It's not the how, it's the why

Don't worry, you are not alone! Small companies everywhere are running into problems with accounting software.

Purchasers often have high expectations. Undo the wrapping and hey presto! Everything balances. Well not quite. Whilst the best accounting records are computerised, unfortunately so are the worst. The difference is almost always down to the planning, training and support that the user of that system has had.

Many first-time users receive poor training and do not know how to recognise or put right mistakes. Relying on the two-hour 'free' training received from software suppliers is a recipe for disaster. The information and reports gradually become more unreliable until an accountant or bookkeeper is called in to sort the mess out! This doomsday scenario happens to about 50% of first-time accounts software users and could occur every year.

To avoid this situation, the do's and don'ts are as follows:

• DO pick a convenient date to start. A new accounts year is always best.
  
  
• DON'T ditch the manual books just yet - you may need to refer to them. Stop using them when you and your accountant are both confident in the accuracy of the computer.
  
  
• DO get help from your accountant with putting on opening balances.
  
  
• DON'T forget to take a backup at the end of every day and store it off-site.
  
  
• DO understand why you are doing things. If you understand the why you almost always work out the how.
  
  
• DON'T be afraid to ask for help from your advisors. A five-minute telephone call can save countless wasted hours.
  
  
• DO set up monthly control procedures to check the accuracy of certain key figures - your advisor should provide valuable help here.
  
  
• DON'T give up!

We provide training and support on all accounting software packages.