The benefits…
‘Computerising the business’s financial systems will save time, resources and money. An effective business needs timely information to ensure that it is making the right decisions to maintain and grow its business; therefore, accurate and realistic financial information should be available at all times.
Using a computerised accounting system makes keeping the books much easier and gives you quick access to accurate information. Routine tasks take minutes instead of days; statements and other regular correspondence can be mail-merged and personalised and up-to-date balances included. Correcting any mistakes can be done at the touch of a button and if your business is growing, a computerised accounting system will make life much easier when you take on new staff, increase your spending or have more invoices to chase.
Perhaps one of the most useful aspects of a computerised accounts system is the fact that once the information is recorded, it can be used to give you a snapshot of the business performance at any time, which is critical to good decision making. It also simplifies preparing your end of year accounts.
There is really no such thing as a business that is too small to use a computerised accounts system. You will get a better picture of how your business is doing and foremost speed up your cash flow — the lack of which is the most common cause of business problems.
At the end of every financial year, the accountant will need to audit the company records and, with a manual system, this can be a tedious process. With a computerised system, the process is made much simpler for the business and the accountant. ‘
The applications…
‘Customers expect systems to fit and improve their processes rather than changing their processes to accommodate the needs of their system. One key advantage of software integration is that managers with access to accurate and timely information are much more likely to succeed. It is important to choose the most appropriate software for your needs and buying separate packages allows more flexibility to grow your business software system as your business grows. It also means you can upgrade one application without incurring cost of total system upgrade. Spreading the cost should help if there are likely to be any cash flow issues.’
The software…
‘Define what it is that you need your software package to do. In the case of choosing an accounts package, do you want to run your whole system on it or just do some sales invoicing? Will you need to automate just the main ledgers or would you like to put sales order
processing, purchase order processing and stock control onto the computer? Do you have any special procedures or requirements specific to your business that you must stick to, whatever the system? It is important that you ask these questions before you start shopping around.
Ask if the product meets your current and also your future needs; look for respectable and well-known software packages that you can rely on. Collect some information on software products and PCs and read some of the reviews published in computer magazines. Talk to your accountant who may be able to advise you about some packages. Information may also be available from authorised software dealers, professional bodies or business associations.’
The extras…
‘In today’s competitive economic environment, businesses large and small are looking for tools that will make a fundamental difference to company performance. For individuals, small businesses and company workgroups, a CRM package can do this by helping to generate leads, increase conversion rates, improve customer service and produce better management information.
Additional benefits [of CRM] include the ability to organise all your customer information in one place, so every detail of every relationship is at your fingertips; access to contact information and details of every call, meeting or to-do item in seconds; sales forecasting and reporting; scheduling and task automation; and synchronisation with handhelds for mobile workers.
In addition, the growth of e-commerce and other technological developments means it is now more crucial than ever that small to medium Irish businesses have the necessary software solutions they need to take full advantage of the business opportunities on offer.
If a computerised accounts software is used the Returns can be made electronically via Revenue Online Service (ROS) or computer disk.’
15/11/04
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