HOWTO EVALUATE ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE Best Practices For SMEs Indias Largest Directory of Business Software

KNOWYOUR NEEDS & STAY ORGANIZED Evaluating software is perhaps the most critical component of the software selection process. This is where you see the systems in action and realize what it can truly accomplish for you. This requires a new level of organization and commitment to the software selection process. To capitalize on these showings, we suggest you adopt the following best practices for software evaluation. 1. Keep your process reasonable by accessing five or fewer software systems. Beyond five, you wont be able to go down deep enough into each product. In short, you should have a short list of five or fewer products. Checklist to Evaluate a Software Evaluate five or fewer systems Set a date for each demo Get the right people involved Know your key requirements Stay in control of the process

2. For every software vendor, set a date and time to demo their software. Dont try to demo the system the first time the software salesperson calls. Plan the demos a couple of days or even a week or two out so you have room to get ready. 3. Get the right individuals from your organization included. It's vital to have associates from diverse parts of the organization included to evaluate the software modules that they will use. 4. Next, make sure you head into these demos knowing your prerequisites. Build a list of your key requirements, and then ask the sales people to demonstrate those capabilities. Otherwise, you might end up watching sales people show off cool features that have nothing to do with your requirements. 5. Get organized and drive the process. This will ensure that your demo evaluation is significantly more powerful. KNOWYOUR NEEDS & STAY ORGANIZED

The best vendors are focused on helping their prospects and customers solve business challenges. Help these people do their jobs by educating them on your software needs and selection process. The more the software vendors know about your needs, the better they can convey how their software can offer assistance. For example, if you highlight which functional capabilities are most important to your organization, the software vendors can invest more time demonstrating those capabilities in their software. Meanwhile, educating the sales reps on your selection process will help them be more responsive. If they know what you need and when you need it, they are in a better position to deliver on-time and in-full. TellThe Sales Rep: How they will be evaluated Your most critical requirements Who theyre competing against Your timing and process What you want from the demo EDUCATEVENDORS ONYOUR NEEDS & PROCESS

Which software is the user-friendly? this is the most common question we hear at Software Suggest. That makes sense, since your success with a new software system is dependent on your ability to quickly adapt and start using the system. The demonstration is your best chance to answer that question for yourself. However, there is a real science to usability. Youll want to consider the five ease-of-use criteria we list at right. As you watch the demos, keep track of how many screens are navigated to accomplish a specific process. The fewer clicks and screens, the better. Again, keep an open mind about new ways of doing things. FOCUS ON USABILITY DURINGTHE DEMO USABILITY CRITERIA Are important features accessible from anywhere without too many clicks? Do the field labels and other application content speak the language of your industry? Are colors and visuals easy on the eyes and provide visual clues for intuitive navigation? Is contextually appropriate help available at important decision points? Do all screens share a common organization and styles to create familiarity for users?

FOCUS ONTHESE ACCOUNTING FEATURES Invoicing Taxation Warehouse Management Financial Management Budgeting Banking Multiple Currencies Payroll Mobile Support Multi-user login Online Backup Email Integration

Its important to use a scorecard to keep track of each demonstration. That way you can remember what you liked and disliked, and then compare all the systems side-by-side when your demos are complete. You can build a table similar to what we illustrate below. Then select the software which scores the highest. Many people use Microsoft Excel for this. KEEPTRACK OFTHE RESULTSWITH A DEMO SCORECARD Features VendorA Vendor B Vendor C Vendor D Vendor E Invoice 3 4 4 5 5 Taxation 3 5 4 5 4 Warehouse Management 3 2 3 3 5 Financial Management 1 3 2 2 2 Budgeting 2 1 2 3 4

If you evaluate your upcoming software demonstrations using the five best practices we just shared, youll be ahead of 99% of software buyers. Too often, buyers let the software sales person drive the demo process, they fail to prepare for the demos and they dont support the salesperson with the information he/she needs to do their job right. Get organized before your demonstrations and youll avoid costly software selection mistakes. SUMMARY MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES: Roadmap To Buy A Software ForYour Business [Infographic] ProfitBooks An Amazingly Simple Online Accounting Software Made For India 7 Things to Remember when selecting a Software

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