With the financial year drawing to a close, what better time to review your business processes and systems? Often, companies operate oblivious to the fact that they have outgrown their accounting packages. Time and time again, companies will struggle to find means and ways to deal with the shortcomings of their current system, without taking the time to consider what a modern, high-end ERP system can offer. When this happens, it’s time to upgrade your system to a secure and reliable accounting software solution with advanced functionality, the ability to automate more tasks, and the scalability to allow it to grow as your business continues to grow.

Organizations can often find rigid entry-level accounting software packages, such as Sybiz Vision, MYOB, and Xero, that do not have the flexibility to evolve and adapt to their business. The increase in manual activities is one of the biggest pain points voiced regularly by frustrated employees looking to change. Certain packages may require users to painstakingly enter data in a multitude of locations, leading to duplication of effort. This tedious, labor-intensive task can suck up valuable employee time that could otherwise be spent more productively.

Also, if your provider lacks a product development area, you may have a hard time keeping up with the constant stream of new product innovations and software updates. Certain ERP systems can become cumbersome to use, with users encountering common error messages such as “Runtime error 5”, “Module error/failure”, or “failing application”. When vendors get behind the eight ball, compatibility issues can arise with newer operating systems like Windows 7, or even with drivers for hardware like printers. Ask your supplier how much research and development they are putting into the product. Are they constantly monitoring customer feedback and improving performance, stability, and usability? Does your provider have regular updates and quickly release new versions to support new operating systems, servers, and packages like Microsoft Office? These factors are no longer after ideas. Rather, they form the basic needs of a growing, innovative company that relies on a state-of-the-art ERP solution and an exceptional vendor to back it up. For additional signs you’ve outgrown your accounting software, see our website below.

Another fundamental problem with accounting software packages like Sybiz is the lack of an edition of Microsoft SQL, which can hinder your business’ ability to thrive. In today’s volatile economic climate, the cost of acquiring and maintaining a company’s software investments is in the spotlight. Information technology (IT) departments are under pressure to deliver more services, in shorter time frames, and with shrinking budgets. For these reasons, IT departments around the world are choosing technologies that deliver more business value at lower cost. An example of a technology that is growing rapidly in IT departments is the MS SQL database. As a business grows, inevitably so does the workforce and with 5 or more concurrent ERP users, performance issues can often arise. With multiple users trying to access data at once, certain systems can become slow and even require users to log in and out to accommodate others. With 5 or more users, it may be advantageous to switch to an MS SQL database solution. Although it still looks and feels like a generalized system, MS SQL offers better reliability, performance, data integrity, and scalability. This is often a problem with packages like Sybiz that lack an edition of Microsoft SQL, which can hinder your business’ ability to thrive. To learn more about the benefits of MS SQL, please visit our website below.

What about the cloud?

Many commentators have claimed that 2012 will be the year of the cloud. Not surprisingly, such comments have surfaced, as analyst firm IDC forecasts that cloud computing services will triple, to reach NZ$57 billion by the end of 2012. However, when considering whether a change Whether or not the cloud is the best option for your business, there are several important questions that need to be answered. Typically, people will lean towards the cloud as it may be the most economically viable option. However, this may not always be the case and it completely depends on which solution best suits your business. For example, the cost difference between public and private cloud must be considered, relative to the benefits your business requires. The most fundamental factor when selecting a solution should be what specific functionality your business requires. Knowing how your business operates and how different processes and systems interact should point you in the right direction.

Another common mistake many companies make is the assumption that by virtue of moving to the cloud, their data is automatically backed up elsewhere. Consequently, problems can arise if companies do not plan for unexpected events or scenarios. By placing too much emphasis on cost and not having a redundancy plan in place, cloud users can put themselves in a vulnerable position. One need only look at the disastrous Amazon cloud crash last year. Despite promising 99.9% annual uptime, many customers were left in the dark for up to 48 hours. Most worrisome, however, was the fact that some customer data was permanently destroyed.

One last relevant point to consider is that the cloud is highly dependent on your internet connection. For many businesses that rely exclusively on the internet to function, a secondary or backup internet connection is more than prudent, it’s a necessity. Additionally, factors such as bandwidth limitations in a public cloud can be problematic, and speed issues can occur with features such as data entry.

With the large selection of providers available, it can be difficult to determine which one best suits your needs. Due to the growing popularity of the cloud, several new established providers have emerged. Care should be taken when studying the condition of such sellers who are still trying to find their place. Unfortunately, a large number of companies purchase new software without taking the time to fully research their investment. This can lead to serious issues during implementation that could have been avoided if they had done a more thorough review of potential vendors, taking into account their unique requirements. For help evaluating potential software vendors, check out our 10-step guide to making sure your investment pays off.