1. You have to pull data together from multiple sources to answer important business questions.

2. You have to enter the same data more than once.

3. You're getting more complaints from your users.

4. You've noticed -- or been told -- that you need better internal controls.

5. You frequently have to wait too long for transactions to process or reports to run.

6. You have business functions or processes you'd like to be tracking in your software, but the software can't handle it without extensive customization, or can't handle it at all.

7. You can tell when someone is using your software by the muttering and swearing...

If you decide you do need better accounting software, then what is the best accounting or ERP software for your business? To answer this question, you need to identify three key things: what are your requirements, what is your budget, and who in your organization is going to make this happen?

What are the key things you want new accounting / ERP software to do for you? Why are you even thinking about new software? Do you have software currently that isn't doing certain things you want or need? Are you looking for improved visibility, elimination of duplicate data entry, automation of critical business functions? Do you need to meet regulatory requirements such as DCAA, HIPAA, or SOX? What are actually requirements vs wants or 'nice-to-have's? Also look at what features you may have now that you don't want to lose. Understanding your own needs is key to selecting the right software, but unfortunately many people skip this step.

What is your budget? You can get business software for any price from free to millions of dollars. In general, the more you have to spend, the more capabilities you can get. However, more features and functions aren't necessarily better. If you buy a system that is 'too big for you', you may wind up with lost time due to user confusion, an overly-complex user interface, and even wasting time disabling or hiding unused features. It's fine to buy a system you need to 'grow into' but don't just assume bigger is better. Sometimes the best accounting software for you is not the most expensive software package you can afford.

Who in your organization is going to make this happen? Selecting and implementing a new accounting or ERP package is a significant amount of work and money. While you will want and need a number of people from all parts of your business involved, you will also absolutely have to have one internal person who is the primary project owner and evangelist. This person may be your internal project manager, or the controller or CFO, or the IT director, or the company president. But if you don't have one key person who is focused primarily on making the project happen, you're very unlikely to be successful.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_R._Smith