Centennial, CO. March 6, 2007 – Choosing the wrong accounting software could become a potential “nightmare” and will actually hurt your business instead of helping it. There are some key things that should be considered as you begin your search.
Use the internet, articles, and tradeshows to educate yourself and let you know what’s available. Make a list of potential software programs that you think may fit your needs and start to evaluate them. List the modules each one offers, rate them by reputation, and then try to rank them accordingly. After you’ve made your ranking list, eliminate the software programs that you know will not fit your exact business needs.
Educate yourself again on each software program that you think will fit your needs. Explore them more thoroughly by reading the home website of that specific solution and asking questions. You should have a “Top 3” after doing this. It’s then time to locate local resellers for each solution and request a demonstration CD and brochures from each one.
After reviewing the CD’s and brochures you should have a general feeling of the “Top 2” software programs that you think will fit your exact business needs. Now it’s time to locate a reputable reseller of each solution and schedule an initial “needs analysis” of your business. Reviewing a reseller’s website and how well they responded to your informational request from above is a good start.
After the analysis, request a demo from the resellers that really tried to learn your exact business needs from your “Top 2” solutions. You must choose the reseller of the solution that will be with you for support after an implementation. A good way to separate a “good” reseller from a “bad” one is to see if they outsource their support services and what their average response-time is to a service call. A good response-time should take no longer than a few hours. If it’s taking a reseller longer (some can take up to a week!), there’s a good chance they are outsourcing support services and have to pass your issue off to a 3rd party. This can really delay your operations.
After the demo, you should now be able to choose a top solution that will fit your exact business needs. Choose the reseller of the solution that you know will be there for you after the installation, implementation, data conversion, and training.
About MTSI:
With over 16 years of experience, MTSI is one of Sage Software’s largest Select partners. They specialize in all Sage MAS 90, MAS 200, and MAS 500 software products and services and have offices in several locations around the United States including Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Nashville, TN and Orlando, FL.
By: Larry Marshall