Finance

Do’s and Don’ts of Accounting Software Conversion

Converting your accounting software to a new system can be a challenging and overwhelming task. There are many questions and concerns that need to be addressed to choose the best accounting software to meet your business’s needs or it will lead to a bumpy transition. But, if you take the time to do your research, you’ll have a seamless transition as you implement the new software.

Accounting Software

Don’t go at it alone.

Too often, businesses feel they are capable of handling the conversion of accounting software in-house without consulting an outside accounting firm or vendor. But, going this route will lead to unnecessary headaches. You need the help of an outside accounting firm to negotiate contract details, choose the best software for your business, and convert your accounting system to the new software. An outside firm is more experienced at handling the conversion with better resources, which makes the entire process more efficient than if you were to go at it alone.

Business in Singapore

Do speak with multiple vendors.

You need to understand all of your options, which is why it’s important to speak with multiple vendors and not limit yourself to only one. Although many feel working with multiple vendors will be counterproductive, it’s often the best option. You’ll have a balance of conversion specialists, software vendors, and accounting experts by your side to work together to determine the right conversion course for your business.

accounting experts

Don’t be in a hurry to launch too soon.

Transitioning your accounting software takes time and shouldn’t be rushed. You need to establish a rollout plan from start to finish with launch dates for each aspect of the conversion to ensure no area is overlooked. This includes choosing the right software, installation, converting your data, and employee training. The more time you allow your business to convert your software, the more efficient and seamless the transition will be.

Accounting Software

Do properly convert your data.

The most common area of problems during software conversion is while the data is converted. Under the best case scenario, converting your accounting program will require no clean-up, fields won’t need changed during the import, and all fields will be validated in the new system. But, in the worst case scenario, all accounting charts will need to be redone because of the complexity of the exported data. If this happens, you’ll have many files to clean-up that have been distorted during importing. They may be in the wrong format or corrupt. Again, this is why working with an outside accounting firm for the conversion is best because they will work to ensure there are less files to clean-up during the conversion.

during software

Do run parallel systems.

After you’ve converted your accounting software, there will be a few bugs that need to be worked out. So you’ll want to run your old software and your new software together for about 6 months to allow all of the bugs to be fixed. This will allow you to see any discrepancies in the system and learn the differences in the processing to check the new system for errors.

With the right software and accounting specialist by your side, your new software will simplify the management of your accounts by increasing performance capabilities with a more efficient process.

Related Articles

Back to top button