As your company grows, your data needs grow right along with it. Your small business can get by with simple accounting systems like QuickBooks enterprises in the early goings, but as you add more locations, employees and customers, you may find you want a financial data system that is more flexible and can handle a heavier workload. ERP software like Microsoft Dynamics GP provides a business with tools and features that simpler systems like QuickBooks cannot compete with.
The Microsoft Dynamics GP advantage
Change can be difficult. Your business might try to cling to an old accounting system under the belief that what has worked in the past should serve adequately in the future. This desire to resist improvement may hold your company back competitively and stifle growth. Here are some of the advantages Microsoft Dynamics GP has over QuickBooks enterprises:
Track numerous locations and data sources
Your business growth may be physical as well as financial. You could open more stores or warehouses. You might be distributing to more locations. As your geography starts to expand, you will find the need to process several different data streams.
Entrepreneur Magazine stated QuickBooks makes it difficult to consolidate information from different location and sources. You need to find a system that can track each unique data source and integrate the them all to work together. Multiple stores, for example, will have different sales figures. You want to compare these numbers based on their different sizes, inventories and locations.
ERP solutions will provide visibility from every corner of your business. Data can easily be collected from numerous sources and automated processes can compare and contrast the information. This will give insight into how effectively your actual growth is performing against your projections.
Keep up with growing staff
A larger business means more employees. A growing number of people entering data could lead to more problems. There is always the fear of human error and a rigid accounting system might not be able to keep up with numerous users.
The ERP Software blog suggested Dynamics solutions provide a much more efficient multi-user experience. There are tools in place to prevent corrupted data, such as not allowing two users to make contradictory entries. All employees will have the ability to view information as soon as it changes and make updates from their preferred computing device.
Microsoft Dynamics GP is also easier to use. Instead of using a rigid software setup, your employees can use a data system tailored to their particular role in the company. System Administrators are able to create specified role templates for each member of their staff. Using a data entry methodology with specific processes limits errors and makes training much simpler.
Complex invoicing
Your business offers unique goods and services. In order to stay competitive in an expanding market, you need to create invoices reflecting every detail that went into the order.
Small Business Trends argued invoices created by simple systems like QuickBooks were too barebones. You want to avoid customer concerns over billing. An invoice that accurately describes the complexity of your services will make your clients aware of exactly what they are getting for their money.
ERP accounting software is designed to create paperwork using integrated information from every step of the order completion process. Data reporting from manufacturing, shipping and customer support will be consolidated to create a client invoice. Customers can check on the progress of their order and make changes as needed. Consumer preferences can be logged in the system and shared with all departments for future invoicing.
For more information on the benefits of ERP software, you can visit the Microsoft Dynamics website for white papers and eBooks.