Accounting software companies are continuously improving their software; leading vendors have worked hard to offer small and midsized businesses (SMBs) the same types of solutions that enterprise-sized companies use at SMBs price points.

Given the extensive feature sets of today’s accounting systems, you need to ask better questions than any other time you’ve purchased new software. Here are a few questions to ask before choosing accounting software.

Strategy Questions

Given the vast functionalities of today’s accounting systems, they’re now considered strategic enablers for most SMBs.

Ask these strategy-related questions:

• Does the software fit our current business needs?
• Does the software provide comprehensive functionality? (i.e., if we do international transactions, will the software perform currency conversions and tax calculations automatically?)
• How does the software handle growth?
• Can the system grow as our business grows?
• Are there customizable user interfaces, workflows, reporting, etc.?
• How much industry-specific functionality does the system have?
• What is the product roadmap for specific functionalities we need now or may need soon?
• Does the software adhere to industry standards?
• Is the software code written in a common language?

Usability Questions

As you grow, more of your users will be located away from company headquarters; some may even be international. Therefore, a system that’s easy to use is crucial.

Ask these usability questions:

• How easy is the software to learn and use?
• How will the reseller train users?
• Can managers get reports in real time?
• How are reports generated? (e.g., spreadsheets, emails, hard copies, etc.)
• Do transactions update both automatically and immediately?

Operations Questions

Today’s accounting systems make or break operational success. If a system goes down, is buggy, or lacks necessary functionality, users will struggle to accomplish routine tasks. You need to know how the reseller and system provider keep the software running smoothly.

Ask these operations questions:

• Does the reseller provide ongoing technical support and customer service?
• How fast does the reseller respond to our questions?
• Are there service-level agreements?
• How often is the software typically updated?
• How fast are bug fixes performed?

Information Access and Security Questions

Today’s workforce is more mobile than ever, so you need an accounting system that allows secure user access anywhere, any time, from any device; the system must provide secure access across the full spectrum of business information.

Ask these information access and security questions:

• How well does the accounting software integrate with our database(s)?
• Is the system easily scalable to handle different volumes of users?
• How difficult is it to access the system?
• Can users access the system from a variety of locations and device types?

At Southeast Computer Solutions, we understand that choosing software can be a daunting task – but we can help. For more information about choosing an accounting system, contact us today.