Discussion: Fund accounting software programs are sophisticated software for nonprofits that use/need fund accounting methods. (MIP) delivers premier Windows fund accounting software designed to meet the challenges of nonprofit accounting.

EmpowerFinancials - Custom business accounting software for medium to large businesses and nonprofits, including e-business, financial, distribution, and payroll software packages. In addition, Sage Software provides solutions to meet the specialized needs of accounting practices, construction, distribution, manufacturing, nonprofit, and real estate industries. is the leading fund accounting software company, focusing on the specialized needs of nonprofit organizations, foundations, and governmental agencies. Leverage world-class accounting software solutions customized to fit your Mid-Sized or Nonprofit/Fund company and its ever-changing needs. While nonprofit accounting software is by itself a vertical market, that market is very stratified as well.

Professional software implementation can get your nonprofit's new accounting system off to a great start, or fix a world of existing software woes. Our implementation and training processes for nonprofit accounting software are designed and built from over 15 years experience. (MIP) delivers premier Windows fund accounting software designed to meet the challenges of nonprofit accounting. At just $999, there's no other nonprofit accounting software that comes close. Here are the top reasons that you will often want to pass over the low-priced general use systems in favor of nonprofit-specific accounting software. Most nonprofit organizations use some sort of accounting software. That means that nonprofit accounting software users can expect to see lots of features in the next generation of releases. Working together, these two software applications create a comprehensive nonprofit accounting solution.

Providing fund accounting solutions for nonprofit organizations, software solutions and backoffice systems management. For more control, you can use this nonprofit accounting software to monitor financial commitments through integrated encumbrance tracking. Developer of fund accounting software, nonprofit software, and municipal software. Beyond accounting software, there is frequent need to computerize fund raising functions at nonprofit organizations. Our Solutions iDC has provided fund accounting software solutions for many nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and public sector organizations. Inferior accounting software is sometimes able to provide for two but not three labels, and therefore may be unsuitable for nonprofit organizations. http://www.accounting-master-degree.com/accounting-nonprofit-software/

Wirat Muenpan is The Webmaster Of Providing Accounting Nonprofit Software Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations - Quickly and Easily! http://www.accounting-master-degree.com/accounting-nonprofit-software/

When Money Matters, Call Accounting Software Can Ensure Your Business Success

Call accounting and telecom billing software provides many business benefits that can both save money, as well as help businesses generate revenue

Call accounting and telecom billing software provides many business benefits that can both save money, as well as help businesses generate revenue. A feature-rich call accounting software can provide many business benefits, such as:

? Long Distance Bill Verification: Was the bill from your chosen long distance phone company accurate? Mostly, it isn't. Using a call accounting system to check your long distance gives you some peace of mind - and documentation to back up your request for a refund of overpayments you may have made.

? Motivate sales people: The more phone calls they make, the more they sell. Keep track of their call volume and manage them accordingly.

? Bill Clients and Projects back for telephone charges incurred on their behalf: Every lawyer, government contractor, etc. does it. It makes sense.

? Allocate telephone calling costs among departments and divisions: Telephones - voice, data, video and imaging - are some of your biggest expenses. They're a cost that should be allocated to the products you are making, or the departments and divisions in your company. Telephone costs can determine which product is profitable. Which isn't. A software company recently dropped one of its three "big" software packages because phone calls for support got too expensive.

? Control Telephone Misuse: The rates for calling can vary widely depending on your carrier rate, the route the call takes, who makes the dialing decision...a call accounting system is a good check to see if you are spending money needlessly.

If your business isn't using a call accounting or telecom expense management software, you could be losing money.Karen Ritz, VP Business Development for TelSoft Solutions, writes on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.

Accounting Software - Which One Should You Choose

Who hasn't heard of accounting? I guess, nobody. This is the part any normal, functioning business should have to deal with the company's money and investments. Its history goes back to ancient Greece, where a primitive type of accountants existed. Accounting's modern history dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when the big companies emerged. Initially, and by initially I mean up to twenty years ago, the entire process was done by hand and pencil. This changed with the emerging of personal computers. They changed the way people looked at accounting and accounts. But as the PCs evolved so did the accounting software. I will try to help you in your search for the best accounting software, by noting a few sites and a small review of their software.

www.accsoft-ch.com/ Account Pro

This is complex, yet easy-to-use accounts software. It comes in two versions: Account Pro (has every feature enabled) and Account Pro Lite (a simpler version). It is multilingual, multicurrency and can be linked on up to three computers. It can work with projects and cost centers and the discount and tax transactions can be done automatically. Another plus is that it can work with both the British and American type of accounting.

www.clarisys.ca/ Executive

Business requiring sophisticated accounting will benefit the most from Executive. Three types of invoices, multiple bank account capabilities and multicurrency system are just a few of the features the programmers developed for Executive. Eve though initial Executive can be used on one computer only, it can be upgrade to an unlimited number of users. Other features include: up to 5 currencies simultaneously and unlimited number of budgets. Any report can be printed in any currency and separate transactions journals are held for the different currencies as well.

www.simplyaccounting.com/ Simply Accounting 2005

This software has all the requirements of an multi-user, large business accounting software should have. It has specialized options for manufacturing, inventory and service. It is notable that the number of possible currencies can be virtually unlimited. Data can be analyzed and accessed simultaneously by multiple users. It has a powerful search engine to help you find just the record you are looking for. Reports can be created trough Microsoft? Word and Excel.

www.microsoft.com/office/ Microsoft Office Small Business Accounting 2006

The latest accounting software from the giant Microsoft has quite a few pluses, such as a competitive price, it is easy to use and learn, well built accounting tools for small business and goes perfectly with the Microsoft? Office suite. Unfortunately it depends a little too much on the Office suite, making it inaccessible to people who use other productivity suites.

www.peachtree.com.Peachtree by Sage Complete Accounting 2006

Peachtree Complete Accounting is multi-user, robust accounting software. It provides the user with valuable information on accounts and staff. It has advanced features like Bill Pay and Online Bank Reconciliation. Time and billing, fixed assets and job costing, are just a few of the basic features it includes.

The end Whatever software you might choose just remember this: Accounting is the backbone of every business.

Steve Armstrong is editor of www.info-accounts.com - a website containing resources on accounts software

ProSoft Solutions Announces Integration with Sage MIP Fund Accounting software

August 03, 2006

The leading Consulting LLC with solutions for their fund accounting, fundraising, human resources, fixed asset management of software and related services specifically for nonprofit organizations, announced today the use of Sage MIP Fund Accounting software as preferred nonprofit financial management solution. With the newly integrated Web services platform, fundraisers now have instant access to live data from online sources, allowing them to better cultivate relationships and raise critical funds.

Sage MIP Fund Accounting Module Overview:

Sage Software from ProSoft Solutions offers nonprofits a flexible, modular accounting system that meets the varied needs of every size and type of nonprofit and government organization. The modular structure of Sage MIP Fund Accounting gives you the freedom to build a system that is customized to your specific needs, paying only for the modules you need today, while maintaining the flexibility to add modules as the organization grows. Sage MIP Fund Accounting modules build on the core General Ledger module.

SAGE MIP FUND ACCOUNTING AVAILABLE MODULES:

? Grant Administration ? Accounts Payable ? Accounts Receivable Reporting ? Accounts Receivable Billing ? Advanced Security ? Allocations Management ? Payroll and Budget ? GASB Reporting ? Purchase Orders ? Encumbrances ? Bank Reconciliation ? Fixed Assets ? Nightshift Scheduler ? Forms Designer ? Direct Deposit ? Data Import/Export ? Electronic Funds Transfer for ? Accounts Payable ? Electronic Requisitions ? Data Consolidation ? Executive View

About ProSoft Solutions

Since 1987, ProSoft Solutions has been providing nonprofit and government clients with solutions for their fund accounting, fundraising, human resources, fixed asset management and timekeeping technology needs and more. No one understands the unique needs of nonprofit organizations or has more relevant experience in the field than we do

For more information contact info@prosoftsolutions.net or visit the website at www.prosoftsolutions.net

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Call Accounting Software, It's Not Just For Law Firms Anymore

The data collected from call accounting software no longer has to be reserved for tracking a lawyer's billable hours.

Call accounting software has come into its own as a rich source of data that can be an excellent predictor of seasonal business trends, and marketing research.

Seasonal trends:

For those businesses that have seasonal swings - a few examples that come to mind include warm weather industries like painters, construction outfits, and lawn and garden e-tail and catalog commerce, or consumer retail outfits that rely heavily on holiday sales - the ability to anticipate inbound sales calls, the number of staff members needed to man the influx, or the prevention of overstaffing in slower seasons, can be quite the challenge for the business owner.

Call accounting software over the course of a year can easily predict the spikes in sales calls with clear figures on dropped calls due to insufficient staffing, as well as how many agents sat idle during slower seasons, resulting in costly overstaffing.

Market Research:

As a research tool, call accounting software can help market researchers manage call detail records along with source data to better evaluate which marketing campaigns are yielding results, and which ones need to be adjusted immediately to salvage a return on investment.

By placing several targeted campaigns on various media outlets with a dedicated phone number per campaign, a business can then clearly track the inbound calls, from what source, and the cradle to grave handling. By adding a simple yet brief questionnaire, respondents can easily be polled for additional data., Karen Ritz, VP Business Development for TelSoft Solutions, writes on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com

In-Memory Database Call Accounting Software Meeting Business Needs For Speed And Security

Ten years of real-time business intelligence and security systems

When Oracle announced in 2005 that it was acquiring an in-memory database provider, the term "real time" had become an industry standard. But with the way technology has progressed and broadband driving the demand for speed, the term has now taken on a new relevance. In-memory databases can speed transaction times and give immediate access to real time data, making this a requirement in the gathering of business information. One application that benefits from the speed and accuracy of an in-memory database is call accounting software.

Ten years ago TelSoft Solutions, a privately held company that provides call accounting and billing services to organizations and multi national companies, was faced with requests from customers for immediate access to the wealth of untapped information in their call detail records. At that time processing the call data, and running the reports necessary to effectively acquire and isolate the desired information, could take days or even weeks. In most cases, the task was abandoned before it began. The challenge was to provide an easy to use solution in which data retrieval and reporting are virtually instantaneous.

"To meet our customers' requirements we set out to meet certain parameters," says Don Simons, CEO of TelSoft Solutions. "All reports, regardless of size and type, had to run in less than five minutes (start to finish.) Call processing speed had to be sustained, (collecting call records, calculating call price information, and database insertion) it had to exceed a rate of one million calls processed per hour, the speed of processing had to ensure that data processing did not delay reporting in any way, even when the call data arrived in large batches, individuals with no programming background and minimal computer experience could easily run and customize reports, and the system had to run on off-the-shelf industry-standard hardware of the time."

Experts in the fastest databases (such as Oracle, Informix, and Ingres) were gathered and divided into competing research teams. Over a period of several months, these teams tested existing technologies in an effort to meet the performance specifications. To best optimize potential solutions, the teams called upon additional experts in each respective database technology. Numerous tuning and caching schemes were implemented. And still, the target goals were nowhere in sight.

During this process, additional calculations proved that no existing off-the-shelf solution, even if disk drives were 100 times faster, could attain the required performance goals. All standard solutions proved unsuccessful.

"We were about to throw in the towel," says Simons. "Then one of the developers came up with an original and exciting idea, an in-memory database manager (IMDB)"

Since call accounting reports by nature access a large majority of the dataset in each query, it wasn't clear at first that such a solution would be viable or reliable. A team was assigned and a prototype rapidly assembled. The new concept was rigorously tested for performance, reliability, and data integrity. Testing proved that a full-blown IMDB would meet and exceed all specified requirements, even on the standard hardware technology.

The MegaBase IMDB and the MegaCall application were completed and made generally available in 1995. The database runs most reports in just seconds and even large annual reports in under the five-minute limit. It processed real time calls virtually instantaneously, could be used effectively by a novice, required no routine maintenance or additional support personnel, provided seamless archival access, and had extensive open data exchange capabilities.

As other companies realize the value of in-memory databases to reduce risk and add speed and reliability, TelSoft's call accounting software has been meeting these business requirements for ten years. The ability to access business intelligence immediately and have your data be totally secure is vital in today's competitive environment.

Under current conditions requiring the highest levels of security, real-time retrieval of critical data is an essential element in maintaining a secure environment. MegaBase was designed and is currently deployed in enterprises with heightened security requirements as well as the standard reporting needs.

Karen Ritz is the VP Business Development for TelSoft Solutions Inc, http://www.telsoft-solutions.com Since 1985, TelSoft has been providing call accounting and billing services to meet the challenges of their clients, many of whom have unique telecom management needs. TelSoft provides call accounting solutions like CallTrac for organizations with as few as 100 stations and MegaCall for large multi-location companies exceeding 60,000 stations

Accountants And Accounting Software

Accounting is the measuring, and disclosure or provision of assurance about information that helps managers and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions. How to become an Accountant.

Accountants in the US are called Certified Public Accountants and in the UK and Canada are called Chartered Accountants.

Chartered Accountants in Canada are expected to know all US CPA knowledge as well as a Canadian Accounting body of knowledge. In order to become an Accountant an undergraduate degree is required and then a period of articling is required which can take as long as 5 years with gruelling exams and an exhausting series of finals.

In her notes compiled in 1979, Professor Linda Plunkett of the College of Charleston S.C., calls accounting the "oldest profession"; in fact, since prehistoric times families had to account for food and clothing to face the cold seasons.

Later, as man began to trade, they established the concept of value and developed a monetary system. Evidence of accounting records can be found in the Babylonian Empire (4500 B.C.), in pharaohs' Egypt and in the Code of Hammurabi (2250 B.C.).

Eventually, with the advent of taxation, record keeping became a necessity for governments to sustain social orders. Perhaps the most significant benefits to contemporary accounting has been the introduction of computer programs to assist in the accounting function.

Computer programs were introduced in business and government organizations in the 1950s, and the most important applications of computers have been in the areas of record keeping, balancing , and transaction recording.

Accounting uses various bases of measurement, mainly the cash basis, the accrual basis (or historical cost) and variations of these; all of these functions are greatly assisted by the use of various accounting software programs.

Accounting is tied to the invention and dissemination of the double entry bookkeeping process.

Different Accounting Software Solutions available today:

ACCPAC web-based accounting, launched the ACCPAC Online web site in 1999 which allows end users to run ACCPAC from a simple browser for a small monthly rental fee.

Intuit's QuickBooks for the Web represents a new product from scratch. Microsoft Small Business Manager is a new player on the block which is a scaled down version of Great Plains Accounting Software.

Netledger centralized net computing renamed Oracle Small Business Manager Peachtree. This product was the older Peachtree Office Accounting product and is also a web-based solution. In 2000, Peachtree added a web-based module to its' flagship Peachtree Complete Accounting product called Peachtree Web Accounting.

SAP mySAP - web-based accounting featuring a limited number of SAP modules.

So it appears that there are 2 different types of Accounting Software:

Web Based Accounting: which is one application on a Web Server running everybody's application.
There are of course advantages and disadvantages to this type of application, immediately coming to mind is confidentiality and the security of the Servers being used as well as possible breakdowns.
Advantages are of course in being able to use unlimited Server Resources.

And then there is PC Based accounting which everybody has tried and is Bill Gates favorite.

Advantages;

In-house control of everything but subject to limited resources.Frank Hague is very interested in Accounting Software. You can find more Accounting Software information at; http://www.accounting-software-now.info

How To Choose Accounting Software

Choosing accounting software can be confusing. The fact is you are looking for accounting software because accounting is a complex matter that you?d like to simplify. Choosing the right accounting software will help you simplify your finances, but choosing the wrong one will only complicate matters further. It is really important that you choose your accounting software based upon your needs and not just product reviews. This ensures that your needs will be met and you will be comfortable with using the software.

There are many different types of accounting software with many different features. Personal accounting involves bank account monitoring, loan management, investments and budgeting. It is important to focus on accounting software aimed towards personal finance rather than business finance. This will help you to narrow down your choices to ones that are most likely to work for your needs.

The first step is to check out what accounting software is on the market. Look at websites, in stores and anywhere else you can find the information. You can even ask friends or family if they know of a good software program. At this point you are trying to gather information about features available and names of certain software programs.

The next step is to make a list of all the products you found out about. You can now do some deeper research. Look for information about each product. Find out the features and anything special that may make the product stand out, like products that are made specifically for the beginner.

Now you can look over your list and eliminate any that do not impress you or look like they are lacking something you will need. You should also look at how much they cost and eliminate programs that cost too much.

Once you have the list narrowed down you can try to get an evaluation code from the manufacturer. Most companies will allow you to download a demo so you can try the software yourself. This will allow you to figure out the ease of use and if you like the general layout of the program.

After you have tested the software on your list you should easily be able to narrow down your choice to one accounting software program that meets your needs.: Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides accounting software information on All Your Topics!

Microsoft Great Plains Accounting Software ERP Development overview for programme

Microsoft Great Plains is the definite stake for Microsoft Business Solutions for the US market.  It has multiple customization/modification/reporting tools.  Currently there is upgrade campaign to version 8.5 and 8.0 and due to the discontinuation of the technical support for Microsoft Great Plains Standard on Ctree and Pervasive SQL - we see substantial increase in migration needs: migration from ctree/Pervasive to MSDE/MS SQL Server.  This in turn increases interest to customization and customization upgrade.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

• Great Plains Dexterity this is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface. Nowadays, however and this is a good thing most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.
• Modifier with VBA. Unfortunately you have to purchase this tool and get new registration keys. If you are familiar with VBA customization for Access or Excel you have all the skills needed then you just attach your scripts to the buttons and fields on GP forms (you can modify these forms with Modifier or just tough them with it).
• Continuum for VB/Delphi we dont recommend this tool, because it is using Great Plains as OLE server and you probably dont want to be trapped by old technology.
• Crystal Reports. Great Plains has its own ReportWriter, but its functionality is limited you cant do cross modules reports (you cant link Sales and Purchasing tables in one report, for example). So you use Crystal. The GP tables structure is in Tools->Resource Description->Tables and you are in control. Feel free to create views and stored procs directly in the companies databases it doesnt hurt the Dexterity engine
• Direct web publishing from Great Plains SQL databases, using Visual Studio.net and your language of choice (VB.Net, C#, J#, etc). Plus you probably want to have several SQL stored procs.
• eConnect this tool is type of SDK with VB.net samples. It allows you to feed data into Great Plains and was primarily created for eCommerce developers.
• Integration Manager it is end-user tool for importing to GP, however if end-user meets some challenges in the integration you as a developer can help with VBA scripts. IM validates 100% of business logic and uses hidden GP forms so it maybe slow for big on-going integrations, when you have thousands records per day in this case you rescue to eConnect or directly to SQL store procedures.
• SQL queries - as a developer you have unlimited potential in using SQL queries, because the database in MS SQL Server.  Be careful, it is kind of surgery - you can easily delete all your customers, by executing: DELETE RM00101

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients in Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

 

How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Business

With any good luck and a good amount of hard work, you're having the same problem many business owners today are facing. Your business is growing rapidly and you're having problems controlling your finances. Time and time again, that Microsoft Excel spreadsheet you've been using just isn't getting the job done for you.

So, youve decided that youre ready to take the next step, and buy a full-featured accounting software program. Many options are available to choose from, but I believe the best solutions to be Quicken Premier Home and Business by Intuit, QuickBooks Pro also by Intuit, and Peachtree Accounting by Sage. In order to decide on the right package for you, you need define the type of business that you operate.

With the rise of self-employment (businesses with one or more owners but no paid employees) a need has arisen to manage business and personal finances on one platform. Intuit has released Quicken 2005 Premier Home and Business to fill this need.

This software is perfect for the small business owner who receives income from investments, real estate, and/or internet
marketing. Also, Quicken 2005 Premier Home and Business is well priced at only $89.95.

For more typical brick-and-mortar business owners, you will usually need a more robust solution like QuickBooks Pro or
Peachtree Accounting for functions like payroll reporting and check producing. Each piece of software has its advantages,
but don't forget that QuickBooks has been the standard in business accounting software for many years now. As for features and basic operations, both applications will provide you the same functionality and convenience for your business.

One additional factor to consider in your decision is that Peachtree Accounting is less expensive than QuickBooks. Both
starter versions of Peachtree and QuickBooks are priced at $99.95 each, but the full-featured version of Peachtree is priced at only $199.95 while the full-featured QuickBooks Pro is priced at $299.95.

At the end of the day, the biggest advantage QuickBooks offers over Peachtree is compatibility with other applications. For example, most commercial banks (Bank of America, SunTrust, etc...) provide you with files designed to work directly with

QuickBooks, so that you can read, study, and decipher transaction details. Also, some banks will allow you to update account information in real-time with QuickBooks. Check with your bank to see what accounting software their online services support, and you should be able to make your decision.
Brandon Hall owns http://www.accountingsoftwareportal.comwhich is a site dedicated to providing resources, links, articles, and news related to accounting software products.

7 Things to Consider Before Buying Small Business Accounting Software

The world of small business accounting software can be a minefield for any business owner. However choosing the right package is one of the most critical business decisions you will make.

Here are the seven things you must consider before making a purchase that will help you achieve your businesses goals.

1. Scalability

Businesses change over time so it's critical that the small business accounting software you choose can change too. Some things that often change are the number of products and services offered and the number of employees. When you choose your package try and imaging the business in 5 years or 10 years time and how different it will be. Use this information to guide your purchase decision. It may well be better to pay a little more now for the software knowing that it can be easily
upgraded when needed with minimum disruption and cost to your business.

2. Support

It is important that any software has great support for when something goes wrong (and it always does). Most major companies offer support but you also need to think about support in your local area. It's often much easier to have someone locally come in and do things you need done with your software than have someone trying to help you over the phone. Make some
enquiries with other businesses about the package they use and who helps them.

3. Accountant Interface

It's most unlikely you will handle every aspect of your businesses accounting. Your accountant is an important factor in making the right decision. What software are they used to working with and what do they prefer? Can you easily supply them data and reports from your package without the need for any extra work (which you'll have to pay for). Don't be afraid to ask their opinion as they live and breathe this stuff.

4. Best Value For Money

Once you have selected the right package for your business you may as well get the best value. Shop around as the price can vary greatly and the product is exactly the same. Online merchants such as Amazon may offer better pricing because of the sheer volume of products they sell. However price is only one part of the equation so if their is great merchant locally with support or installation assistance this may be far more valuable.

5. Major Brands

There are two major players in the small business accounting software market. They are QuickBooks and Peachtree. Microsoft is expected to enter the market soon. I recommend choosing a major brand so that you can get regular updates and you know the company will be around as long as your business needs them.

6. Ease of Use

Ease of use is a personal thing but it is worth trying the software before you buy it if you can. Remember to get the person who will be the main user to test the software as well. Also consider how well the package can interact with other software you use. This is an advantage the Microsoft package may have when it's available.

7. Features Needed

I touched on this earlier when talking about thinking ahead as to where you business will be in 5 or 10 years time. Most accounting software packages come in several different versions. If you don't need certain features now and can't see a need for them in the future then don't buy them. The major differences are usually - number of users allowed, inventory management capability and number of reports available.

To sum up think ahead when planning your purchase of small business accounting software. You will make a much smarter business decision that will save you plenty of trouble and money in the future.
Please visit us for more information and a feature by feature comparison of:
Small Business Accounting Software

Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software

Pro-Care Daycare Accounting Software is a very useful software program primarily used in daycare centers. It has numerous functions that enable the owner or director of a daycare to be more efficient and organized when running their business.

I have personally used the Pro-Care day care accounting software package and have loved it. It’s so easy to use especially for those of us who don’t exactly have the greatest computer skills. I found it really beneficial when dealing with large amounts of children and families, it make my life so much easier.

With that in mind, I will discuss some of the functions regarding Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software. It has some really neat functions that can really organize your life.

Family Data- This is an area where all your information is organized regarding children and families. It contains personal information, and immunizations. It’s really a personal phonebook for your day care center.

Family Accounting- This is where you organize and keep track of all your tuition charges and payments, co pays. You are able to record bills for parents and generate receipts.

Attendance Tracker- Now this is my favorite part. With some many children coming in and out of your childcare it was often hard to keep accurate attendance records. Someone was always forgetting to write down what time a child arrived. The attendance tracker comes with a Pro-Care Time Clock. This time clock is placed in an area where parents can log in their child’s name. This information is then transmitted to your computer and records the child’s entry and departure. Very neat function, it made my life a whole lot easier.

Employee Data and Payroll- The above mentioned Pro-Care time clock also works great for employees. The same idea relates to employees. When they arrive for work they punch in their code and they are automatically ready to start. Wondering about how to calculate paychecks? Well, Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software has made that really easy too. Pro-Care has a quick calculate software feature that easily figures out taxes taken out of payroll. Again, Pro-Care is trying to make everything very easy on the business owner.

Those are a couple of key features with Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software. I think it’s a great product and certainly has achieved its idea of making the day care providers life much easier.

Blessings,

Christine Groth
Christine@instantdaycareprofit.com

Feel free to pass this information provided all links remain intact.

(C) CG Groth Inc.

$90,000 per year running your own daycare? Find out what you don’t know about starting your own daycare at http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com

Christine Groth author, mentor, of 6-weeks-Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course. Get a free 6-part newsletter on how to start a daycare. Go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com
 

Internet Based Lease Accounting Software: Creating Operational Efficiency While Crunching Numbers

The leasing industry is yet to significantly harness the powers of the Internet. Despite the hype, the web enabling of the leasing process has been sporadic at best. While the industry has already taken to the Internet's obvious convenience for credit scoring and front-end application processing, a larger and perhaps a more significant impact on productivity has yet to be realized. The advent of the lease life-cycle management model can realize this untapped potential for productivity and, if implemented well, can even directly enhance profitability. Online lease management and accounting software certainly has the makings of a paradigm shift in the lessor's approach to the lease accounting software. More specifically, it holds enough promise to replace the client/server model just as the client/server model itself dethroned the main frame.
 

The Benefits of an Internet Model based Lease Management system
To implement, the Internet model is much simpler than its client/server based counterpart, demanding nothing more than a secure Internet server on which the lease accounting software and database reside. Each of the limitless number of computers accessing the server can run any operating system, be it Apple Macintosh or Windows 2000, with nothing more than access to the Internet. By inference, the type of Network and the leasing software's compatibility to it no longer matters. Even the physical implementation of the network itself, in laying down the wiring and connections, becomes redundant when any authorized computer belonging to any authorized user, is part of the virtual network. In this respect, especially for lessors with multiple operations in different locations, the model used in the lease management software is a boon that takes no more significant effort to tie two computers into its virtual network as it does 2,000. Even training employees to use the lease accounting software becomes easy when there is one standard program worldwide. This immediate scalability and operating-system/network-independence of the leasing software model makes it possible for lessors of all sizes to experience IT benefits unknown in the client/server world.
 

It would seem that today's nascent Internet technology compromises the functional power of the client/server model in their leasing software; complex algorithms required to amortize income or calculate yields appear hard or even impossible to replicate on a browser. Fortunately, however, with the growing sophistication of Internet developmental platforms such as Microsoft's Active Server Pages, Internet applications run a tight race with client/server technologies. The Internet based lease accounting software enables yields and depreciation schedules to be calculated with the same click of a button. The lease management software facilitates reports to be sorted, filtered and queried to obtai any conceivable information available in the database. Income, IDC and residual can be accrued, blended and separated, just like they are in client/server systems.
 

Not surprisingly, even technology as complex as an Enterprise Resource Planning system, simultaneously used for solutions from global car-manufacturing to domestic chemical-production, runs on Internet-based applications today similar to the internet based lease accounting software. Leading ERP vendors including SAP, Oracle Financials and PeopleSoft, for instance, have tried and tested success stories of highly versatile and complex system that are browser based. "Lease Management Software", says Jay Mehra, COO of Odessa Technologies, Inc., "though sophisticated in its own right, can quite easily be implemented on the Internet." Despite the complexity, therefore, the functional powers of traditional models are easily captured in Internet-based applications.
 

Functionality of the Internet model and the Lease Management Software
While functionally the Internet application is interchangeable, its differentiating quality lies in its approach to data. By the very nature of their technology, client/server systems typically just crunch numbers. A good Internet based application, on the other hand, maximizes the value of that data, in addition to maintaining it. This translates into a direct value-add for the lessor's operational efficiency. Sales staff can, for instance, be allowed to access the leasing software from anywhere they can connect to the Internet. During negotiations, they can obtain historic information about the lessee to make informed decisions for new business opportunities through the lease management software. The traditional one-way pipelines of data delivery thus become forums for information exchange.
 

Equally important, as shown by the diagram above, the new channels of Internet-driven communication can now enhance the lessor's external relationships. Odessa Technologies, developer of a wholly web-based Lease management and accounting software, uses a series of independent web sites that ties the lessor with its various business partners. Through their lessee web site, lessees can get online help, access important account information, download invoices and even make secure Net payments enabled by the lease management software. Moreover, by leveraging the critical data residing within the Internet application, the lessor can even customize business promotions based on the individual lessee logging onto the system. Far from being just a tool that manages a part of the leasing business, lease management software thus becomes a way of conducting and even marketing the business. Through the Internet model the leasing software is able to bring about new sources of productivity, both direct and implied, are thus created from business relationships that are fuelled by information flow.

 

LeaseWave© - A new Wave in Lease Accounting Software
While the advantages of Internet-based applications are obvious, there is a conspicuous absence of such technology in the leasing industry. It is this gap between the ideal technology and what is typically available that Odessa Technologies, Inc. is fulfilling. With the release of LeaseWave©, a technology built entirely on Microsoft's Internet platforms, Odessa brings the lease management process online. Through LeaseWave© and technological collaborations with companies such as CapitalStream and Ivory Consulting, the company offers a comprehensive solution that is entirely Internet based by way of the lease accounting software. LeaseWave©, at its core, provides for complete asset management and lease accounting functionality, allowing the lessor to efficiently manage any number of lease portfolios in the leasing software. Beyond this core, LeaseWave© provides a series of interactive web sites that connects the lessor with business partners including lessees, funding sources, auctioneers and banks via the lease management software. Each line of communication in the lease software employs secured socket layers for complete security and is even e-commerce enabled, allowing for secure online ACH and credit card payments.
 

It is common knowledge that front-end systems, such as CapitalStream's CapitalStream - FinanceCenterTM are already leveraging the powers of the Internet. The efficiencies that they have realized, however, represent only the beginnings of a greater change. Still to be tapped are the efficiencies of large data-rich back-end processes. The web-enabling of lease management and accounting software is a step towards this efficiency-realization. As Internet technology seeps into the back-end, the leasing industry stands to experience a rare paradigm shift: one where the technology drives the process rather than being driven by it.

Bios
Madhu Natarajan, CEO Odessa Technologies, Inc.
Madhu Natarajan became the CEO of Odessa Technologies. He has consulted for various companies including Caterpillar, Inc and Crowe Chizek, LLP; Madhu brings with him an extensive research based leasing background with 5 years of leasing software experience. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Business Administration from Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL; Madhu graduated Magna Cum Laude. fax copy to 610-293-9903

How to Get The Best Accounting Software For Your Small Business

Buying accounting software is a major investment. It's an important decision and you need to be sure of all the facts before you buy.

You certainly wouldn't want to get accounting software and then find a few months later that the software can't handle your growing business.

You also don't want to be fooled into buying low priced software and then finding out that you have to make multiple upgrades to get it to the level you need to effectively run your business.

And worst of all you don't want to get software with little or no support.

Our research lead us to a website that has compared some of the most popular small business accounting packages released in 2005.

Software Prices

The cheapest software cost US $89.99 and the most expensive software cost US $1,499. It was interesting to note that the top 3 ranked websites were not the most expensive and cost between US $250 - US $300.

Software Features

Each accounting software package has been thoroughly analyzed and there is a detailed breakdown showing the features of each. Most packages offer all the most important accounting modules. It was interesting to note that the most expensive software did not offer some of the modules offered by less expensive alternatives. The breakdown is very detailed and you'll be able to see for example if the software offers e-mail invoicing.

Software Support

The most important feature in our opinion is the support. The top 4 accounting packages include toll free support and FAQ's.

Hopefully you now have an idea of what to look for in an accounting software package and how much you should pay. If you would like the link to the website we researched to compile the above information please visit our website.

Ryan Hough is an accountant with Ernst and Young. He advises small business owners on how to cope with the accounting and financial issues they will face when growing their business.Accounting Software For Small Businesses

Before You Buy Accounting Software for Your Small Business

Buying the right Accounting Software for your business is very important. Because you will be using your Accounting Software frequently, it’s urgent to ensure that you pick the right software for your business and your needs. Accounting Software can be a great tool for your small business, allowing you to keep track of all your financial data, and easily produce reports for effective planning. Here are some things you should think about, before buying your Accounting Software:

Accounting Software Suitability for Your Business

For small and medium-sized businesses that have standard accounting needs Out-of-the-box accounting software is most suitable. If the business needs unique data reports, make sure the Accounting Software offers customizable reports. If you run a service-related business, check to be sure the accounting software includes features such as a time and billing module.

Accounting Software should be easy to learn

Take a close look at the Accounting Software before you buy it. The user interface should be comfortable and intuitive. Will you (and your employees) be able to sit down and start to work with it or you will need a further investment in training?

Accounting Software Ease of Use Features

Your Accounting Software should allow you to print or electronically send cheques, purchase orders, and invoices. It’s important to have 'Net connectivity so you can bank online. Check if it is integrated with other software that you often use and can be able to convert data from other accounting programs or databases.

Accounting Software Scalability

Accounting Software should be net-workable; it means how easy or expensive it to move from one user to multi-users is. With some Accounting Software, adding new users is just a matter of buying the appropriate number of user licenses; with others, you have to purchase multiple copies of the Accounting Software program, which is much more expensive.

Support for your Accounting Software

Take a look at Help section - sometimes online help makes the program. Does the Accounting Software have features such as screen tips, a searchable help index, demos, and example accounts to get you started? Print and online manuals should be available. Very important is accessibility of company's support.

In other words the Accounting Software should be able to meet all of your needs, now and in the future.

For more details visit our website http://smallbusiness-accounting-software.blogspot.com

Day Care Accounting Software- How To Pick The Best

Running a day care center is challenging enough without financial accounting problems. Picking the best day care accounting software is an important decision, as it will store all of the critical business accounting data and client data of your day care center.

The first step in picking the best software is to survey what is currently available.

There are many generic financial accounting solutions available, but they will not provide the day care industry-specific features that specialized day care accounting software may provide.

Start by researching in industry publications and talking with other day care owners, but also use the power of the Internet to find and research all available options.

Look at the system requirements for each of the software options you have found. If any of them will not run on your current computer system, you will eventually have to either rule them out or factor in the cost of upgrading your system. But first, you need to determine what features and benefits you really need your day care accounting software to provide.

Ease of use is an important benefit. Unless you are very computer savvy and have no other employees who will need to use it, you need your software to be extremely user-friendly and intuitive so that little or no training is necessary.

But there is often a trade-off of ease of use versus power and flexibility. You need the day care accounting software you pick to be as easy to use as possible while still being powerful and flexible enough to provide the general financial accounting capabilities you need as well as specialized features to fill the needs of a day care center.

Obviously you need your accounting software to provide financial accounting capabilities like:

- General ledger

- Balance sheets

- Profit and loss statements

- Billing

- Invoicing

- Accounts receivable

- Payroll

- Tax forms and reporting

You may also want your accounting software to provide extra features like:

- Automated billing

- Automated invoicing

- An online bill payment interface

- Instant receipts when payments are recorded

- Employee work schedules

But day care accounting software also needs to be flexible enough to deal with more complex billing. For example, your rates may vary depending on the days or hours a child is in day care, or you may have to split bills between two divorced parents.

Your software will need to maintain contact information and a comprehensive payment history for every client. You may also need to be able to provide families a detailed statement of their yearly childcare expenses for their taxes.

In addition, specialized day care accounting software may be able to provide extra features like tracking:

- Immunizations

- Attendance, with automated recording of check-in and check-out times

- Food programs

- Calendars of events

System requirements, features, and benefits are not the only consideration when picking the best day care accounting software, though.

You need to be fully aware of any possible licensing issues, software add-on or upgrade needs, and support details. These can all affect your initial or long-term cost.

You need to consider:

- How many client records can the software handle?

- Is there a limit on the number of clients per family?

- How often is the software upgraded?

- Do software upgrades cost extra?

- How long is technical support available for old versions if you do not upgrade?

- Will you need to purchase extra modules or add-ons to get the features you need?

- If you have more than one computer that will run the software, do you need additional licenses?

- Is any training necessary? If so, what will it cost to train your entire staff?

- Is there a charge for technical support?

- How do you contact technical support?

- What are the hours for technical support?

- Will the software provider do any necessary custom programming?

- What is the charge for custom programming?

- How do you get the software (disk, download, etc.)?

- Is there a free trial of the software available before you purchase it?

You should also research what others think of the day care accounting software you are considering. First, check if it is recommended, accredited, or certified by any accounting agencies or accountancy organizations. Next, go to your favorite search engine and enter the name of the software along with keywords such as:

- review

- problem

- bug

- complaint

Do not skip this, as it can save you from a potential disaster! Software always sounds great on the vendor's site, but you need to know if there are many end user complaints.

No complaints? Great, but now you need to find out whether you can get a better price on the day care accounting software you have chosen.

Go back to your favorite search engine and again enter the name of the software or software vendor along with keywords such as:

- discount

- coupon

- coupon code

- special offer

- rebate

Now repeat the search with the same keywords with the term "site:" followed by the vendor's domain name, like in this example:

discount site:www.example.com

You might be surprised how often you can save 20% or 25% on any online purchase with these two extra steps.

Purchasing day care accounting software is a major investment. Your decision, good or bad, may affect your business for years. Following the steps above, you should be able to pick the best day care accounting software to fulfill your needs. And you should be able to get it at the best price possible.

Mike Adams writes on a wide variety of business topics. You can read many more accounting articles in the accounting articles section of his popular article directory, ElectricText, at: http://www.electrictext.com/Category/Accounting/104

Construction Accounting Software - All For Project Completion On Time

Mightiest of construction projects can be completed today with the ease of cigarette packets, rolling out of the assembly line! It is all possible with the help of magnificent construction software that makes it very easy to calculate the viability and timeliness of the projects well in advance.

What is the main purpose of construction accounting software? Firstly, it is to build! It is to build fast! It is to give maximum profits to all the interested parties! And that’s what makes a construction project a success.

All this is possible, if you are in total control of the situation right from the day the foundation stone was laid, from the day you made the first debit/credit ledger entries in your accounting system.

The software you select for the project must possess all the qualities that an extraordinary talented architect possesses. It should help you win profit-yielding bids, have perfect and speedy control over the construction program, generate revenues and profitability.

Every project has a project-cycle. Within that cycle, the entire game is played. If you are within the time schedule you are through. If you exceed the time-limit for whatever reasons, you are the sufferer. Your profit margins will be reduced or you will suffer losses.

The construction accounting software that you select needs to meet the requirements of all those important branches/persons concerned with the project. Each one should be able to grasp and calculate the advantages and disadvantages of the other in relation to the project in any given situation. Then only you can say that it is a perfect software project. The involved personalities in a major project are: The construction company owner, controller, accountant, estimator and project manager.

Some of the construction accounting software have the solution-providing techniques integrated in the software. They almost do the job of an highly paid consultant. They also include programs like latest product upgrades, their advantages and source of availability, latest integration management techniques, inputs about latest tax laws, training to the personnel, including online learning tools and latest and live technical support.

The construction business is tricky and complicated, involving high profits as well as high risks. One wrong calculation…and you may end up with huge losses. As a remedial measure, some of the software products contain the additional information provided in the listing and other details relating to business management experts as also independent accounting and construction experts.

What more you can look forward to in a construction accounting software product? If you are working on a construction project with required accounting software, I can definitely ask you- when is the inauguration of your project? Congratulations for completing it as per the set schedule!

To get more information about accounting, accounting software and accounting software competition visit www.managemyaccounting.com

Choosing New Accounting Software? Consider These Points First

Choosing new accounting software may be one of the most critical business decisions you are ever likely to make and with so many applications available on the market it’s crucial that you follow some basic guidelines when selecting your new software.

Choosing the right supplier should be a key factor in selecting a business accounting solution. You need to establish the viability of the supplier to ensure that buying their solutions is just the first step in a relationship that is beneficial for you.

Business accounting solutions are extremely complex and it is essential that the supplier you choose can not only prove their position in the market place but are financially viable and able to provide outstanding references. It is not sufficient to choose a supplier purely on the basis of an existing relationship.

Support of your business accounting software is essential and you should establish what level of support you will be provided with and how much that is going to cost you over the life of your software.

How often are upgrades issued? How are these distributed? Are they included in the support and maintenance fees or will they cost extra? What sort of response levels will be provided? Between what times are the support desk available and when are they closed? These are all questions that you should ask any potential software provider before committing to purchasing from them. If you have a problem with your accounting software you want to know that it will be resolved quickly and with the least interruption to your business possible.

Your business is likely to evolve and change over time and therefore the accounting and reporting requirements will change too. Will the software you are purchasing keep up with your changing requirements? When selecting your accounting package try to imagine your business in 3 or 5 years time. What will you do differently? How much will the business have grown? Will you have many more staff? It may be better at this point to pay a bit more for a software solution that will “grow” with your business and can be upgraded with the minimum of fuss and disruption to meet your needs in the future.

As well as meeting legislative requirements, any business account package should give you the information you need to run your business. The decisions you make based on your business accounting information will impact on every area of your business so it’s crucial that you can easily get the information you need, when you need it and in a format that is easy to interpret. You must be able to distribute necessary information to your key decision makers easily and efficiently; allowing them to focus on managing the business.

You may have a number of other software solutions within your business and being able to integrate your accounts software with these processes will make it easier to manage your business as a whole. Being able to share business information across systems and see “the bigger picture” really does mean that you’re better informed. In addition integration means that you’re not storing duplicate data, a practice that can increase the risk of errors in your records.

Ease of use may be more important to your staff than yourself but keeping your employees happy and willing to accept a new system and work with it can be critical to its level of success. A proven business accounting solution should be intuitive and easy to use. The software provider should be able to provide training for your staff whatever their level of computer literacy.

Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that the cheapest option may not provide you with the best value for money. A system that costs slightly more may give far more functionality that can provide cost savings in other areas. Consider the whole software package and the functionality it provides together with each of the above points and don’t just focus on the price when evaluating value for money.

Considering all the issues that have been mentioned when you are selecting your new business accounting package should ensure that you choose a proven software product which is easy to use and provides a high level of functionality and integration with your existing processes. In addition, you will be buying from a company that will provide you with a high level of customer service for many years to come.

Dave Anson has been helping companies select business software solutions for a number of years. For more information from Dave join the mailing list at http://www.theretailpeople.com 

Do You Need Accounting Software for Your Small Business?

If you’re anything like me then you dislike with a vengeance doing your accounts and taxes.

So how can you make this process easier, less painful and cut your accountancy fees?

Well buying an accounting software package is one way.

First of all you need to decide whether you are going to keep your accounting records manually, that is using pen and paper, or whether you are going to computerize the process.

If you decide that computerizing the process is the way to go then you need to decide whether to buy an accounting software package, for example Sage or Quicken, or whether a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel will suit your needs better.

As a general rule if you are a cash business that just needs to record income and expenditure then you are better off using a spreadsheet.

So, should you choose an accounting software package? Yes if:

1. You have customers to whom you extend credit and you buy goods in the same way

2. You process in excess of 50 transactions per month

3. Your business is an Incorporated Company (Limited Company in the UK)

and:

4. You are computer literate or are willing to learn!

Before choosing the accounting software, speak to your accountants – they will be familiar with the various accounting software packages on the market and will be able to advise you. Most accountants use software in their office to process the bookkeeping for their clients and will have a working knowledge of the accounting software package they use. It may be cheaper for you to use the same one they do, because they can advise you how to get it up and running and will be on hand to answer questions, plus at your financial year end when your accounts need preparing it will be less expensive, believe me to have a compatible program.

I also recommend doing some research yourself, you may be able to obtain a demonstration disk or download of the most popular accounting software packages and this will give you an idea of how they work and if they are user-friendly.

The cost may also be an issue, so you need to decide on your budget. But consider how your business is likely to expand - you may outgrow that budget accounting software quickly and end up buying the more expensive one anyway.

Accounting software providers may also try and up-sell you a maintenance contract. Save your money! In my experience the established software providers will not have bugs in their systems. They will also try and upgrade you to the next version on a regular basis, but if the software is doing everything you need then there is no need to upgrade.

Of course, you could also pay someone to do your accounts for you, either your accountant or a bookkeeper – the payoff being you don’t have to do it yourself and it frees you up to actually run your business!

This article is copyrighted. Please feel free to use it in it's entirety including copyright information and information about the publisher.

Jakki Francis operates the website http://www.accountingsoftware-reviews.com For news, information and resources on all types of accounting software