By Stephanie Elsen

Sometimes things happen so gradually that we hardly realize they are happening. Life happens, and one day we realize we’ve gained a few pounds, our house needs to be painted, and the car needs a tune-up... A similar thing can happen in business with your accounting software system!

Freeze-ups and lock-outs

If your current accounting program keeps on locking you out or freezing up, it may be because you are outgrowing its data limitations. It could be the number of inventory items, transactions, and years of history or a combination of things. Once you have outgrown your system’s capacity, it’s hard to keep it working efficiently and it may be time to search for something new.

Workarounds are the norm

When your needs become more than your accounting system can handle, you may start to use workarounds to accommodate your system needs. The more workarounds you create and use, the more manual work you create for yourself. After a while your workarounds become your norm, and you may not even realize how much time is spent on them. A new system that is more suited to the way you need to handle your accounting could really shave some manual work out of your day.

Like the purchase of your vehicle, no accounting system lasts forever. An upgrade to your current system or a completely new system will eventually be needed to keep up with your growing business. Though a transition may be difficult, it is worth it in the end.

Accounting Software is a tool that can help you manage your financial information and keep track of a variety of business data. Of course its main purpose is to give you a clear view of your financial and profitability status. In addition, the right accounting software can make a drastic difference in the efficiency of your office! That’s why it’s important to be sure your software is keeping up with your business needs. If you outgrow your accounting software, your financial data may become questionable, and your efficiency may go downhill. So how do you know if you are outgrowing your software? Here are three clues you are headed in that direction!

You can’t get the information you need.

The main purpose of accounting software is to provide you with the data you need for your company. Perhaps you want to see how profitable you have been for a period of time or whether you can afford a high dollar purchase. You should be able to gather that type of important information out of your accounting system, without any problem or hassle. If you find that the information you need is difficult to obtain, or takes a lot of manual calculations, it might just be time to look for a new system that can give you the information you need.

Processes take forever.

If data entry seems to take a long time, functions such as entering invoices or other information into your accounting system, you should check into why that is happening. Perhaps your needs have grown and you are no longer able to enter information in a way that fits your business. Your business may have grown to need purchase order management or order entry. These, along with many other accounting software features, are things that companies start without, but find useful as they grow. Look at the processes that have become time consuming, and see if your current system can be set up to handle them. And if not, you may be ready to move on to something new.

Your system seems frustrating rather than helpful.

Let’s be real here; all accounting software is frustrating when it’s brand new. But, shortly after you begin using it, you should start to feel it become a big help to you. If you have been using an accounting system for a long time, you may start to find yourself ‘tricking’ the system or creating your own workarounds to get it to do what you want it to do. This becomes a huge waste of time, and can also be very frustrating. It’s also a sign that you may want to start searching for a new accounting software system.

No matter where you are in your business lifecycle, your business can outgrow the accounting software you are using. Knowing when to move on and search for something new that fits better can keep your business running smoothly and also provide the tools you need to understand your business finances. For free accounting software guides, check lists and articles to help you find the right accounting software for your business, visit https://www.redwingsoftware.com/home/find-accounting-software.