The first stop on the road beyond Quickbooks is evaluating the company’s readiness for change. Before you begin looking at features and functionality of new software and setting fast-track time lines to implement, take some time to set realistic goals and build momentum towards the transition.

Below are 4 tips to insure a smooth move beyond Quickbooks:

1. Choose to change before your business is forced to.

By the time you are certain beyond the shadow of a doubt that your current systems are inadequate, your business is probably losing a sizable amount of money to reduced productivity, lost opportunities, and inferior data.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THIS HAPPENS! 

If your business is already receiving warning signs that the system cannot keep up resulting in data frustration and/or slow turn-around credit to time-consuming or manual processes, you need to begin a needs analysis now.  Evaluate your system needs or elicit the expert help of a Klear Systems consultant to make sure all bases are covered.

2. Come to terms with the reality that improvements cost money.

Sourcing, purchasing and implementing new accounting software requires an investment of time and money and this should not come as a surprise. The truth of the matter is, the hidden costs of the old-fashioned system your business currently uses are impeding productivity and hindering your company's competitive advantage.

Remember that the right system will pay for itself by providing valuable process improvements and sourcing better data for decision making.

The road away from Quickbooks to a modern, automated business management system with faster processing of accounting transactions, easier retrieval of accounting information, and better formatting of accounting reports is frequented by many modern businesses. Keep these benefits in mind when considering return on your investment.

3. Do not ignore the value of hard-to-quantify improvements.

A new system will deliver many benefits whose overall impact may be difficult to calculate with precision. Consider all the benefits to the organization as a whole when you assess the benefits of an upgrade from Quickbooks:

• Every facet of your company will benefit from faster, more reliable access to data. 
• Think about how much it is worth to your company to improve strategic planning. 
• How much will it cost you if your next audit doesn’t stand up to scrutiny? 
• How will your company’s reputation improve if your new system gives your customers better, faster, and more professional service?

4. Clear, company-wide communication is key.

While every single person in your organization might not be thrilled with the move from Quickbooks, if the message is delivered with clear communication and patient training, most will recognize that the decisions being made are fair, reasonable and actually benefit the future of everyone at the organization.

The trusted business leaders need to be sensitive to objections, especially in the early phases of the project and continue that sensitivity towards a fine-tuning an operations strategy once the new system is installed.

Traditionally, a business can count on their new system to satisfy about 90 percent of their needs and the remaining 10 percent require some change in actual operations. With this scenario, businesses may need to consider some staffing changes or revising of policies and procedures.  However, if a company would like the software system completely customized to suit business practices already in place, our expert Klear Systems programmers and developers are highly capable of integrating and customizing to suit any and all needs.

As you can see, preproduction planning is the key to a successful journey from Quickbooks to a new software system.  Klear Systems consultants have been in the ERP industry for decades and would love to help you navigate through the upgrade possibilities.

For more information on upgrading from Quickbooks,
Please Contact Us Today!