Thinking
of purchasing an accounting software
system? If so, there are a number of
questions for you to consider. If you are a
service business do you need a time
reporting and billing system? Retail
businesses will want to track inventory;
do you also need the inventory system to
be updated at the point of sale?
Construction and manufacturing companies
may need job or project costing systems.
Do you expect to have a large number of
assets? If so, you may want an accounting
system that includes a fixed asset
package.
Will you
be setting up the system or doing the
accounting yourself? Consider what type
of product support is available for
installation and setup, using the system
as well as technical support. Do you need
to be able to prepare special reports or
will the standard reports that come with
the system be sufficient for your needs?
What are
the growth expectations for your
business? Off-the-shelf packages are easy
to set up and use, but may have a limit
to the volume of transactions or number
of concurrent users.
Overwhelmed
by these and the many other questions
that you want to ask? Talk to industry
trade organizations and find out what
packages are commonly used in your
industry. There are many products
available with a wide array of features
and capabilities, and price ranges vary
widely too. You can surf the WWW to
evaluate your needs and here are some
sites to get you started with your
evaluation:
- Completion
and submission of an online form
will give you information that
may help you narrow
the scope of your search for an
accounting package. This site is
maintained by SBT Accounting
Systems.
- Accounting
systems locator
information. This site contains a
short informative article on
selecting accounting systems and
also identifies a number of
available packages by price
range.
Once
you've narrowed down your search, you
should also talk with your accountant and
get her to help you with the final
selection process.
